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Torrey Pines student urges Carlsbad Unified to expand opioid education for younger grades
Summary
A Torrey Pines High School senior and Project Clean co-founder asked the Carlsbad Unified School District board to bring evidence-based opioid education to elementary and middle school students, saying peer-to-peer presentations can reach more young people and citing a statistic about teen prescription-opioid misuse.
Lauren Su, a rising senior at Torrey Pines High School and co-founder of the student group Project Clean, told the Carlsbad Unified School District board on July 17 that the district should start opioid-education earlier, in elementary and middle schools. “One in seven teenagers abuse prescribed opioids,” Su said, and she urged the district to adopt presentations led by high-school peers because, she said, “young kids are more willing to and relate more to high schoolers.”
Su told the board she and Project Clean have given evidence-based presentations to roughly 300 students in San Diego and have expanded to several California regions since forming in December 2023. She said the group has reached only two local schools despite contacting more than 100 in the area and asked the board to help expand access to classroom time and presentations.
Superintendent Dr. Churchill thanked Su and said staff would follow up with her. The public-comment period then closed with no other speakers.
Why it matters: Student-led, peer-delivered prevention programs are one approach districts use to reach younger students when concerns about opioid misuse are raised. Su asked the board both for more opportunities to present and for district support coordinating those presentations.
What’s next: District staff said they would follow up with Su; no formal action or funding for the program was taken at the July 17 meeting.
