Final details are being put in place for Gasconade County’s inaugural Teen Drug Summit, set for Oct. 21 in Owensville.

The Summit is designed to provide information about the dangers of substance abuse to seventh-grade students and will be held at Owensville First Baptist Church.

“This invitation is open to all seventh graders, parents, teachers and all staff involved in helping our students make better choices regarding substance use. It will be a fun-filled day with guest speakers, breakout sessions and fun,” said Erica Horne, an officer with the Missouri Department of Corrections’ Office of Probation and Parole. Horne is the lead organizer of the event.

The Summit is being held under the umbrella of an organization called CRUSH — Community Resources United to Stop Heroin. The event is being funded in part with money allocated by the Gasconade County Opioid Settlement Committee.

“A few of the topics we will explore are the dangers of vaping, losing a loved one to overdose, successful recovery stories and so much more,” Horne said.

As Horne explained to the Opioid Settlement Committee, the goal is to make the Teen Drug Summit an annual event.

Organizations involved in developing the Summit include the law enforcement community of Gasconade County, the county Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Missouri Division of Family Services (DFS), the 20th Circuit Juvenile Office, educators, substance use treatment providers, mental health providers and other partners, Horne said.