Students and Drugs: How West MI high schoolers are helping the DEA reach kids

by Michael Martin – April 24, 2026

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is stepping out from behind the scenes, teaming up with West Michigan students to rethink how drug prevention messages are delivered.

Students from Reeths-Puffer High School visited the DEA’s Grand Rapids office Friday, leading hands-on simulations designed to show how drug impairment impacts reaction time and decision-making.

“Kids don’t really understand what’s really happening unless they experience a simulation of it and what it’s really like,” sophomore Ryan Gordon told 13 ON YOUR SIDE Friday morning.

During three exercises designed in part by the students, participants attempted simple tasks while wearing goggles that simulate being drunk or high or both. The effects quickly turning routine movements into disorienting challenges.

The student group, Straight Talk About Tough Stuff (STATS), regularly brings those demonstrations into Muskegon County middle schools.

“Kids, I feel, learn better from other students,” Gordon said.

That approach is what drew the DEA into the unique partnership.

“For many years, DEA has been known for the enforcement side,” Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derek Ress said Friday. “We’re really trying to build that community outreach… getting that awareness out at the ground level.”

The agency says that shift comes as the drug landscape continues to evolve. While fentanyl overdoses have recently declined, Ress says new synthetic drugs are emerging, in some cases making overdoses harder to reverse with tools like Narcan.

“Fentanyl is only two milligrams… That’s all it takes for an overdose,” Ress explained. “You’re really gambling with your life.”

For students involved, the goal is simple: make the message stick.

“It’s important for kids to understand what they’re putting in their body and how it can affect their life,” Gordon said.

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/students-drugs-west-mi-high-211101739.html?

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