LAS VEGAS -- Getting children off drugs before they even start was the message Wednesday night at a high school anti-drug rally.

Students from across the Las Vegas Valley chose to get together at Cashman Field to hear some sobering messages.

A new study says more children are dying of drug overdoses in the Valley than in previous years. It could be from something as simple as pharmaceutical drugs, or something heavier -- like cocaine or methamphetamine.

The message delivered Wednesday was not to even start taking drugs. The hope is the kids at the rally will work to help other students.

Steve Fitzhugh travels the country to get his anti-drug message across. The former NFL player saw his mother die of cancer from smoking and his brother die from a crack cocaine addiction. Now, he's working to help kids at a young age.

“You have to find the appropriate metaphor to translate the truth to these kids, and so I try not to beat them over the head with stuff they've already heard, but build a picture of it's OK to make the tough decisions to be drug free,” Fitzhugh said.

Local students said from alcohol to painkillers, there's a problem out there.

“There's a lot of people -- it's kind of quiet, but there are still people out there with problems who need help,” said high school senior Melanie Godwin.

That's why the teenagers have taken the pledge to stay drug and alcohol free.

“This is very important because kids who think they can play sports while they're doing drugs, that's not right to do it. So, I'm happy to experience the opportunity,” said high school sophomore Travontay Jamerson.

First Lady Dawn Gibbons said drug use begins with alcohol.

“Alcohol is the gateway drug, and there is scientific proof that the brain is still developing until the age of 25. And if you can delay them from using alcohol until the age of 21, we have a better chance of making sure they don't become alcoholics,” Gibbons said.

Studies say one in five area kids will experiment with illegal drugs. It's their decision, but it needs to be an informed one.

“All these students can soar, or they can sink. So much of that depends on the decisions they make between now and the time they turn 21,” Fitzhugh said.

Last year, 10 Valley children died of accidental overdoses. The hope is the teens at the rally will work to try to help their peers drop that number to zero.

The rally was called One Way To Play. It was sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.