Drug Free Australia asked Drug Educator, Kerryn about
her experience in drug use as a teen. Here is her story:
“Unfortunately, Drug and Alcohol education was not considered necessary in schools when I was a teen, so my drug education came from my peers, a situation that led to much heartache and a lifetime of regret.
Despite having a happy, loving start to life, my naive choice to ‘fit in’ led to a gradual spiral from a bit of partying that progressed to the ‘slippery slope’ into the dark world of drug use. Like so many substance users, mine became a horror story that almost killed me and left me with life-long consequences, including heart surgery at a young age.
Thirteen years ago, a teacher who knew of my story invited me to speak to the Year 10 students at the school where he taught. I welcomed the invitation and the response I received from the students, including an extended question time, was incredible. This led me to realise that I have a powerful message to share, that could save some lives! This was the catalyst for my past 13 years of AOD education.
Since 2010 I have been educating and warning people of all age groups across Australia, about the realities and the many dangers of substance use.
As we all know, nothing is as impacting as real-life stories. You can hear a ’pin drop’ in my sessions as the reality of the side effects of substance use causes the audience to really sit up and listen. This leads the students/audiences to imagine themselves in that position and serves as a great warning as they are encouraged to think carefully about their choices, their health and their future. The reams of student feedback I have received over the years, clearly support this.
However, stories on their own are not always enough. Students have different learning styles and I want my message to have maximum impact. My sessions are a blend of up-to-date information on the most commonly used substances; newspaper reports; what to do in an emergency; information on drug production and the chaos that involves; the impact of drug production on the environment, and much more. All of this is intertwined with real-life stories is concluded with an aspect of resilience-building and hope.
I have published two books about my story, ‘Out of the Darkness’ and ‘Chasing After the Wind’.
In my desire to make a difference in the lives of our teens and others, I have also featured on several media outlets, including: An SBS Documentary on Marijuana; A panellist on the ABC’s Q&A; Guest speaker on ABC Radio National Live; a panellist on Neil Mitchell’s radio program on drug use and injecting rooms etc. and several other radio programs.
Some Typical Student Feedback
“Wow, Kerryn is so inspirational. Thanks for sharing!”
Year 12 Student – Independent Co-educational College.
“Kerryn was fantastic. She spoke with genuine honesty, and explained a difficult topic to us in a way that made it relevant.” – Year 12 Student – Independent Co-educational College.
“I thought it was incredibly insightful to hear from someone who has had first-hand experience. The different consequences from real-life stories were very confronting but necessary to hear.
– VCE Student – Independent Ladies College.
“I took away what drugs can really do with a personal story, instead of just watching a video, or listening to your basic lecture about the negatives of it.”
– Yr 9 Student – Independent Boys’ Grammar.
“I loved the extra message of hope and having dreams, etc. – that was really nice to hear! Thank you! xx
– VCE Student – Independent Ladies College.
“I really liked your talk better than other drug talks because of the personal stories.”
– Yr 12 student – Independent Girls’ School.
“I’m glad you’re alive to change other’s lives.”
– VCAL Student- Narre Community Learning Centre.
