When is a hairbrush more than a grooming tool? When the end screws off to reveal a hidden compartment and a bag of drugs. Byron-Bergen High School partnered with the Genesee Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (GCASA) to provide a Hidden Mischief experience for parents and caregivers of high school students. Hidden Mischief is a program designed to raise awareness of drug concealing techniques and everyday items commonly repurposed for drug use.
The first event took place at Freshman Orientation on August 23. Teams of five to seven parents and guardians explored an average teenager’s bedroom. The “bedroom” has visited six other schools since the program began a year ago. In this bedroom more than 50 drugs, drug references, and drug paraphernalia items are hidden and revealed.
“Sometimes the key to discovering if a student is experimenting with drugs is right in their bedroom,” said Byron-Bergen High School Principal Pat McGee. “Our goal with this experience is to help families notice things they might have overlooked before.”
Another aspect of the Hidden Mischief experience is to give caregivers resources on how to talk to their students and how to get help. GCASA also wants families to understand how easy it is to access concealment or paraphernalia items online or in the community. It might seem like some of these items would be difficult for a teenager to find, but the hidden compartment hairbrush appears for sale online for $15.99 after a simple web search.
“The Hidden Mischief experience is designed as a preventative,” said GCASA Prevention Educator Gina Henry. “The goal is to spread awareness.”
The community is invited to come experience the Hidden Mischief room themselves during the Byron-Bergen High School Open House on Tuesday, September 11 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at 6917 West Bergen Road, Bergen.
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