Students stood onstage in the dark, flashlights illuminating their faces as they spoke. Some statements were encouraging: “Approximately 70 percent of tenth graders don’t drink.” Many were not: “It’s easy for us to have an older person buy us alcohol on short notice.” “Using prescription drugs to deal with stress is common.” “Since no one listens to me, I do bad things to be noticed.”

These are just a few of the facts shared by a group of local high school students on May 11 at Youth Speak Out, a town hall meeting sponsored by the Lopez Island Prevention Coalition. The meeting was not an open forum, and there was no discussion following the students’ presentation.

“Our goal was not necessarily to encourage immediate reactions to what the kids said,” said Della McCullough, LIPC Youth Engagement Facilitator. “Our goal was to spur an ongoing, community-wide discussion about the teenage experience on Lopez – or at least to show the community that there is a need for such a discussion.”

But the evening wasn’t all about students’ struggles; it was also about the positive ways youth are making a difference in the community. Hannah Hobi was one of four girls who shared about being student EMTs. “It’s really cool to be able to go and help the community in that way,” she said.

The meeting also served as a wrap-up for the Draw the Line campaign, an effort to draw the line between youth and alcohol in the community. The Drug-Related Education Awareness Mentors Team, a group of middle and high school students, thanked the community for supporting the campaign and presented awards to Lopez Village Market, Islandale, and the Lopez Liquor Store for their compliance with state laws regarding alcohol advertising.

Attendees had the opportunity to participate by filling out surveys about their perceptions of underage drinking in the community and by signing “hero cards” indicating their commitment to drawing the line between youth and alcohol.

After the event, McCullough said, “I’m very proud of the youth and their efforts to inform the community of the issues they are facing on this island.”

She added that the students’ statements have been posted on the LIPC website and can be accessed by going to lopezislandpreventioncoalition.com and clicking “Youth Speak Out” in the menu bar.

“If you didn’t attend, I hope you’ll take the time to read what the kids had to say,” she said.