PC students learn about meth awareness

By Staff
Melissa Cason
PHIL CAMPBELL – The Franklin County Sheriff's Department and the Franklin County DARE program presented a program at Phil Campbell High School to educate high school students about the dangers of methamphetamine and how to recognize meth labs.
Lt. Mike Franklin, DARE officer, said the purpose of the presentation was to teach high school students about the dangers of meth use and how to recognize labs and what to do should they find one somewhere.
"We need to tell our students what to look for," Franklin said. "And how to respond to a suspected meth lab."
Lt. Greg Pinkard and Sgt. Jason Holcomb, county investigators who are certified to work meth labs, spent Thursday with the students teaching what they look for and providing them with reasons they should not try meth.
The students were shown a film that talked about the affect meth has on the body, and what it is made of in an effort to deter them from experimenting with it.
The film also gave testimonies about how meth has destroyed lives and killed those who used it.
After the film, Holcomb showed the students photos of actual meth labs found in Franklin County. He warned them not to touch them to get help immediately.
"If you see anything like this, do not touch it," Holcomb told the group. "Shaking it could make the chemicals mix together or breathing it in could cause respiratory problems."
The students were presented with the information during their gym time. The presentation is a part of the campaign by the DARE program and sheriff's department against meth usage.