Students at Coastal Alabama Community College's Fairhope campus are addressing critical issues like substance abuse, suicide and the opioid epidemic through the power of podcasts.

In partnership with the Baldwin County Community Alliance (BCCA), the college has launched the second season of "What If You Knew?"—a podcast created and hosted by seven Fairhope students. This collaboration, funded by a grant from the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH), aims to spread awareness and provide resources on pressing health concerns.

The BCCA, which has been working with the college since 2017, secured the ADMH grant specifically to combat the opioid epidemic among young adults. This grant ensures the podcast's funding through 2026. Both seasons of "What If You Knew?" are available on the BCCA website, Proudtobefreebaldwin.org and the global iHeartRadio app, amplifying the reach of the content.

Mandy Bezeredi, the Fairhope campus director, emphasized the importance of using current trends to engage the audience.

"You have to rely on what the current trends are so you can meet students and others that could be impacted exactly where they are," Bezeredi said in a news release. "It gives the podcast a chance to make a bigger ripple effect, and not just affect our community, but also other college students elsewhere."

Last fall, the BCCA contracted with the Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation to host a podcast training session, where students identified mental health and substance abuse as key topics. They chose to cover relationships, suicide, fentanyl, opioid addiction, vaping and alcohol abuse in their episodes as those were deemed most pertinent to college-aged students.

Participation in the podcast has offered significant experiences for the students. Earlier this year, the podcast team, along with supporting educators, attended the 34th annual Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) National Leadership Forum in Maryland. The BCCA funded the students' trip, while the Fairhope Police Department provided scholarships for the educators.

Two returning podcast members recently attended the CADCA midyear conference in Chicago to gain insights on new drug trends, preparing for the upcoming season of "What If You Knew?".

The ADMH grant has also facilitated the integration of opioid education into Coastal Alabama's mandatory ORI 101 course through MySmartDose.com. The podcast initiative, added in 2021 under the State Opioid Response (SOR) grant, is part of broader efforts to enhance awareness and resources related to addiction and mental health.

Following their participation in the CADCA Leadership Forum, the podcast team organized a Narcan training session in April at the Fairhope campus. Sponsored by Coastal Alabama, BCCA, and the Fairhope Police Department, the training educated attendees on the benefits of Narcan, a life-saving drug for overdose treatment, and provided free Narcan kits.

In a similar vein, the C.O.P.E. Community Overdose Prevention Effort hosted an event on July 30 at the Fairhope Civic Center. The event, supported by various community agencies, included networking opportunities and complimentary Narcan kits for attendees.

For more information on the "What If You Knew?" podcast and other community initiatives at Coastal Alabama Community College, contact Campus Director Mandy Bezeredi at Mandy.Bezeredi@coastalalabama.edu. Episodes of the podcast can be accessed on the BCCA website at https://Proudtobefreebaldwin.org/podcasts-what-if-you-knew and on iHeart Radio.