STUDENTS URGED TO STAY AWAY FROM DRUGS

Imagine A Mother Being Responsible For Her 19-Year-Old Son's Death.

Steven Steiner Sr., founder and president of Dads and Mad Moms Against Drug
Dealers (DAMMADD) had to deal with just that when his son, Steven Steiner
Jr., died of a prescription drug overdose in January 2001.

Steiner hosted a series of rallies at all four Blount County high schools
Wednesday and Thursday. The rallies were held in conjunction with Red
Ribbon Month observed in October.

At the Alcoa High School gym -- like at Heritage, William Blount and
Maryville -- Steiner told his son's story Thursday to a darkened room
filled with students.

Steiner briefly told of his son's growing up years. In the background, a
photo of Stevie at the age he died was projected on a screen. Stevie, who
was involved in both baseball and football, got involved with drugs early
in life.

"At the age of 13, Stevie started experimenting," Steiner said. "He started
with cigarettes, marijuana and alcohol."

Through his teen years, Stevie was in trouble with the law in his native
state of New Jersey. He quit drugs for a while, but by the time he was 19,
he was smoking marijuana again.

"He swore up and down that he was going to stop," Steiner said.

In January 2001, Stevie went to Florida to work and took two Oxycontin
pills that caused his death. Steiner said he found out later that Stevie's
biological mother and older brother were responsible for putting the pills
in his hands.

Pictures tell story

After telling Stevie's story, Steiner switched to a slide presentation,
which showed Stevie from the time he was an infant until the day he died.
One of the last frames was taken by an investigator in West Palm Beach,
Fla. It showed how Stevie looked when he was found dead.

"The pictures that are missing are of Stevie's wedding day and of my
grandchildren," Steiner said at the end of the slide presentation.

Steiner travels across the nation to educate children regarding drug use
and abuse, using his son's story in an attempt to deter children from using
drugs.

Another visual element Steiner used in his presentation: the container that
held his son's remains.

"Stevie was shipped back to me in a box that I could hold in my hand,"
Steiner said.

He held that very box up to show the students.

"I don't want your parents to go through that pain," Steiner said. "The
drug dealers don't care."

Throughout much of the presentation, students were silent, taking in the
shocking story of how Stevie died. After Steiner opened the floor to
questions, students responded. Most questions centered on how Stevie got
his hands on prescription drugs, who found his body and how old he was when
he died.

One student asked that Steiner again show the picture of Stevie's body as
he was found by his older brother. That photo remained on the screen for
the remainder of Steiner's presentation.

Targeting the dealers

The points Steiner tried to hammer into the head of each young person was
to stay off drugs and to report anyone who sells drugs.

"If you know someone who is dealing drugs in your school, you have to tell
someone or you'll lose your friend," Steiner said.

Steiner founded DAMMADD over frustration that drug dealers rarely get
convicted when someone dies as a result of the drug sold. The nonprofit
organization's Web site -- www.dammadd.org -- tells more about Stevie's
story and provides a place for people to leave anonymous tips to help
arrest and convict drug dealers.

DAMMADD offers cash rewards to those who give tips that lead to arrest and
conviction of dealers.

Steiner lives in Tioga Center, N.Y., where DAMMADD is based. Blount County
law enforcement agencies invited Steiner to speak to students at each of
the four high schools.

"The law enforcement officers brought me down here because they care about
you," Steiner said. "They don't want to arrest you."