Awareness was the theme of the night Wednesday as Clark County students and their families learned about trends in drug use as well as bullying in a modern school environment.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Robert Purdy addressed parents in the George Rogers Clark High School auditorium about signs their children may be using drugs that they may not recognize.

Purdy said most parents may not realize drugs can be introduced to school children as early as elementary school.

He added the most important factor is being able to care about children.

“Everyone who struggles with addiction is someone’s loved one,” Purdy said. “A lot of people with good intentions send mixed messages though.”

After Purdy’s talk concluded and younger members of the audience left, Nicholasville Police Officer Scott Harvey began speaking about the dangers posed by being active on social media, particularly when it comes to bullying.

Harvey discussed extra steps people can take to protect themselves on social media and the internet in general, and he showed through a number of video clips how poor decision making on social media can have wide-ranging affects not only for the individual making the decision, but for their family and friends as well.

Harvey, a self-described fan of social media, said his goal is not to make people too scared to access the internet, but to prepare them, much like a parent teaching his or her child to drive a car.

“This is something that we don’t give them any training for,” Harvey said.

Contact Seth at seth.littrell@winchestersun.com.