By Kaylee Pfeiferling, Multimedia Journalist
Posted: Feb 07, 2018 9:42 PM MST
HANNIBAL, Mo. (WGEM) -
You can't stop what you don't know; that was the message or Hannibal Public School parents, students and teachers as they listened to a presentation from Jermaine Galloway. The presentation centered around substance abuse.
"Your high school is just a representation of your community," said Galloway. "That's all it really is. Now ,we don't have the same issues in a high school that we have on the streets but if there's a product on the streets, it's in your schools too."
Galloway was a police officer for 18 years. he now gives presentations called 'Tall Cop Says Stop,' in an effort to curb drug trends.
"Heroin, laced heroin, fentanyl-laced heroin is a very big deal," said Galloway. "Fentanyl being more potent than heroin is a very big deal. Marijuana is trending. Different marijuana products that are different than what people are used to seeing are trending."
It's a scary thought for Hannibal mom Jennifer Wilson who was at Galloway's presentation with her 11 year old son.
"It's interesting to me that Mr. Galloway presents to children and adults so they can all understand what's going on because if we don't teach them someone else will," said Wilson.
Wilson says it was important for her and her son to be at the presentation at Hannibal High School Wednesday night in order to keep the lines of communication open within her family.
"I, as a parent, believe in talking about reality and what's really going on," said Wilson.
Galloway described several trends related to vaping and said parents should ask questions about what's in their teenagers' vape pens. He also talk about the rising popularity of marijuana wax and other forms of drugs.