CEIA USA recently attended the Tall Cop Emerging Drug Trends Conference in Dallas, Texas, November 12–13, 2026. Hosted by Tall Cop Says Stop™ and led by Officer Jermaine Galloway, the event brought together national experts to discuss the latest trends in drugs, alcohol, and community safety.

Sessions covered topics such as emerging drugs in schools, human trafficking, vaping, and underage drinking. These sessions showed how substance use often connects to broader safety concerns. Drug use not only threatens health and judgment, but it can also escalate conflict, drive risky behavior, and lead to higher incidents of violence, including those involving weapons.

These discussions reinforced the importance of awareness, prevention, and proactive safety measures. That message aligns with CEIA USA’s mission to combine education, prevention, and technology. As substance abuse, violence, and accessibility issues intersect, tools like OPENGATE® help schools move from awareness to action, providing fast, noninvasive weapons detection that strengthens overall campus safety.

The connection between drug use and violence was a key theme throughout the event, sparking meaningful conversations about how schools can better address both challenges.

Matt Samels, Sales Manager at CEIA USA focusing on the K-12 sector, shared, “As a new parent, I knew about the weapon-related challenges schools face, but I never realized the extent of the issues surrounding drugs and how deeply they affect both schools and families. Drug use is often a gateway to other risky behaviors, including violence, which is why proactive safety measures are so important. The discussions during the conference revealed how closely drug use and violence are connected, driving interest in how weapons detection can support safer schools. It ties directly to what we do every day with OPENGATE, helping schools take the next step in protecting students from threats that too often go unnoticed until it is too late.”

Learn more about Tall Cop Says Stop™ at tallcopsaysstop.com.