A Story to Tell

11/12/2019

After jetting across the Atlantic to London and paying a visit to New York City already this fall, Brenda Conlan has settled in for a couple of weeks in a less exotic venue: Richmond, VA.

This past Wednesday, the Cape Cod-based prevention specialist returned to Collegiate – a stop she has made twice a year since 2000 – to speak to Middle School students and their parents about the dangers presented by the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs.

After making the long drive from New England, she arrived in her dark blue Acura station wagon sporting the word BRONTE on her Massachusetts-issued license plate.

An acronym? I wondered. Or some cryptic message? Or a reference to sisters Emily, Charlotte, and Anne, the trio of acclaimed authors who grew up in Yorkshire, England, during the first half of the 19^th Century?

“I love the Bronte sisters,” Brenda said in response to my query. “I think Jane Eyre (by Charlotte Bronte) is the best book written in the English language.

“Why?” I inquired further.

“I just think it’s an amazing story,” she replied. “Charlotte Bronte judged her characters. She’s a bold author. She wrote an engaging story about a woman who essentially was a governess which was almost a form of servitude in those days and what it was like for her to be a very well educated woman who was dealing with poverty and was smarter than her environment.”

“Why does that speak to you so loudly?” I asked.

“I love literature,” Brenda answered. “Books saved my life. I found out how other people felt by reading books. I was always a voracious reader. Still am.”

“Does that sentiment have anything to do with your professional calling?” I asked.

“I think the way I (present information and insights) is kind of a narrative,” she said. “I’m a storyteller. There’s a lot to be learned from stories.”

From there, our conversation went to her current visit: the information she was sharing, her research, and trends.

What’s your focus this fall?

I always speak first and foremost about addiction and how it works. Addiction operates the same way no matter what drug you’re talking about. You have hallmarks of addiction that would be craving, tolerance, consequences. Somebody who is still using despite the consequences has an established problem with alcohol or some other drug. Actually, there’s some good news. Illegal drug use is very much on the decline nationwide. Marijuana is holding steady. It’s not spiking. Even alcohol – binge drinking – is on the decline. That’s great news. That was a really stubborn one.

Recently, there’s been much in the media about the dangers of vaping.

Nicotine is the only drug that’s on the rise which is a huge concern because it’s in the form of vaping. Up until recently, there was this idea that, Oh, this is totally safe. This is just steam that tastes like watermelon. A certain portion of vapers become smokers. They initiate their relationship with nicotine by using electronic cigarettes. It’s also possible to vaporize cannabis products, so some of the vaping that’s taking place is actually THC. It’s a way to use marijuana without creating a lot of smoke and a lot of stink. So it’s easier to get away with.

Have the issues with vaping intensified?

Sure. In the last six months, we’ve had about 40 deaths of young people related directly to vaping. We’ve also had hundreds of cases of serious lung injuries and lung issues where people are desperately ill, spending days and weeks in intensive care. Some of those people haven’t recovered still. They’re not operating at 100 percent. They’re operating at 60 or 70 percent lung capacity. I’m not surprised. I had a hunch that inhaling poisonous gas into your lungs would cause some problems.

Have you seen any indication that those situations are scaring people away?

Yes, I’ve been having discussions with students this school year. What older kids are saying is that it may not change (the behavior of) people who are already vaping or already addicted, but people who are on the fence or haven’t – which is most people – are deciding not to. That’s really powerful.

Do you foresee a time where vaping isn’t an issue?

This is what kids are saying. This is my sense. I think it has peaked. I think what we’re going to see for 2019 and 2020 will be a little bit less than what we saw between 2015 and 2019. Everybody knows it’s hazardous.

How do you know if your message has resonated?

I don’t know in terms of a computer readout. Part of what I’m trying to do is not easy to measure which is, Do I validate kids who are not using? So if you look at what I’m doing as prevention, do I galvanize and motivate non-users to stay that way? That’s my idea of success.

-- Weldon Bradshaw

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