Introduction to Substance Free Futures

Welcome to another episode of the Breakwater Podcast. My name is Jesse and I’m the Youth Engagement Coordinator for Breakwater. Today I’m joined with the youth from Substance Free Futures and today they are going to take over the podcast. 

Substance Free Futures is a youth -run group through Breakwater. Our mission is to raise awareness about substance abuse and mental health. We want to provide fun and safe opportunities for youth engagement without the use of substances. Joining me today is Kipton and Joy. 

How did you hear about the Substance Free Futures? 

I heard about Substance Free Futures when Jake White came to Tipler and talked to all of us. Yeah, me too. Over a recess and lunch, he brought in a few of us that wanted to talk about volunteer experiences and stuff like that. And then that’s when we created Substance Free Futures. I joined it because of the same thing that Joy said. So he pulled me in and we decided to start with all of the planning. 

Why did you join Substance Free Futures? 

I joined because my dad is an alcoholic so I wanted to try and support him and help him with that and try and like see if I could find a way to like help him and guide him through that. 

Yeah, I joined because I’ve seen a lot of people that I know go down bad paths like that. If it’s people that I know personally or just people from school. And I’m a big advocate for mental health and stuff. Like personally, I struggle with an anxiety disorder and depression. And I feel like substance abuse and mental health go hand in hand. And I just want people to know that they’re not alone. 

Personal Motivations for Involvement

Next question. Has Substance Free Futures helped you? 

Substance Free Futures has helped me guide and make me aware that I don’t want to be apart and go down the same path as like, obviously we’ve seen either family members or other people’s like maybe on the streets and stores, just to open my eyes and see that.  I don’t want my path to go that way and that I want to better out. 

Substance Free Futures has helped me become like a better speaker and helping other people along the way. Yeah, I mean for me personally, I just want to help other people and help our world and the next generation and I feel like this is helping me get started with that. 

Our next question is how do you hope we help the community? 

I hope we help the community by planning more events and helping people join and have fun. Yeah, like I said earlier, I just want people to know that they’re not alone and there’s other people that can help them through this fight, whether that’s mental health or people using substances or stuff like that. so, Yeah, like Joy said, I want to be able to help people realize that once they’re like, they’re not alone that there’s other people that can understand and help and guide them through that. And that like, there’s other people who go through the same thing and you don’t have to go through it alone. 

Challenges in Spreading Awareness

What community do you see us serving? 

I see us serving the youth group and helping them realize that like, it’s not a good route to go down and that it’s not gonna help you with you and your future. It’s gonna like, worsen it and make you choose bad decisions and get you down the wrong route. 

Yeah, I mean like our whole group is kind of based on like planning events and parties and stuff for kids and for them to be able to see that you can have fun without using drugs and substances and stuff. So yeah, definitely like younger generations and kids our age. It’s like buy kids for kids sort of situation. 

How about you guys tell us about what other people can do to join Substance Free Futures? 

So you guys can go to our website. Which will be coming soon. There should be a link, I think. There’ll be information about social media and meeting times and stuff like that. But right now we’re at the Boys and Girls Club from 5 .30 to 6 .30 on Wednesdays. dates will probably change throughout the school year though. Yeah, because people get busy. Things planned like sports and stuff. 

Tell us about some ways you can help join our cause. 

Even if you don’t want to join our group, you can join our cause by telling other people the dangers that come with using substances or alcohols. 

Yeah, and like coming to our events and stuff and just showing support and everything. That does help a lot to help get the word out and everything about us and what we’re doing. Our website that’s coming soon and then we’ll have social media and stuff up too. To spread the word. So, yep. 

What are some events we are planning or hoping to do? 

We discussed having the glow in the dark volleyball and just dancing again because we thought it was good for the community and that it was a success. 

We’re also going to plan on pumpkin carving and a bonfire in the fall. Yeah, we got a lot of fun stuff coming up and other plans besides like events and stuff like making merch and doing tabling and stuff like that raising awareness and everything like that. 

All right, so now I have some questions for you guys. Your slogan is a healthy me is substance free. Where did that come from? 

Kipton. He’s our slogan guy. Slogan guy. Main guy. I came up with that kind of online. I used some websites to help me. He was very, very thoughtful about it and was very smart about it. He was very creative. Yes it was, because he came all by himself. And the healthy me is substance free. 

So you guys had your first event. You guys did a glow in the dark volleyball and just dance party. Can you guys tell me a little bit more about that? 

I wasn’t able to go. I heard it was very fun and that everyone loved it. Especially by the video.

Everyone was enjoying it, they had their friends, everyone invited other people to go because they wanted to like share that with them and share that moment with them. You did do some planning though, didn’t you? Yeah, and the after lunch with Jake White, we did the planning of like where, what time and like setting up the event posters and stuff. Yeah, me, Keptin and a few other people with the planning and everything with like a different group that would meet after school. And then we were also there to help set up the event and help run. I know me and another girl were kind of like the emcees and everything and set up the brackets for volleyball and everything. And it was just super fun time. A lot of people were smiling, having fun, and it was super great to see just everyone having a good time. A lot of people came too. That was pretty cool to see. And I think and I hope that we can get more people to go to the next one. Yeah. 

What has been the biggest challenge that you faced while trying to spread awareness for all these big adult issues as youth or teenagers? 

The biggest problem that I’ve probably faced personally is that sometimes people think it’s like ignorant or like not that big of a problem, that it’s very dimmed down. Not a lot of people seem to realize that it’s this big of a problem and that it’s affecting other people’s lives. Not just the people who are doing it, but their family members and friends. And that they’re just continuing to do it because they’re not realizing how bad it is. 

The Effects of Drinking Culture in Wisconsin

Yeah, and I think especially people don’t realize how many young kids are getting into drugs and everything. mean, even just in middle school, there were people vaping and I would hear about people doing drugs and stuff like that. it’s like, older people, when I’m talking about it, they don’t really realize how it’s a problem even as middle schoolers. And so sometimes there’s like a lot of doubt where it’s like, well, you’re just like a middle schooler going into high school. How do you really know this is an issue? How have you seen this be an issue? Right. Sorry. Also to go on to that, is that like, like people would try and hide it. Like I feel like if you’re obviously hiding it, you know that you shouldn’t be doing it and that it’s not good for you. Like if you’re doing it in the bathroom, if you’re hiding it in class, like put it down, stop it and choose the healthier path of life. Like it’s not going to help you out. It’s going to absolutely like tear you down. And like, it’s just not good. Yeah. If you think it doesn’t hurt you now in the future, will hurt a lot. 

Yeah, because it just, it like makes your mental health worse, makes your physical health worse, social health, like it just tears down relationships and your own body, your own mind. Like there was this girl in my class, and obviously not going to name names, but it was, she had something, like she had like some type of reaction to it because of the fact. 

And so she had to go the hospital and it was just like not okay. And she even said that she was never going to do it again because of the fact she didn’t realize that it was that big of a deal then. But once it happened, she obviously realized that it was not okay for her. 

Yeah. I have a question for you guys. You guys mentioned that you’ve seen people vaping in the bathrooms at school. Have you guys yourself faced any challenges with peer pressure. 

I myself has gotten bullied before and it’s just not a good thing. People shouldn’t go through that. 

Yeah, I’ve never been peer pressured like with drugs or stuff that like I didn’t want to do or anything like that. And I wouldn’t say I’ve ever been bullied, but I feel like everybody does face at least a little bit of peer pressure in their life. mean, sometimes peer pressure can be good pushing you to do things out of your comfort zone, but it just gets sometimes it just gets to a point where it’s just not. 

It’s usually not a good thing. But I have experienced peer pressure and bullying, but not typically like to the extreme of peer pressure. Like they would like offer to you in the bathroom, like, Hey, do you want to take a hit? No, I’m okay. Are you sure? Like it’s really good. It’s this flavor. Like it’s so good. Like not bad for you. Like but, I say no, and it’s just like, keeps going on and on until, yeah, it’s like back and forth, back and forth. It’s like, no, I don’t want to take a hit of your death pen. Like, I’m fine with my air. You’re so lame for not doing it. no, I’m call me lame. Right. I’d rather be lame than dying. Right. Give you guys a lot of credit for sticking, sticking to what you need to do to be healthy. I’m so proud of you guys. 

So how do you guys as young people living in Wisconsin see the effects of drinking alcohol just with the culture? 

Yeah, mean, Wisconsin definitely has a really like growing up in Wisconsin, it seems normal, but as you grow up, it’s like, okay, this is really weird and not what it’s supposed to be like. mean, the law in Wisconsin is if your parents are present you can drink alcohol. And if the establishment allows it, you can drink alcohol. So growing up, I’ve had beers and drinks and I mean, I don’t drink anymore or anything like that. It’s not gotten to a point where I’ve gotten drunk or anything. My parents have been careful with it and I would just get these little old fashions for Christmas and drink small mojitos in the summer and stuff like that. And it was just fun drinks to me. I thought that was kind of like normal, but then I couldn’t really talk about it because then my friends would be like, what? You drink alcohol? Not to a point where it’s like bad and they just didn’t really see that. And so then it kind of was like, okay, this is weird. I don’t really know what that’s about. But I’ve seen it in other people’s lives too. Even people that I don’t even know. I went to a brewer’s game with my friend this summer.

And this guy passed out drunk basically before the game even started. And he woke back up and started drinking his beer again. It’s like, I don’t know, just the drinking culture in Wisconsin is just not, it seems so normal growing up in it and it’s just not. It’s a big issue. 

The Impact of Substance Free Futures

I definitely agree with Joy. You definitely do when you’re growing up, it looks like it’s normal and seems normal because like everyone’s doing it when you’re younger so it’s okay they’re doing it so everyone else is doing it so it’s okay. I also did grow up with like sometimes drinks here and there but it was more like of sips and then like as I got older I was able to have like margaritas or like other things but also with the fact that Wisconsin is one of like the I guess with like people who drink the most, it does have a bigger effect, especially with like football games and basketball games. People get they want to like lay back and have a drink and they don’t think it’ll affect them that bad. But then one drink turns into two, three and four and it can be stopped. 

What is something you’ve learned about yourself through your involvement since Substance Free Futures? 

I’ve learned for myself is that like I don’t want to be a part of it. Like, I know part of me wants to be able to like, when I’m older, be able to have drinks and party and hang out with all my friends. But like, I feel like if I do that, it’ll take me down a path that I don’t want to go down. And I don’t think I would be very proud of myself if I did go through and down that.

For me, it’s just put a lot of things in perspective. Like with the whole like drinking culture thing. Like I knew it was an issue, but I didn’t really realize how bad it was until I had these things on my mind and then I was going to family gatherings and everyone was drinking. Like my 16 year old, sorry, 17 year old brother was drinking and having hard cider and beers and stuff. And then I’d be with my family and everyone is drinking except me. it’s just like, it’s just made me, I mean like. nobody in my immediate family is an alcoholic or get drunk or anything. My parents, my brother, they’re all very careful with it. But especially on my mom’s side of the family, for generations her family has lived in Wisconsin. there’s a lot of alcoholism, is that a word, on her side of the family. And I feel like if I didn’t have this in my life, then I’m also Christian too. So I feel like if I didn’t have my faith and this club, then it was like. I don’t know where I would be in like 10 years if I would be an alcoholic too, you know? 

Yeah, 100%. I agree with that totally. I’ve learned a lot about it and that it really isn’t a good thing. So I’ve paid more attention to people and what they do and it’s sometimes not a good thing responded to you participating in this club. My parents are very proud and accepting to this club. They actually are so happy and glad that I have pursued this club and I continue to go to these meetings because of the fact that my dad, obviously being a previous alcoholic, wanted me to help spread the word and realize and come to terms that I should be spreading the word about how bad it is because we don’t want anyone else going through what he went through. Yeah, my parents are very supporting of it too. mean, like I was saying earlier, my parents drink and stuff, but it’s not like they’re alcoholic. In college, my mom definitely was a partier and a drunk and she says if like she thinks that if she didn’t start going to church, then she would be an alcoholic like people in her family. And so I’m very lucky to have my parents supporting me through this. 

My parents are very supportive, especially my mom. She helps me get all the questions ready and everything. 

You guys could describe Substance Free Futures in one word. What would it be? Starting with Keptem. 

I would describe it as helpful. It helps a lot of people get through things. And it’s just kind of a break in the day to come and do some fun stuff. 

I would describe substance free features as literally substance free, like you’re not going to be using anything and that it’s going to provide you a healthier life. I’d say welcoming. Everyone here is super fun and positive. I feel like even if you’re not really an outgoing person, it’s such like a small kind of tight knit group where it’s just, fun to be here. We do fun stuff, but we also still talk about and take on serious topics and stuff like that. But I mean, I like coming every week and very welcoming and fun to be around these people. 

Especially Katie and Jesse. I love them. They’re my best friends. Especially Joy and Kip to do. I love Joy. She’s so sweet. And my bestie. You guys can’t see it, but we’re making heart hands at each other. 

Why would you mute me? I’m gonna yell at you. You are yelling. Unmute. You better cut this out. Stop. This is not funny. What has guided you to be where you are right now? Like what motivated you? You did. Unmute me. Unmute me. number three. 

The Positive Qualities of Each Member

Did you have any like personal experiences that led you to where you are today or like led you to want to be a part of breakwater and stuff like that? 

Yeah, so growing up I like when I was your guys this age I started using substances and it took me on a long path that Could have been avoided. I made a lot of decisions with things that I had going on. And that’s why working with you guys, with youth is so important to me. It’s because my life was at like a pivotal point when I was your guys’ age. And the decisions I made then dictated what happened. And like if I can just help one youth not take the path that I went on, everything. 

Thanks for sharing. 

I’m sorry, I can’t see. I can’t see other people crying. 

I just can’t look at you right now. Kipton’s like, I’m good man. I’m okay. 

So what’s one thing that you guys would say about Kipton being in this group? 

I’m very grateful to have Kipton here. First of all, because he’s my ride here. And my home. Besides that, he’s very dedicated to this group. Very cheerful. And he’s a good friend and understanding. 

Thank you. Yeah, I’d agree. Very dedicated. And I mean, I feel like there’s never a day that like, mean, I’ll miss weeks and stuff, but I feel like Kipton doesn’t. And so I’ll come and he’ll always be here. Yeah. And yeah, very dedicated and kind of inspiring to see someone that dedicated to a group. Thank you. What about Joy? I love Joy, obviously, as we previously said, but I also like, I know it’s a little off topic, but like I like how she carries herself in with her faith and she’s very, I feel like she’s a good friend, she’s very supportive, she’s very, what’s the word? Empathetic. As we just, in a good way, obviously. Yeah. And she’s very nice and pretty. Thank you. Joy is very nice and like she said, even if she misses a day or something, when she comes back, she always helps a lot with answering and helping make up things. 

What about Kira? You should probably turn the crickets off before she asks that. I feel like Kira, mean, I only met her, what, this is my second time seeing you here? But, I don’t know, you’re great person, super funny, super nice, I mean, was very nice to me and chatty and welcoming right away, and I love people like that, you know? Just such a great person. I’m not a freaking unicorn! Stop! That might be my favorite one. That was a pretty Yeah, I like that one. like that one. Kira’s very energetic in everything she does. It’s a good thing though. I’m more energetic in the car. 

Thanks for tuning in. Bye. Bye. Healthy Me  is substance free.