Grim truth of addiction seen through drug prevention program Reality Tour visits Tamaqua community

Enlarge Image

Members of the Tamaqua Community Ambulance participate in a demonstration of the harsh realities of drug abuse as they attempt to bring a fictional drug user back to life. The demonstration was part of a series of re-enactments during The Reality Tour at Lehigh Carbon Community College's Morgan Center and the South Ward Fire Company on Thursday evening.

The grim truth of addiction was brought to life on Thursday night at Lehigh Carbon Community College's Morgan Center during the first Reality Tour Drug Prevention Program, sponsored by the Tamaqua Area Drug Prevention Program and the Rape and Victim Assistance Center, Pottsville.

The Reality Tour Program was developed by Norma Norris of Butler, Pa., in 2003 and is now promoted by the nonprofit group Candle, Inc. According to the organization's Web site, 40 percent of high school students feel that heroin is not too risky to try.

Tamaqua resident Diana Sweigert heard about The Reality Tour program through her hometown newspaper in Newcastle, Pa.

"I read a few message boards on the paper's Web site, and people commented that drugs were a real problem in that area," she said. "I went to Candle, Inc.'s Web site to learn more about the program and thought 'This is incredible.'"

Sweigert then called Tamaqua Mayor Chris Morrison to propose the idea of presenting The Reality Tour to the community.

The new initiative helped the Tamaqua Area Drug Prevention Program to form, and also initiated the partnership with the Rape and Victim Assistance Center.

"Drug abuse can cause a snowball effect, which can lead to child abuse or sexual abuse," Sweigert explained, "so partnering with the Rape and Victim Assistance Center was natural. If we can attack the root of these problems, it might lessen the frequency."

Enlarge Image

SARA HODON/TIMES NEWS Tamaqua police officers make a drug "arrest" outside of the Morgan Center during the initial run of the Reality Tour.

Morrison opened the evening with a brief welcome.

"We have a lot of problems with drugs, and so do a lot of other communities," he said. The purpose of The Reality Tour is to show the real life consequences that can result from drug abuse.

The program follows the fate of a fictitious teen addicted to heroin. Student volunteers from Tamaqua Area High School acted out a series of scenes, from a group of friends getting together for a party, to more dramatic scenes of an arrest and prison experience, to a hospital room overdose, and a final shot of the victim's grieving family at a funeral home. A narrative by the fictional "addict" was played before each scene, to serve as a reminder that addicts can be anyone, from any walk of life.

Volunteers from the Tamaqua Police Department, Tamaqua Area Community Ambulance, and the South Ward Fire Company participated in the re-enactments, giving an extra dose of realism to the scenes. Each attendee was given a drug abuse profile that they adopted during the program, so that they could become familiar with different addictive drugs and their common street nicknames. At the conclusion of the program, attendees were invited to commit to a drug-free life by adding their handprints to the Reality Tour banner.

Initial feedback from attendees was positive.

"People are aware that drugs are a real problem in our communities," Sweigert said. "Most of the feedback that I've gotten was that the program is very informative and a reality check for both students and parents."

The Reality Tour will be open to the public beginning on April 24 and again on May 29 at Lehigh Carbon Community College's Morgan Center. Registration is highly recommended. Registration forms are available at the Tamaqua Borough Building, Tamaqua Public Library, LCCC's Morgan Center, Dr. Lisa Banning's office, or by calling Sweigert at (570) 778-2316.