The Portsmouth Police Department, in collaboration with the Newport County Prevention Coalition (NCPC) will be providing a Drug Impairment Training for Educators on Thursday, April 7, 2022, from 4 pm-6 pm at the Portsmouth Police Department.
This training is being provided to Newport County school personnel in an effort to help educators become familiar with the signs of drug impairment.
“Having awareness of the signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug impairment is an essential tool for educators. The knowledge obtained from experts is vital for prevention efforts,” said Lieutenant Michael Morse of the Portsmouth Police Department. in a statement. “In 2021 the Portsmouth Police arrested 140 motor vehicle operators for impaired driving some of which were underage motorists. This represents nearly a 23% increase from the year 2020. The Portsmouth Police takes pride in our ability to prevent tragedies through our impaired driving enforcement. We are proud to have four drug recognition experts in our department which allow us to deploy members of our agency who have been expertly training to recognize impairment in drivers under the influence of drugs other than, or in addition to alcohol.”
Drug Impairment Training for Educators is intended to make school personnel competent and confident in evaluating and documenting students suspected of being impaired by drugs. The training will enable personnel to determine, through proven procedures, if a student is impaired and whether the impairment is due to a medical problem or is drug-related. Due to space, this training is by reservation only.
If you are Newport County School Personnel and interested in attending the training, contact Gregory Thompson via email gthompson@riprevention.org.