During the last week in January, students in grades five, seven, nine, 11, and 12 had their annual meetings with Glenn Hall, a senior prevention specialist with Preventions Solutions. Glenn, affectionately known as “Mr. G” among our students, has been visiting Seven Hills for the last seven years to provide information about drug and alcohol prevention.

Prevention Solutions, formally known as Freedom from Chemical Dependency (FCD), has been providing these services to Seven Hills for more than 20 years. Orchestrated by our school counselors, these annual visits are part of an ongoing effort to help our students make healthy and responsible choices. 

Prevention Solutions is a nonprofit organization that provides substance abuse prevention education in schools around the United States. The goal is to educate students, parents, teachers, and school administrators on the physiological and psychological effects of alcohol and other drugs. 

In these annual sessions, four each in grades five, seven, and one for grades 11 and 12, participants are taught to recognize early warning signs of substance abuse and to intervene appropriately. Overall, the goal is to encourage and support the non-use of alcohol and other illegal or illicit drugs during students’ most vulnerable formative years. In the discussions and exercises, students are encouraged to make positive choices and to utilize healthy coping skills. 

Part of the strategy is to debunk the myth that drug and alcohol use is pervasive among young people. Glenn presents survey data showing that not nearly as many students use drugs and alcohol as students might think; the goal is to dispel myths and empower students and parents to delay drug and alcohol use as long as possible. 

Glenn has a long and distinguished career as a prevention specialist, beginning his work at South Middlesex Opportunity Counseling, first as a treatment facilitator and later as a substance abuse counselor and manager of a halfway house.

I am grateful to our counseling department for providing this valuable educational opportunity, year after year, for our students.