DENVER -- Parents can talk to their kids about the dangers of drugs until they are blue in the face but often it is someone outside the family circle who can have the biggest impact.
7Everyday Hero Lynn Riemer is just that person.
She gives her time at a non-profit called ACT on Drugs.
"I just let the kids know about all the different drugs that are on the street and how they effect the brain and the body and the hazards of them," Riemer said.
Riemer is a former drug agent.
"I was a forensic chemist with the D.E.A., analyzing drugs from everywhere and taking down meth labs. And then I worked as a chemist criminalist with the North Metro Drug Task Force for seven years," Riemer said.
Riemer travels the nation speaking out about the dangers of drugs.
"This year it will probably be close to 800 trainings in the school year," Riemer said.
She spends most of her time talking to the audience that usually has the easiest access to drugs -- middle and high school students.
"I ask kids in every class if drugs are easy to get, even heroin and they say yes," Riemer said.
"Sometimes kids have a tendency to turn off when a teacher's talking. When an outside source comes in, someone who has that amount of knowledge, the kids listen. And Lynn doesn't hold back. Lynn tells the truth," said Dean of Students at Legacy High School Dawn Gaffin.
"People use drugs to feel good, but the problem is when you start to use drugs to hide the negative feelings and uncomfortable we're not taught to cope with," Riemer said.
The students find her interesting, knowledgeable and approachable.
"We learned a lot of new information that I didn't know. There are a lot of different drugs that I didn't even know that existed. I'm glad that I got educated about it," said sophomore Samantha Conradie.
"It was really good. It was good to be aware of all these drugs and what it does to the body. So, now I know. And she was super easy to talk to and you could bring up anything and she had the answer for you," said Jack Wilson, a sophomore at Legacy High School.
"She has information that you don't normally hear in a textbook or from a website. And she's a very vibrant speaker. So, you pay attention to what she is saying," Gaffin said.
"I want the kids to make good decisions because they're my future. And if their brains are all damaged and messed up from drugs it's concerning what the future really looks like," Riemer said.
To learn more about ACT on Drugs go to www.actondrugs.org.
Mitch Jelniker anchors Denver7 in the mornings from 4:30 to 7 a.m. He also features a different 7Everyday Hero each week on 7NEWS. Follow Mitch on Facebook and Twitter. Nominate a 7Everyday Hero here.
