Never. Stop. Caring.

Prevention Starts Earlier Than We Think

What if the first sign of a drug problem comes too late?

Through our work with the Wayne Alliance for the Prevention of Substance Abuse, we meet parents who want to know how to recognize drug use. We meet people in recovery, families worried about someone they love and families who have experienced the unimaginable loss of someone who never got another chance.

That's why, on Monday, August 24, from 7:30–8:15 p.m., we are inviting our community to join us at the Flag Memorial at Wayne Town Hall for Wayne's 9th Annual International Overdose Awareness Circle of Remembrance.

Our message this year is:

Never. Stop. Caring.

Come to remember someone. Come to support someone. Come because you are in recovery or love someone who is struggling. Or simply come because you believe no family in our community should face this alone.

The Question Parents Ask Us

One of the questions we hear from parents is:

"How do I know if my child is using drugs?"

But there's an an even more important question:

"How do I know if my child is becoming vulnerable to drug use?"

That's where prevention can make the greatest difference.

The warning isn't necessarily finding drugs in a bedroom. It can begin much earlier with a dramatic change in friends, withdrawing from family, declining grades, giving up activities they once loved, difficulty coping, or significant changes in behavior.

None of those things automatically means drug use. Teenagers change. They may have difficult periods.

But parents know their children.

When something changes, pay attention. Ask questions. Listen.

We aren't trying to turn parents into detectives. We want to help them become better observers, better listeners and earlier responders.

Because There May Not Be a "Next Time"

The drug environment our children face is different.

Many of us grew up thinking of drug addiction as a progression: experimentation, continued use, addiction and eventually the possibility of overdose.

That danger still exists. But now there is another.

A young person can take a counterfeit pill believing it is something else, without knowing it contains illicit fentanyl or another dangerous substance.

They may never have the opportunity to say:

"That was a mistake. I won't do it again."

There may not be a next time.

That's why prevention can't begin when we discover drugs. It begins years earlier with communication, coping skills, relationships, education and making sure our children know they can come to us when something goes wrong.

Nine Years of Remembering and Caring

For nine years, Mayor Chris Vergano and Wayne Township, in collaboration with the Wayne Alliance, Wayne Police and our community, have gathered to remember those we've lost, support recovery and remind families that they are not alone.

On August 24, we'll form that circle again.

And perhaps the most important message we can send to someone struggling, to a parent who is worried, or to a family remembering someone they love is just three words:

Never. Stop. Caring.

Wayne's 9th Annual International Overdose Awareness Circle of Remembrance
Monday, August 24, 2026 | 7:30–8:15 p.m.
Flag Memorial at Wayne Town Hall
Sponsored by the Wayne Alliance for the Prevention of Substance Abuse