ADA, Okla. - The East Central University Brandon Whitten Institute and the Pontotoc County Drug Free Coalition are hosting a film screening for parents and local citizens on Tuesday April 21 at 6:30 p.m. inside the Bill S. Cole University Center. A panel discussion will follow.

Kids are vaping in classrooms. Dealers are direct-messaging teens on Instagram and Snapchat. Cannabis is legal in many states, with psychedelics soon to follow. The constant, 24-hour deluge of content pushing the normalcy of drugs, alcohol and vaping on social media, TV, movies, ads, influencers, etc., is preying on our youth. The substance use culture has never been more appealing and accessible to teens than it is today.

Screenagers Under The Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age, the third feature documentary in the Screenagers trilogy, delves into how the tech revolution has reshaped adolescence and its effects on substance use. The film debunks myths and depicts strategies parents and schools can use to encourage healthy decision-making, support teen mental health, set limits, and create healthy home environments. The film also includes many ways young people are using their wisdom and strength to help each other and themselves through this complicated terrain around substance use.

While most documentaries about substance use focus on severe addiction, Screenagers Under The Influence fills a pressing need for a film that explores more common scenarios. The film is grounded in teens’ current reality of being flooded by images on social media, movies, and TV shows about vaping, drugs, and alcohol. Like the first two Screenagers films, Screenagers Under The Influence interweaves cutting-edge science with personal stories to create an informative and entertaining film experience for young people and adults alike. Screenagers Under The Influence focuses on practical solutions for keeping our teens safe in a changing world.

The film screening will include free admission, free popcorn and drink, door prizes and a Q & A segment with local law enforcement, counselors and school representatives. All parents and local citizens are welcome and can get their free tickets at zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/screenagers-film-screening-and-panel-discussion-4-21--26.

For more information, contact Holli Witherington at holrwit@ecok.edu or 580-559-5815.

-ECU-