AVON, Ind. — Avon school leaders hosted a frank conversation Thursday night with families about the deadly consequences of drug abuse.
Even in her grief, Shannon Jones can't help but smile when she thinks about her son, Ray.
"He was a funny kid. He liked to joke. Like I said in the video, he was a protector and that's what he's doing now," said Jones.
He was one of two Avon students who died from drug overdoses recently. He was only 15 years old.
"This wasn't who Ray was. It was an experiment. He was just a teenager and made a bad choice," said Jones.
The tragedies prompted the school district to invite students and parents to a workshop to learn more about addiction, substance abuse, recovery, and mental health.
"We are seeing a drug trend that's beginning to target young people," said Avon Police Department Deputy Chief Brian Nugent.
"It's not just an experiment. It's experimenting with something that can have a drastic impact on your life that first time you tried something," said Avon School District Superintendent Scott Wyndham.
The district's counseling and mental wellness coordinator, Krista Fay, said the landscape has changed with mental health, especially coming out of COVID-19 restrictions.
"Kids are dealing with more anxiety, more depression, more stress. We are seeing kids internalize those things more and that's when you see things happen like substance use and substance abuse," Fay said.
During the meeting, counselors explained how knowing the signs could save lives.
"The biggest thing I would tell parents to watch out for is a change in their child's behavior. What is different from their normal," said Fay.
Jones said she didn't notice the early signs that Ray might be thinking of trying drugs. Now she's made it her mission to save other families from this heartache.
"It's important for me to be Ray's voice and put the message out there that it could be your first time, second time, or third time. You don't know what could happen," said Jones.