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Annual drug summit Monday night in Forsyth County
heroin

FORSYTH COUNTY — It may be an uncomfortable conversation to have with a teenager, but drug use is a topic that needs to be talked about, local officials have said for years.

Monday will mark the third year Forsyth County is holding an event to raise awareness of drugs in the area and provide an avenue for help and questions.

The Forsyth County Drug Summit is set for 6 p.m. Monday at the Lanier Technical College Forsyth Conference Center. About 500 people attended last year, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s deputies will be available with information for parents and students, as well as a hands-on display of drugs and paraphernalia.

Attendees can ask deputies “any questions you may have about drugs and what to look for.”

The summit also serves as a centralized location for people to dispose of their unwanted or unused prescription drugs that, if abused, can be a gateway to illicit drugs.

Speakers will give personal testimonies to raise awareness of drug use in Forsyth.

During last year’s summit, Forsyth County Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills told the crowd that 90 percent of addicts begin using drugs in middle school and 65 percent of middle-schoolers who use drugs will become addicts.