Nope of Hillsborough Inc

The epidemic of addiction and overdose deaths that has gripped our nation is rocking the world of many families across our Tampa Bay area.   Don't most of us know someone who has been touched by the disease of addiction?

Imagine being a middle school or high school student walking into your school's auditorium for "another assembly."  But as you walk in the lights are dimmed, a heartbeat is playing, and the screen is showing a camera roll of young lives lost to substance related deaths.

As the 50 minute presentation goes along you hear startling local statistics on how many lives are lost each year to accidental overdose death.  You sit riveted to the story your very own School Resource Officer shares about a young teen who experiments with drugs, thinks it's no big deal, and then dies unexpectedly from an overdose.  As you listen to the actual 911 call of this mother reporting her child lifeless and cold to the touch you, as a son or daughter, vows NEVER to have your mom have to make that phone call.

If all that wasn't enough to make you think twice about experimenting with drugs or alcohol, a family members steps up to the stage and shares a heartfelt story about their own son, or daughter, or brother, or cousin being raised as a pretty normal, happy kid who starts to experiment with alcohol or marijuana or pills during their teen years.  The story is accompanied by photos from their childhood, helping you feel connected to that real person.  But then the family member reveals that what seemed like "no big deal" to this child became an addiction and sadly resulted in a way-to-early-in-life death from accidental overdose or a substance related death.

NOPE of Hillsborough strives to diminish the frequency and impact of overdose death through community education, family support and purposeful advocacy.  We do this by delivering high impact presentations to middle and high school students in Hillsborough County about the consequences of drug consumption and how they can help stop the epidemic of overdose deaths. Our chapter charges schools nothing to deliver this life-changing presentation on their campus in an assembly style format.

Our network of volunteers presents purposefully blunt and emotional messages to our county's 100+ schools. To date we have reached 76,758 students with our powerful student presentation.  The school resource officer shares grim stories of making death notifications to distraught families and parents who've lost children to drug overdose.  The response from students and faculty members has been very positive. Many students have gone to seek guidance for themselves or for their friends after attending our presentations, and they are better informed of tools they can use when faced with substance use and/or a possible overdose.

NOPE of Hillsborough offers interactive presentations to parents and community members. These presentations inform participants about the reality our nation faces regarding substance abuse and overdose deaths. We make sure parents know that their children can be confronted about using drugs anywhere they go and on their computers/phones. Our volunteers share parenting tips, suggestions and strategies to combat these drug related issues. We pin point the signs of drug use and and the best ways to speak with your child regarding drugs.  As with the student presentations, our NOPE of Hillsborough Chapter charges schools nothing to share these presentations.

In memory of those lost to drug and alcohol related incidents and with hope for those suffering from the disease of addiction, NOPE of Hillsborough holds an Annual Candle Light Vigil during the month of October. In 2018 the date of the Vigil is October 18th.  The NOPE Vigil sheds light on the consequences our nation faces with the use of illegal and illicit drugs. We strive to reduce the stigma surrounding the disease of addiction so that those suffering may openly seek help.  

Visit our web site to learn more:  www.NOPEHillsborough.org.