FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Illegal drug dealers with little or no scruples often try to recruit new customers through area schools. That’s why early education about the dangers of drug use can be so important.

Infirmary Health System (IHS) unveiled the latest DeBakey Drug Education Vehicle on March 11, a unique mobile classroom that uses the latest in interactive technology to teach kids about the dangers of drug use.

It will be available to children and adults for brief walkthrough tours early Saturday morning, March 20, on Scenic Highway 98 in Fairhope, near the finish line of the annual Spring Fever Chase.

John Aikens, IHS drug education program coordinator, said students are “going to see exactly what happens to the human body when people use drugs such as alcohol, tobacco and marijuana.” He noted kids will also learn about the effects of crystal meth and a host of other illegal substances.

Young people will step into a high-tech, colorful environment featuring a 12-person, slide-out theater with 42-inch monitors showing a 15-minute video, touch-screen kiosks and actual human organs that show the dramatic difference between healthy body parts and those that have been ravaged by substance abuse.

“It makes it real,” he said. “It’s not just an abstract thought.”

Aikens said, “Children can access information about the different choices they have.” They might include whether they should take a hit off that first joint, sample meth, or even sip a beer when they are first offered a can or bottle.

According to statistics furnished by IHS:

•Around 1,000 youth under age 18 start smoking each day in the U.S.

•Every day, 2,500 teenagers use a prescription drug to get high for the first time.

•More teenage girls than boys now smoke and abuse prescription drugs. Girls are also starting to use marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes at a higher rate than boys.

•Eighty-five percent of the 4.5 million people who first began using alcohol last year were under age 21.

The idea behind the traveling Drug Education Program was first developed by the late Dr. Ernest G. DeBakey, a Mobile surgeon who acquired the original vehicle (an old school bus) and donated it to Mobile Infirmary. Aikens said, “His widow, Marsha, is continuing his legacy of drug education.”

This is the third generation vehicle, replacing a fifth-wheel trailer that was recently donated to the Laurel, Miss. school system. Paula Watkins of Point Clear, whose husband is a retired urologist who practiced in that area, was involved in drug education there and arranged the gift.

The new vehicle is a 38-foot Winnebago. The high-tech look and interior fixtures were designed by Peter Feher, a Mobile-based industrial designer who is also responsible for the permanent exhibition “My BodyWorks,” which is open for visits at The Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center.

The custom multimedia content, touch-screen programs, animations and graphics were created by Somerset Group in Huntsville, and the interior was fabricated by Southern Custom Exhibits in Anniston.

The DeBakey Drug Education Vehicle is available to travel to schools and community events throughout southwest Alabama (Baldwin, Mobile, Washington, Clarke and Monroe counties), giving visitors an “experiential” opportunity to view and touch displays that show the damaging effects of drugs and other substances.

“So far it’s gotten rave reviews from everyone who’s seen it, including the kids,” Aikens said. The 45-minute presentation is much more advanced than that of previous vehicles.

Since the program was established in the fall of 1994, more than 100,000 students have toured the vehicle. According to research conducted by the Drug Education Council, the vehicle was the first of its kind in the country and has since been replicated in other communities because of its success.

The DeBakey Drug Education Vehicle received recognition in 2007 from the American Hospital Association.

Aikens joined the program in 1997 after a long career as a teacher and a two-year stint as a cardiac telemetry nurse.

Schools wishing to schedule a visit should call him directly at (251) 591-0542.