WVNCC to host a lunch and learn on Physical & Psychological effects of drug use/addiction

West Virginia Northern Community College (WVNCC) will host a free Lunch and Learn on Friday, October 20, from noon – 1 p.m. on its Wheeling Campus in the B&O Auditorium or via Zoom. The Lunch and Learn, Physical & Psychological effects of drug use/addiction, will feature two speakers, Shanna Lee, Manager of Community Engagement with the YMCA Women Inspired in New Directions (WIND) program and Shannon Bridges, who will share her personal story as a recovering addict. The lunch and learn is sponsored by the WVNCC Student Recovery and Support Club and a free lunch will be provided by the Student Activities Department.

Bridges, a Wheeling resident, suffered from an addiction to opioids and methamphetamine.  In May of 2023, she received an IV shot of methamphetamine that was laced with a drug called xylazine, which left her with a rare, flesh-eating bacteria called necrotizing fasciitis. Bridges had to undergo multiple surgeries to save her life, as the infection would have resulted in death without the surgeries. Bridges is now sharing her story to educate people and spread awareness of the deadly effects of xylazine, a drug that has recently entered the local and national scene and is frequently being laced with opioids, unbeknownst to the user and is considered to perhaps be as deadly as fentanyl.

Lee will be speaking about the possible physical and psychological effects of drug addiction and the efforts the WIND program is making to help women with substance use disorders. WIND is a non-treatment recovery home that administers recovery integration services through the efforts of house technicians and a house supervisor that supply 24-hour support. WIND offers peer support and case management for women in recovery seeking a “New Direction” for their lives that is addiction free.

Lunch will be provided free for those attending in person. Anyone interested in attending, but unable to attend in person, can use the Zoom link at www.wvncc.edu.

The WVNCC Student Recovery and Support Club offers support for students who are struggling with substance use disorders, trying to maintain sobriety, or for those whose family members and friends are struggling with addition.