Local Tarrant County nonprofit hopes to “realign norms” through student antidrug campaign
As visitors and fans walk the ramps of UT-Arlington’s Maverick Stadium, they will be greeted by a new sight this year.
Red-and-blue signs adorned with quotes from Arlington ISD students about why they say no to drugs are wrapped around columns in the stadium, as part of Challenge of Tarrant County’s latest school antidrug campaign.
“We want to reframe the social norm,” Carolyn Hanke, the program director of Challenge of Tarrant County, said.
Hanke, who spearheaded the campaign, said the idea was born following an assessment of Arlington’s needs.
She said that, while student-focused campaigning is effective, the campaign needed to reach parents.
“If I go talk to a teenager who’s using, they’re just going to roll their eyes at me because I don’t know what I’m talking about,” Hanke said. “We need to reach the parents.”
True change comes from open conversations between parents and students, John Haenes, Challenge’s chief operating officer, said.
“A lot of parents will have that 60-minute conversation about the dangers of drugs,” Haenes said. “It needs to be more (like) 60 one-minute conversations throughout their adolescence.”
How prevalent is drug use among high school students?
Around 15% of high school students reported they had used illicit drugs, such as methamphetamines or cocaine, in 2024, while around 30% of 12th graders reported cannabis use in 2022, according to CDC data.
Members of Challenge of Tarrant County said that drug use among students has become increasingly normalized. Davis Crone, a senior at Arlington High School, said that social media also led to normalization.
Crone, who was chosen for the campaign by officials at his school, currently plays on the soccer team. He plays “wherever the coach needs,” he quipped.
Crone said a program like this is important for showing the younger generation reasons to stay away from drug use.
“You just can’t do drugs,” Crone said. “It ruins your life and reputation, doesn’t set you up for success.”
Ayva Garcia, a sophomore at Arlington High School, chose modern dance over drugs.
She echoed Crone’s sentiment about hoping the campaign inspires the next generation, saying that the use of THC vapes has become prevalent.
“I feel like a lot of people just started vaping because their friends do it,” Garcia said. “That’s kind of dumb, because you can get in trouble with it and not have good goals in life or better opportunities.”
Both students’ testimonies and posters will be displayed in the school district and at the UTA stadium during Arlington ISD football games.
The posters are made with stock art images that reflect the student population. Hanke said the approach helped the program expedite the campaign, since they would not need to ask for parent permission for photos.
At the bottom of each poster, a QR code links to a website with information for parents on how to approach the topic of drug use.
Those who use drugs do not account for a majority of people, Haenes said. With the campaign and the tools the program is spreading, he hopes to dispel the idea that drug use as a youth is normal.
“If you talk to kids at AISD, they’re going to tell you, ‘Oh yeah, everyone’s vaping, everyone’s smoking THC,’ but that’s not the case,” Haenes said. “It may be a misaligned norm that is beginning to influence people. We wanted to really drive home a campaign talking about the good that is happening out there. You often hear the bad the kids do. You don’t frequently hear the good.”
Chris Moss is a reporting fellow for the Arlington Report. Contact him at chris.moss@fortworthreport.org.
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