From left, Tiffany Warfel talks to Kay Kearney and Kiersten Flint from Hoosier Park about the Hidden in Plain Sight trailer on Wednesday. The trailer is used to educate parents about signs to look for that could indicate their children are using drugs or alcohol. Staff photo by Don Knight
ANDERSON — The Hidden in Plain Sight trailer doesn’t look like a trailer at all once you step inside.
The trailer that Intersect and the Madison County Sheriff’s Department have brought to the community is transformed to look like a teenager’s bedroom. The purpose is to help parents keep an eye on their children when it comes to drugs and other illegal activities.
The mobile exhibit was introduced at the Drug Prevention Summit, which was Tuesday and Wednesday. The summit featured several speakers who discussed a variety of topics, ranging from the legalization of marijuana, smoke-free air and the experience of the opioid crisis from the perspective of emergency room doctors.
Wendy Cook, project coordinator at Intersect Inc., said some parents wonder if snooping through their children’s bedrooms is OK.
“Well, Intersect and the Madison County Sheriff’s Department would like to encourage you to snoop” she said. “We believe it’s our duty as parents, as guardians, to be looking through youth’s belongings.”
The exhibit is only for parents and other adults. Cook said the trailer can be rented by people for a variety of places, such as their business, church, school or public library.
Madison County Sheriff Scott Mellinger said he thinks the exhibit will be beneficial for all parents.
“I think even the most vigilant and educated parent will learn things they were unaware of in terms of regular items that could purchased anywhere and how those items could contribute to illegal drug activity,” he said.
“If nothing else, if they go to the exhibit, they will become part of the conversation, which helps awareness overall.”
Other police departments will help with the presentation of the exhibit as well. A police officer or Intersect staff member will be present at all exhibits to ensure children and teens aren’t in the exhibit, Cook said.
Intersect staff members and law enforcement are also available to do training for groups about the dangers of social media and how to watch out for children when it comes to social media, Cook said.
Drug prevention summit
Dr. Daniel Combs and Dr. Ethan Wagner of the emergency department at St. Vincent Anderson Hospital gave a presentation to about 60 participants on the second day of the Drug Prevention Summit about the experiences the drug crisis has brought to their emergency room.
Wagner was able to share the prices of some drugs based on what inmates at the Hamilton County Jail have told him. He demonstrated how much cheaper heroin is compared to opioid medications. For example, 5-milligram hydrocodone pills can generally be bought for $5 on the street, but a “point” of heroin, which is one-tenth of a gram or 100 milligrams, can generally be bought for $20, Wagner said.
The session induced discussions about what can be done. Some people laughed as the doctors told stories about people who are hostile after receiving too much Narcan, the overdose reversal drug, and how people lie and try to scam doctors to get pain medication they can abuse.
Holly Renz, coordinator of the Sexual Assault Treatment Center at Community Hospital Anderson, shared some comments during the presentation relating to how even emergency room doctors need to resist becoming jaded.
“We’ve got to do something other than just laugh about it,” Renz said. “I know people lie to me, but I refuse to be jaded, and I’ve been (a registered nurse) for 40-plus years.”
Wagner said he would like to see more social workers in the emergency department to help assist people seeking treatment or suffering from drug addiction.
“And if I seem jaded, it’s partly for comic relief,” Wagner replied.
Mellinger asked what the doctors thought about a change in the Joint Commission’s Pain Standards that requires medical staff to ask every patient what their level of pain is on a scale of one to 10.
“Interestingly enough, I think that’s when Oxycontin came out,” Wagner replied. “It was the perfect storm.”
Combs said there is now this expectation in culture that if someone feels pain, the pain needs to be treated rather than the actual issue that caused the pain, which needs to change.
“It’s about resilience, and how do we teach these kids?” he said. “I don’t know that life has gotten that much harder; it is certainly faster paced.”
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