Drug Education Council gearing up for 2023 luncheon

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - The Drug Education Council of Mobile is gearing up for its annual luncheon. This year, John McAndrew will be the featured speaker, a music therapist.

The Drug Education Council has spent more than 50 years of helping people and families in our area live drug-free lives. The luncheon serves as the council’s annual fundraiser, said Virginia Guy with a Drug Education Council. This year’s luncheon is set for noon on Monday, March 20, at the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel in downtown Mobile.

The Drug Education Council has spent more than 50 years of helping people and families in our area live drug-free lives. This year’s luncheon is set for noon on Monday, March 20, at the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel in downtown Mobile.

McAndrew, the year’s featured speaker, is a singer, songwriter and storyteller who is also in recovery and who teaches music therapy at a rehab center in Nashville.

McAndrew will also be speaking to a school the day after the luncheon, according to Lori Miles with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and who is also a board member of the Drug Education Council.

“We know we saw a big increase in overdose deaths during the pandemic. And then since we’ve come out of that, we’ve even seen more overdose deaths. So it’s continuing to rise. So we really need to get this message out to the community,” said Guy.

As cases rise, there is an increasing need to not only talk about overdose deaths, but to stress it can happen to anyone, according to Guy and Miles. No one is immune, they said.

The luncheon is dedicated to Miles’ son, who died of a fentanyl overdose in September 2022. “And again, it was just you know, it was gradual, and it went to something more and more and more like we were talking about before, the brain doesn’t know the difference. It just wants that opiate if that’s your addiction. So we just want to create an awareness. I’m honored that they’re going to honor him. it really is very special.”

“I want to raise the awareness on the that is on addiction, that there there’s not only the addict that is suffering, but there’s also the addicts family. So there’s a lot of therapy that’s needed, which the Drug Education Council helps with, or guide you in that direction to get that kind of counseling. So that’s what I’m here for to increase the awareness of that. Come forward, talk to somebody get help,” Miles said.

Sponsor information and a reservation form are available online here.

Copyright 2023 WALA. All rights reserved.