Illusionist to share substance-prevention message
The Vive18 national drug prevention tour is coming to Dubois County on Feb. 24 to show eighth-graders they can have fun, make friends and feel good without using substances. A free session for the public is scheduled for the evening.
Vive18 was created when co-founder Jake White began hosting house parties at his college without any drugs or alcohol. Within months, he attracted nationally known sponsors and hundreds of students to each event.
Now their team educates and inspires students in kindergarten through grade 12 across the nation to stay free from alcohol, nicotine and other substances.
“Most drug prevention programs are boring, shame-based or irrelevant for youth,” White said. “We engage students in the science of underage use so they can cope with feelings in a healthy way and protect their future.”
Vive18 illusionist and comedian Tom Coverly, who tours worldwide and has been called one of the top 10 positive people in the U.S., will lead three sessions on Feb. 24. His presentations are being hosted by Dubois County CARES.
All of the sessions will take place at the Jasper Arts Center.
The first session of the day will be a morning program for the county’s eighth-graders. Then, each of the schools has been invited to select 12 to 15 student leaders in the class to participate in an afternoon leadership workshop. At 6:30 that evening, Coverly will share his message for an audience of all ages at a free community night.
CARES has been focusing on prevention and mental health programming for eighth-graders throughout this school year. Bringing Vive18 here is one of the highlights, according to CARES Director Candy Neal.
After tracking data from annual surveys taken by Dubois County students in grades six through 12, CARES noticed that year after year, students in the eighth grade report some of the highest levels of mental health struggles. “We know that young people whose mental health is compromised are the ones more likely to experiment and use alcohol and drugs. So as preventionists, and as a community, we need to address that,” Neal said.
The CARES initiative for eighth-graders is called You’ve Got This! and is designed to support eighth-graders in their struggles.
“It is paramount that adolescents realize that they are not alone and that they are capable of overcoming the new kinds of challenges they face at that age,” Neal said.
While self-reported past 30-day use of alcohol, electronic cigarettes and marijuana has declined among Dubois County youth in recent years, some students perceive that those substances are not as risky as they used to. For example, 2025 survey results showed eighth-graders deeming the smoking of cigarettes and marijuana as less risky than before, and more seventh-graders are seeing less harm in drinking alcohol once or twice a month.
“Oftentimes, youth attitudes stem from parents and the community environment,” Neal said. “We invite everyone to attend the evening Vive18 presentation to learn more about how mental health and substance use often intertwine. Our youth need us.”
Vive18 expenses are being covered in part by grants from Being For Others Health and Wellness Foundation and Jasper Endows Today and Tomorrow.
