DOWAGIAC — Michael DeLeon, the founder of Steered Straight Inc., told a small audience at Dowagiac Middle School Tuesday how he will be spending his Christmas in prison.

DeLeon, who suffered from drug addiction for eight years and spent 12 years in state prison and half-way houses, visits schools, prisons, jails and treatment centers to provide people with educational resources about the dangers of drugs, gang involvement and associated criminal activity. His visit to Dowagiac was sponsored by the Educational Talent Search, a federally funded TRIO program through Southwestern Michigan College. TRIO programs are federal outreach and student services programs offered to enhance and ensure the academic and personal success of students.

During his time at Dowagiac Middle School, DeLeon hosted three trainings on the dangers of vaping and other drug abuse. He addressed students, staff, parents and community members.

In 2018, 17.6 percent of eighth graders had reported vaping within the past year, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. About 12 percent of those users knew they were ingesting nicotine in their vape. The same report said about 15 percent of students thought they were only ingesting vape flavoring.

DeLeon started his training by telling the audience that educating only children about drugs is not enough.

“We need to educate our parents, our grandparents,” he said. “Everyone has to be on the same page.”

Throughout his travels to all 50 states, DeLeon has received a mixed amount of parent attendance at his trainings, but he believes in quality not quantity.

With a picture of a vape behind him on a presentation board, DeLeon predicted vaping devices will soon no longer be used for just nicotine but for other drugs.

“The vapes are going to become drug delivery systems for all drugs,” he said.

DeLeon had his own entrance into drug use by accepting a nicotine cigarette from a friend. The nicotine addiction turned into alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, methamphetamine and heroin abuse.

In 2007, DeLeon walked out of prison with the goal to start speaking in schools. Now, he has been speaking for the same amount of time as he spent in prison.

“The last 12 years, I have seen everything change, and I’ve seen everything get worse,” he said. “I truly believe we are setting this next generation up for a public health crisis that the country is not ready for.”

DeLeon encouraged every sector of a community to come together to help raise their children.

“Our faith based community, our business community, our law enforcement,” he said. “Every sector needs to come together, but every sector is not. We are very silent in this approach, and kids are going to be the ones that suffer the most.”

DeLeon said his goal is to raise parents’ concerns about things that they are not so concerned about. 

“Getting off track in so many ways doesn’t start with heroin or meth,” he said. “It doesn’t start with robbing a bank. It doesn’t start with crime. It starts with children at the age of 10 to 17 experimenting with three substances: nicotine, alcohol and marijuana.”

DeLeon said he finds that parents and community members are often more concerned about the actual problems rather than the steps that lead to a problem beginning.

One way DeLeon advised parents to address an addiction or abuse problem from the beginning is to talk with their children.

“Kids need to hear the truth about drugs from family, guardians, parents, grandparents,” DeLeon said. “The truth needs to come from you.”