YUHSD hosts drug impairment training

Training has been hosted several times since 2017 by YUHSD

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - For the past two days, the Yuma Union High School District (YUHSD) hosted drug impairment training so teachers and staff know when a student is under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The program is known as the Drug Impairment Training for Education Professionals or DITEP.

The goal is to get administrators and nurses involved in trying to identify and educate students on the dangers of substance abuse. 

“It’s really interesting to see the different drugs that are available both illegally and legally and over the counter so just to see how students could get access it and how it can impact them and their bodies," said the Assistant Principal at Kofa High School Teresa Laurean.

Those in attendance are also able to learn about the current drug trends, along with being able to tell if a student is under the influence.

“This is kind of like that collaboration where we can go ahead and share what we’ve learned and what we’ve seen with things that are happening maybe in the Yuma area, or in the Mesa area... that they're not really familiar with so we kind of bridge that gap together by this class," said Mesa PD and State Coordinator of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety Officer George Chwe.

The training also teaches them how creative some students can get when trying to hide drugs.

“Stash hiding spots so now there’s caps, now there’s backpacks, now there’s jackets... just some interesting ways that students can come up with stashing things,” said Laurean.

School districts from around Yuma County along with other groups, including the Yuma Police Department, were in attendance.