On October 17, 2019, Pelham Together hosted a screening of The First Day, a documentary that follows Chris Herren, a former McDonald’s All-American and professional basketball player, as he addresses high school audiences about his early drinking, struggles with self-esteem, eventual substance addiction, and journey to recovery. Chris talks openly about how alcohol affected his family life while growing up, the effect it had on him, and how he wishes he had made different choices about substance use from an early age. After the film, three panelists participated in a moderated Q&A discussion about the factors that influence whether teens use alcohol or drugs and about the factors that protect teens from using, and abusing, substances. The panelists — Jonathan Hock, the film’s director and an 11-time Emmy award winner, Kristin Quintano, social worker at PMHS, , and Dr. Jonathan Avery, Director of Addiction Psychiatry and an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and New York-Presbyterian Hospital— each offered an important perspective on these issues.

Jonathan Hock, who has worked with Chris for a number of years as he has pursued his life as a wellness advocate, explained how the technique he chose in making this film was to focus on the faces of the teens in the audience — kids from different ethnic backgrounds, attending different types of high schools, in different areas of the country, but all similarly connecting to Chris’ words in powerful way. Hock described this film as “the most important film I’ve made in my career.” When asked why, he said, “so many times a documentary is a film about the end; this film is about the beginning, a time when we can still change things. That makes it even more important.” Chris asks his young audiences some tough questions—why they feel as if they need to use substances to feel good about themselves; why they need a buzz to walk into a party with people they’ve known their whole lives; why they feel that they aren’t enough just the way they are; why they may have abandoned old friends in favor of friends who also use substances; what kind of example are they setting for a young sibling—and the camera captures their reactions brilliantly. Hock described his effort to highlight the stories of the students in the film—stories of struggle and strength—almost more than Chris’ own story. “The idea is that parents can look at those faces and see their own kid. That other kids can see themselves or their friends.”

Dr. Avery was asked for advice to parents about how to talk to their kids about substance use. He emphasized Chris’s point in the film that while it is easy for parents to talk to their teens about grades or sports, it is much harder to talk to them about their social lives, including substance use. In the film, Chris adds, “But that’s when you need them the most; instead, you’re alone in the basement and have no idea what to do.” Dr. Avery’s response to a question about why kids drink to excess, “The why is complicated,” he said “not least because this issue also requires parents to look at their own behavior, at what they are modeling, and to make sure there are no secrets about the role substances play in their own lives.” Dr. Avery was also asked by a parent in the audience how he suggests parents modify, if at all, their own behaviors in the home if they enjoy a glass of wine at night, for example. Dr. Avery acknowledged that it is a hard task with no one right answer; what he emphasized was that parents discuss with their kids in an open and honest way why they themselves drink, what the limits are, that there be “no secrets.” Dr. Avery also urged parents to remember to include in their discussion with their kids about substance use their own and family histories. Given that some studies show as much as 50% of a person’s risk of becoming addicted to substances depends upon their genetic makeup, it is important kids understand the risks. Dr. Avery advised parents to create a safe space for teens to talk, and then to be patient in waiting for their teens to open up about their feelings and struggles.

In the recently published findings from the Pelham youth health survey, youth binge drinking was identified as a significant concern for Pelham. When asked to comment on the effects of binge drinking, Dr. Avery emphasized that binge drinking doubles or triples a teen’s risk of depression and anxiety. He also commented that the current media coverage on the dangers of vaping is detracting attention from the bigger problem of binge drinking.

Laura Caruso, Executive Director of Pelham Together, asked the panel to respond to Chris’s statement in the film, that “this talk is not about drugs and alcohol. It is so much bigger than that.” Herren talks about the days “when I just don’t feel good being me.” He also says, “my struggle ended the day I first started talking about it.” Kristin Quintano, who has worked at PMHS for three years, first as Student Assistance Counselor and currently as a staff social worker, addressed the importance of teens being able to talk to someone about their struggles, to be able to express their emotions in a supportive environment. She urged teens to find a trusted confidant, whether a friend, one of the mental health professionals in our schools, a parent, an administrator, a teacher, a coach, or a friend’s parent, and to start their journey towards getting help. And to just drop in to have a casual conversation at first, and start developing that relationship. The best help that the confidant can provide, Ms. Quintano advised, is to simply validate the teen’s feelings, saying something like, “Wow, that must be really hard,” and not try to “fix” anything. The confidant does not need to solve the problem or give advice; validation alone is extremely powerful. Ms. Quintano also echoed Chris Herren’s advice to the kids themselves to “look out for one another.”

This event was meant for people to start forming a plan,” said Laura Caruso, “as a student, how will you tap into or find that strength to say, you are enough? As parents, how will we acknowledge and talk about our kids’ social lives in ways that support, inform, and validate them? As a community, how can we establish a culture of wellness for adolescents in this town by bringing them opportunities like internships, jobs, and places with a license to socialize, that truly help them thrive?”

Presenting The First Day and facilitating the expert-led discussion is just one way Pelham Together is working with the school district, parents, and the community to find ways to effectively address the issue of substance use and the issues that go along with it. Pelham Together is grateful to The Picture House, a consistent supporter of Pelham Together, for allowing us to show this film.

For more information on substance use and abuse, or to talk to a mental health professional about these issues, please review these quick resources from our Substance Use Resource Card