Pubdate: Thu, 06 Dec 2001 Source: Daily Herald (IL) Copyright: 2001 The Daily Herald Company Contact: http://www.dailyherald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/107 NO EASY ANSWER, BUT PARENTS MUST FACE DRUG REALITIES What goes through a young person's mind when he or she makes the decision to take drugs? Is there this internal dialogue? "Not me." "Didn't you hear about that senior? He died after overdosing." "Yeah, but that's not going to happen to me. These are safe drugs. They aren't going to kill me." "But did you hear about the girl who got kicked out school, lost all her friends, and got busted." "Yeah, but she couldn't handle it. I'm not that dumb." And what goes through parents' minds when they hear about kids messing up their lives doing drugs? Not my kid. Not me. But that bulletproof shield youngsters think they have to protect them is easily penetrable. So is the shield of denial that makes parents think that their own kids could not possibly be vulnerable. And though most youngsters do not use drugs, parents can't be deluded into thinking that their children won't be offered drugs and tempted to take them. All kinds of drugs are out there, and more kids are using them, including drugs that addict and can kill. Drugs that are putting youngsters on a path to self-destruction. As detailed in the Daily Herald's series "The hidden scourge," club drugs and snortable high-grade heroin have become drugs of choice in a segment of the suburbs' teen and young adult population. These drugs have contributed to at least 13 suburban deaths in just the past two years. In asking what we do about this, let's insist on not making the same mistakes we tend to make in reacting to drug abuse crisis after drug abuse crisis. While laws have to be tough enough to deter use and dealing, we can't be naive to believe lawmakers, cops, courts and prison wardens are the messiahs that will deliver us from drug abuse misery. First, it's important to build awareness that dangerous drugs like Ecstasy and heroin are out there and being used by suburban kids. And after parents stop kidding themselves about this threat, they have to talk with their children. They can't be afraid to do this, and should strive to conduct honest conversations in a forceful but non- threatening way. They can't come off as hypocrites or naive in the eyes of teens who have their own interpretation of the drug scene. While discouraging the use of any drug, parents also must be honest enough to acknowledge that some drugs are more threatening and dangerous than others. Many teens know that and will discount advice from adults who aren't willing to draw distinctions. When parents do think their children may be using drugs, they need accurate information to act on their suspicions. They should find out all they can about drugs like heroin and Ecstasy and know the signs of drug abuse. And when parents make the discovery that their children are on drugs, they shouldn't ignore the problem, either thinking it will go away or shrinking from action because of embarrassment about what friends and neighbors will think if they find out. Nor should parents think they have to solve the problem by themselves. They should seek professional guidance. In fact, treatment must be a priority in any broad-based anti-drug policy. We'd like to see more drug rehabilitation programs of the kind being run by Kane County Judge James Doyle. In his court, drug offenders get the help they need while being kept under intense supervision to assure compliance with rules aimed at getting them off drugs. Of the 84 participants in the program, only 10 have relapsed after completing treatment. But the first line of defense against drug abuse is in the home. Parents constantly have to be talking to their children and intruding in their lives constructively - all the way through adolescence - no matter how much the kids tell parents to butt out. Saying not me, not my kids, is not going to help anybody but the drug dealers. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart