Youth Make a Call for Action through #SuperheroME

In San Bernardino County, the average age of first alcohol use is 12 years old, according to the California Health Kids Survey. The Journal of Substance Abuse says youth who begin drinking alcohol before age 15 are four times more likely to become dependent on alcohol than those who wait to begin drinking until age 21. In light of such facts, Mental Health Systems, Inc. (MHS) Central Valley Prevention Program teamed up with the Colton Community Coalition for Change and Templo de Alabanza Rialto to hold #SuperheroME, a youth forum aimed towards stopping underage alcohol and drug abuse. The program was planned almost entirely by the youth of the community, according to Yamilet Lario, Prevention Specialist at MHS. “There have been forums aimed for the adult population, but this is definitely the first youth-led forum that they completely put together themselves,” said Lario. “We were just basically there assisting them every step of the way.” The event was held at Vineyard Christian Fellowship and began with a welcome from Colton City Clerk Eileen Gomez. The program featured an all-youth skit written and directed by Cinthya Cortez of the Colton Community Coalition for CHANGE, portraying what easy accessibility to alcohol might lead to. “For some people it may just be a skit, but for others, it’s a reality that leads to addiction,” said Octavio Franco, one of the masters of ceremonies for the evening. John Biagianti, an AOD Counselor with MHS, shared his own story about addiction at a young age. Now 22, Biagianti first began taking pain medication for a broken leg when he was 14 years old. His entire family drank and smoke, and Biagianti became addicted to his pain medication and started selling it to his peers. One night, he threw a party without his parents’ knowledge, and one of the girls who attended became hospitalized for alcohol poisoning. Luckily, she recovered the next day, but Biagianti’s parents told him they were “disappointed.” By the age of 18, Biagianti had developed kidney spots and the beginnings of cirrhosis, so he decided to enter a 90-day rehab. At 62 days, he started his education to become an AOD counselor. Biagianti told the audience that he became hooked on drugs and alcohol out of a desire to fit in. “Be your own person. That’s what I had to realize,” he said. Awards were given to Peter Tasaka, Washington High School (WHS) principal and Vineyard Christian Fellowship pastor, and Nina Torres, a career guidance technician at WHS. Tasaka was recognized for his efforts through Ten Boys, a mentoring program at WHS. Torres was recognized for her program, Success by Choice, which gives at-risk youth and first-generation students the tools they need to prepare for college. Mirza Andrade-Martinez, Prevention Specialist at MHS, oversaw the event from beginning to end, and expressed her pride with the youth who participated. “I’m very impressed with them, and I see them taking ownership of the issues that affect their generation, and when they do that, you believe there’s light at the end of the tunnel,” she said. “They’re the change agents that are going to bring change, and they’re going to change the conditions in the environment with the passion that they have.” Lario shared that the superhero theme was an idea the youth came up with. “It was something they felt they could still connect to the adolescent population and the hashtag, it’s social media—Instagram, Twitter, all of that,” she said. “So they wanted to kind of incorporate this new edge to it as well.” Michael A. Townshend, Prevention Specialist at MHS, brought his two daughters, Alexis and Maya, ages 14 and 12, to #SuperheroME, and explained his reasons for doing so. “I want to expose them to other youth that have already considered the issue and have already made a decision [not to drink], because they’re at the point in their lives right now where they’re going to be exposed to the alcohol industry, promoting alcohol in a different light. And I want them to see from their level of maturity, and from their peers’ perspective, so that they can make a decision for themselves. And it’s not just me as their parent telling them: don’t do alcohol, don’t do drugs. It’s a matter of them witnessing and experiencing things and making a decision for themselves. I think that’s the value of this type of event, [and] the value of community events.”