Steered Straight expands school anti-drug outreach as students return

Steered Straight is ramping up its school assemblies as classes resume, aiming to teach teens about the risks of alcohol, drugs and impaired driving. Founder Michael DeLeon says the program has reached more than 14 million students and young adults across more than 9,200 schools and facilities.

Why it matters: - Steered Straight is positioning its school program as a prevention tool for teens at the start of the academic year. - The effort focuses on alcohol, drug use and driving under the influence, three issues that can affect student safety and long-term outcomes. - The program says it is designed to give students and parents active solutions, not just warnings.

What happened: - Steered Straight said it is preparing to return to schools as students head back into the classroom. - The program will teach teens about the dangers of drinking, drugs and driving under the influence. - The organization included its website in the release: More information.

The details: - Michael DeLeon says he has spoken to more than 14 million students and young adults in more than 9,200 schools and facilities. - Steered Straight describes itself as a 17-year proven program. - The program says it does not rely on traditional assemblies alone and instead teaches the reality of drugs and asks students to help carry the prevention message inside their own school system. - Steered Straight says its approach is built around the messenger, using speakers with lived experience and changed behavior. - The organization says students identify quickly with Michael DeLeon or other speakers because of their personal stories. - Steered Straight says it does not stop at explaining the harmful nature of drugs and alcohol. - The program says it emphasizes the real and deadly impact substance use can have on students' lives. - The release says the program replaces parental concern with active solutions. - Steered Straight says the “just say no” message has not worked, and it also rejects discipline and scare tactics as primary strategies. - The program says motivating students to stop using substances on their own requires an engaging message.

Between the lines: - The release leans heavily on a restorative, lived-experience model rather than a punitive prevention model. - That framing suggests Steered Straight is competing in a crowded school-assembly market by emphasizing personal transformation and student engagement. - The program's pitch also reflects a broader shift in prevention messaging toward peer relevance and behavior change.

What's next: - Steered Straight says it will continue school outreach as the academic year gets underway. - Michael DeLeon and his team say they will keep delivering motivational speaking, life-sharing seminars and interactive curriculum. - The organization says it wants to reduce the number of youth who enter the criminal justice system because of poor decisions.

The bottom line: - Steered Straight is using the back-to-school season to push a message of early intervention, personal accountability and student-led prevention.