Students from IS 259 in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, said they were moved during the breakout sessions by the personal stories of young adults who came back from addiction during the first Let’s Talk About It conference on substance abuse.

More than 800 middle and high school students at the event pack Shanker Hall at UFT headquarters.

Teacher Cynthia Olsen-Dinkins (left) and school counselor Mary Castelo brought a group of 16 7th-graders from JHS 227 in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, to be part of the conversation and continue it with their peers at school.

Educators stand and are recognized during the opening of the conference.

“This is important to us,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew in his welcoming remarks to the students. “‘Just say no’ didn’t work out well for my generation.”

Tina Puccio, the director of the UFT Member Assistance Program, organized the event which drew students from across the city.

Members of the Road Recovery band Type II performs during the conference, and also guided discussions during the breakout sessions.

Dr. Stephen Dewey, the director of research education at the Seafield Center on Long Island, discusses the effects of various stimulants on the brain, including cocaine, meth, tobacco and caffeine.