Substance abuse conference at BBCC
Emergency responders prepare a "victim" for transport during a mock DUI crash at the 2012 Community Partnership Against Substance Abuse conference. The 2013 conference is Wednesday at Big Bend Community College.
MOSES LAKE - The consequences of substance abuse and how to prevent it will be the subject of a daylong conference at Big Bend Community College on Wednesday. The conference features a reenactment of a car accident caused by an impaired driver.
The Community Partnership Against Substance Abuse will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Masto Conference Center at BBCC, 7662 Chanute St. It's sponsored by the Central Basin Safety Task Force and the college.
Speech topics and events are not suitable for young children, said organizer Ryann Leonard.
Conference speakers will talk about the drugs most commonly used in the region, discuss warning signs for those drugs and talk about how drug-related crimes are investigated. A panel of speakers will talk about personal struggles with drug addiction.
The mock crash will feature emergency personnel, from police officers and medical personnel to the Grant County Coroner's Office, and how they respond to a wreck, Leonard said. Audiences can ask questions of emergency responders after the demonstration.
The conference offers information booths and speakers answering questions about substance abuse, prevention, addiction and treatment. Other activities include the Simulated Impaired Driving Experience, where participants feel the effects of driving under the influence.
There are also "DUI goggles" that simulate impairment, Leonard said. Participants can try to perform various tasks while wearing the goggles.
Among the agencies participating are the Grant County Sheriff's Office, Grant County Fire District No. 5, Moses Lake Police Department, State Patrol, MedStar, Grant County Prosecutor's Office, the Grant County DUI Victim's Panel and the Prevention and Recovery Center.