As schools and local groups continue to search for ways to reduce teen substance use, Cowlitz County Board of Health Chairman Kelly Lane has offered his own solution: using simulated high school parties featuring student actors, called Reality Parties, to educate parents on what dangers their children might be exposed to.
"I think it’s an extra tool that this county has not tried," Lane said. "Obviously, there is a drug problem in the county, and we need to do something new.”
The board voted 4-2 at its Tuesday meeting to request that the Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners approve a $10,000 contract to put on one of these parties locally.
However, representatives from Educational Service District 112's community prevention coalitions say performances like this can be harmful to the students involved and are not the most effective form of substance use prevention.
The state Healthy Youth Survey reports that alcohol, tobacco and drug use among sixth-12th graders in Cowlitz County is higher than the state average in most cases, but that both county and state rates of use decreased between 2018 and 2023.
How does it work?
The Reality Parties are put on using scripts provided by the nonprofit Reality Improv Connection, Inc., through its program BRITE, or Building Resilience and Inclusion Through Engagement. The parties feature student actors, but are mainly targeted at parents of teenagers.
BRITE Executive Director Katherine Kasmir said at the Tuesday meeting that scripts are tailored to the needs of each area using input from local experts and students. When the program first began, it was targeted mainly at underage drinking, but it now addresses issues like drug use as well.
Groups who are interested in putting on a Reality Party must first go through a training program with BRITE, which costs $10,000. There is a $240 royalty fee for each subsequent performance.
"It's a big chunk of money, but in the scope of county business, it’s not that much, in my opinion," Lane said at a January board meeting.
The money would come from Cowlitz County's portion of a settlement from then-Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson's lawsuit against Teva Pharmaceuticals, Lane said Tuesday. Cowlitz County was allocated about $8.9 million by the state to use for treatment and prevention of opioid disorders.
The Reality Parties feature student actors who roleplay situations like being peer pressured into drinking or harassed by classmates. They can receive community service hours for participating, Lane said.
He added that the parties would take place outside of school hours and would not require schools to contribute resources.
After touring the party, attendees participate in a Q&A section about what real-life behaviors the actors see in their peers and how those could be addressed. Local prevention experts or law enforcement can also provide input.
Lane said at the January meeting that he has heard from Castle Rock School District that it might be interested in this program. He later wrote in an email that the board is starting talks with all local school districts, and that his discussions with Castle Rock have been "all positive."
Castle Rock Superintendent Chris Fritsch declined to comment, saying only that he has "clarified our position with Mr. Lane."
Kelso School District Public Information Officer Michele Nerland said the district has not yet heard anything from the county.
Potential issues
ESD 112 Prevention Programs Director Joy Lyons wrote in an email that the district prefers to use evidence-based parent education programs that do not involve student actors.
"Using youth as actors who simulate intoxication or other behaviors is discouraged in the prevention field due to the unintended harm it can cause the youth involved," she wrote.
Community project coordinators Lindsey Lonner and Betsy Berndt echoed that sentiment at the board's January meeting. Lonner coordinates the Castle Rock CARE Coalition, and Berndt coordinates Kelso's Hilander HOPE Coalition. Both groups work to prevent youth substance use in their communities.
"Not only does it go against prevention science, it’s just not good for our youth," Berndt said.
According to the Washington State Health Care Authority, prevention groups should avoid having young people roleplay as drug users. It also cautions against scare tactics and one-time assemblies or events. Instead, it recommends focusing on healthy alternatives to drug use and building connections with trusted adults and peers.
Lane wrote in an email that teens only participate in these parties as actors, not as spectators, and that it gives them an opportunity to advocate for change in their communities.
"Being heard and respected by adults in these discussions — rather than simply being lectured to — is an invaluable opportunity for these young people to contribute meaningfully to prevention efforts," he wrote.
Substance use in Cowlitz County
The Healthy Youth Survey reports that alcohol, tobacco and drug use by sixth-12th graders both statewide and in Cowlitz County decreased between 2018 and 2023.
In 2023, 18.2% of county 12th graders reported having alcohol in the past 30 days, compared to 33.1% in 2018. Only 1.4% of county 12th graders reported using illegal drugs other than alcohol, marijuana or tobacco in the last 30 days in 2023, while 8.4% said they had in 2018.
Statewide, 18.4% of 12th graders reported drinking in the past 30 days in 2023, down from 27.9% in 2018. Alcohol and marijuana use among sixth-10th graders in Cowlitz County was higher than the state average in 2023, while use of other drugs was lower in Cowlitz County for all grades except eighth. Vape use in all grades was higher in Cowlitz County than the state average.
Although youth drug and alcohol use seems to be decreasing, it remains a concern for educators. The Kelso School Board voted in January to allow students to carry naloxone, which is used to treat opioid overdoses.
A 15-year-old Longview resident died after overdosing on morphine Jan. 25, and a man was arrested on accusations of selling drugs to her and other minors. The Cowlitz County Coroner's Office reported that this was the only overdose death of a minor so far this year.
