Wayzata Students Get Lesson on Opioid Epidemic

Wayzata High School students had a frank conversation Monday night about substance abuse and the opioid drug epidemic. A nonprofit called Change the Outcome hosted the discussion.

Colleen Ronnei with Change the Outcome says opioid addiction is the nation’s largest public health crisis. She says there’s a gap in communicating with young adults about the problem.

“I talked to my son until I was blue in the face. We can tell our kids and give them information. It’s much more powerful when it’s coming from other young people,” said Ronnei. “That peer-to-peer conversation, right, they listen to other kids. Sometimes way more often than they listen to their parents.”

According to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly four percent of kids reported misusing opioids. That percentage more than doubles for people ages 18 to 25. The vast majority of this misuse is due to prescription opioids, not heroin.

Wayzata High School