Turned Around Teen Speaks Out

In the past month, several local teenagers have lost their lives to drug overdoses. The school system and sheriff's office say they're now trying even harder to educate teens about how dangerous drug use can be. But one teen who wants to do even more... and knows all too well what is it like to be addicted.

Caleb Bailey was introduced to drugs in middle school. He says that is not uncommon, and by high school, most teenagers know exactly where and how to get their hands on drugs and prescription pills. But after watching his friend, a Ringgold High School student, die from an overdose, he's decided not only to stop his addiction, but to join an group called Listen Up Speak Out.

Bailey says, "We've lost a lot of people in a short period of time and if we don't do something about it, I feel that it's gonna continue to happen."

He says he's not only lost many friends to drugs, but has lost much of his own life as well. At just 12, Bailey says his friends introduced him to marijuana, and from there, it was all downhill.

"It was very crazy, and I don't remember a lot of things that I used to do."

Bailey says after several drug-related deaths a few months ago, he made the decision to walk down a different path.

"I decided to start saying no, I decided it was the right thing to do, I decided that there's other things I can go out and do and enjoy myself besides doing things like that."

Now Bailey wants to help other teens turn around as well. And he's finding those kids... at weekly Listen Up Speak Out meetings, a group designed to let parents and children talk freely about their problems. At last week's meeting he said, "I'm gonna be out here making a difference to any kid I can help."

All in an effort to get kids to tell someone about friends who could be in trouble before it's too late.

"It's not about being a snitch, it's about being out there and being able to help keep your friends alive, if you respect your friends and you love them, you'll do whatever it takes to keep them safe."

Which he says is hard, since it's so easy for teens to get their hands on drugs, especially prescription pills. Bailey says, "You can get it anywhere, you could probably walk around the block here and find somebody that's got it. It's a very common thing, there's a lot of people that think there's nothing wrong with it, that like the laid back relaxed feeling it gives you."

A feeling that Bailey says teens think is fun, but often don't understand that it can also be deadly. "Yeah, I feel very fortunate sometimes because of the things I used to do, it's amazing that I'm still here standing today, but it's made me a better stronger person to get away from it all."

The group meets every week and for more information, you can go to their wesbite, listed to the right of this article. The organization is not just for teens with drugs addictions, but any type of problem. Bailey says he wants to spread group and the message outside Ringgold, to as many troubled teens as possible. He says the best advice he can give parents is to just talk to their kids as much as possible and stay involved in what's going on in their lives.