All too often, a youngster’s first encounter with law enforcement or emergency personnel involves tragic results.

One program that has now become a long-time tradition in Clinton County, continues each year to give local youth an up-close “first” encounter that can, hopefully steer them toward more educated decisions at this stage in their lives.

The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service held its annual Truth or Consequences event Friday, March 7, at the Clinton County Fairgrounds.

The event is hosted every year by the Clinton County Extension Office and provides real world situations for students to give them a sense of what could happen if they were to get involved in certain situations. It is designed to show students the legal, financial, medical and emotional consequences of substance abuse.

Family and Consumer Sciences Agent Christy Nuetzman said the event was held Friday for freshmen from Clinton County High School and there were around 135 present for the event.

Students participated in substance abuse scenarios allowing them to interact directly with entities such as the district judge, county attorney, law enforcement, hospital and counseling/intervention.

At the conclusion of the event, a mock accident involving a pharm party illustrated to the students what really happens on the scene of an accident as well as at the hospital.

Nuetzman said for many students, it’s the first time they have interacted with community partners who can discuss the real consequences of getting involved in both legal and illegal substances.

“We ask community partners to treat and interact with the students just as they would in the real world setting, whether that’s a court room, CDW office, jail or hospital,” Nuetzman said. “The facial expressions and reaction of students as they listen to the community partners shows that many of the students are taking the message to heart.”

The event consisted of 16 stations, including, counseling/treatment, jail, law enforcement, ministers, health department, hospital, court designated workers, Department of Juvenile Justice, county attorney, pharmacists, zero tolerance program, district judge, school board, principal, school resource officer and the coroner.

“Some of the most intense reactions I observed were when students sat in front of District Judge Scarlet Latham and with hospital nurses Angela Storie and Robin Thomas,” Nuetzman said.

Nuetzman said one student commented they learned not to drink or buy alcohol while underage because being put in the back of a cop car isn’t fun.

Another student told Nuetzman “I’ve learned that your mistakes now could affect your future.”

Nuetzman said this event couldn’t be possible without all the community partners who commit their time every year for this event.

Above, Colin Langford, left, talked with Albany Police Officer Mark Bell while Noah Gregory spoke with Kentucky State Police officer Brian Gibson in Friday’s Truth or Consequences event held at the fairgrounds.

Below, MaKayla Brown along with Youth Services Coordinator Sandra Pharis spoke with community partner volunteers from Clinton County Hospital during Truth or Consequences Friday. Students are put into real-life situations to give them an understanding of what can happen in the real world when drugs and alcohol are abused.