The FLOTUS, Melania Trump, spoke Tuesday at a Las Vegas town hall event of the importance of teaching children early on the dangers of drug abuse. She shared that she has spoken of this danger to her own son Barron, who is 12 years old.
Melania shared that she had explained to her son how drugs can affect the body and the mind, and emphasized on how dangerous it is and how "nothing good comes of it."
The First Lady spoke at the event with ex-Fox News host Eric Bolling, whose son had overdosed at 19 on an unintentionally purchased drug mix of cocaine and fentanyl, which he had thought was "street Xanax." Bolling has been holding such gatherings in town halls across the country to encourage talk about the opioid crisis, after his son's death while away in college.
When asked what she thought was the best age to begin teaching children about drugs and the dangers these poses, The First Lady responded "8" years old was a good time to start. She said that children now are "smart" enough at a young age to appreciate the implications. She also pointed out that young children in this millennia "have access to everything."
She stressed the importance of doing this at that early age that they will understand "how bad drugs are." Melania also pointed out the role of the media in getting the message across to young people regarding the dangers of drug use and drug addiction. She urged them to give the fight against opioid drugs the "same amount of coverage" that they would give to gossip or trivia.
The venue, the Westgate Hotel, and Casino town hall were only half filled with people, but people who believed in the cause of the first-hand experience were present. Notably, Westgate Resort owners David and Jackie Siegel were present to speak of their own tragedy losing their daughter also to a drug overdose.
Also present were Jerry Falwell, Jr., who was the administrator of the Liberty University and 76-year-old Wayne Newton, an entertainer.
The town hall event was a culmination of the First Lady's tour to promote her campaign against cyberbullying and drug use called Be Best, covering three states over two days for sessions at venues in Tulsa and Oklahoma, and Washington to cover the Microsoft campus located in the area.
During the question and answer portion toward the end of the meeting, some light-hearted talk ensued about how the Trump family loved spaghetti and the fact that she had refurbished the bowling alley at the White House.
