HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- To combat the ongoing opioid epidemic, Terrell Pollard is taking action.
Through his nonprofit Henrico Too Smart 2 Start.Pollard will host a town hall at the end of the month as a way to reach students and their parents about the dangers of opioid abuse and come up with solutions to the problem.
A problem Pollard said recently hit close to home.
"There’s a young person who I have a personal relationship with that is struggling with opioid use and overdosed," an emotional Pollard told Maggi Marshall. "It kind of shocks you. What questions did I not ask? Why did I not know it was going in this direction?”
Pollard said studies show one in six students in Virginia misuse prescription medication.
"We’re seeing a rise. In the past, you just would not see opioid use or substance use and overdoses at the high school level," he said. "When we talk to youth, we are finding a lot of people are using it because of mental health issues."
Pollard hopes his Youth Opioid Awareness Town Hall will reach parents and students. He plans to bring in speakers, including former professional athletes and coaches, to share their stories of opioid struggle.
"We need to act and have these tough conversations," he said. "We [need to] empower youth to challenge doctors on what is being prescribed to them, and be aware not to use someone else’s medication, go to parties where pills are shared and that there are fake pills."
The free town hall is scheduled for January 24 from 6 - 8 p.m. at Richmond Elite Academy in Mechanicsville.
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