Tyler's Light Comes To Marion
MARION – Speak up. Save a life.
Wayne Campbell, who presented his drug abuse awareness program Tyler’s Light at Grant Middle School and Harding High School this week, left students with that message.
Tyler’s Light is the culmination of parents and community members bonding together after Tyler Campbell, Wayne and Christy Campbell’s son, died from an accidental drug overdose in 2011. Tyler, a 2007 Pickerington High School graduate, had played Division I football at the University of Akron. Wayne recalled when, during Tyler’s freshman year, he played against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Ohio Stadium.
Injuries during his sophomore year led to opiate-based painkillers, which led to addiction and his being released from the team and out of school in 2010. His addiction turned to heroin. He died at 23.
“We tried so hard to save him, but we were unable to,” Campbell said.
Tyler’s now among statistics that keep growing. Wayne shares these during his presentations to students, educating them about how one out of every five high school students in Ohio say they’ve used a prescription drug not prescribed to them by a doctor. Another slide shown during the presentation states that four people die from a drug overdose every day in Ohio. That average, he said, is higher now.
“They started with just one pill,” he said.
Wayne and other Tyler’s Light volunteers take their message of speak up, save a life into communities nationwide. The message differs in the traditional “just say no” philosophy in that it encourages students, parents and community members to alert someone if they know a student is showing signs of drug addiction. These signs may include rapid weight loss, a change in friends and activities, slurred speech, unexpected mood swings and a sudden concern about money.
Gary Cameron, former commander of Columbus Police Department’s narcotics division, said speaking up and encouraging friends to get help make a difference in the lives of people helped.
“They come back and say, ‘You saved my life,’” he said.
Cameron, while speaking to a group of parents on Monday, said it takes communities working together to fight against the nation’s drug epidemic.
“It takes enough people putting their arms around your kids and saying that’s enough,” he said.
Wayne and Harding High School sophomore Anthony Miller, who invited Wayne to Marion, spoke to community and student leaders during a luncheon held Monday at Grant.
“What is your office going to do to educate the community,” Miller said. “If we don’t change now, where is it going to be in 10 years?”
Miller, who started up a Teens Against Drugs club, plans to research Tyler’s Light’s Drug Free Clubs of America program and whether it’s a good fit for Marion City Schools. The program offers positive peer pressure strategies through voluntary random drug testing and rewards programs that give students incentives to stay drug free.
