Pubdate: Sun, 25 Feb 2001
Source: Mid-Valley Sunday (OR)
Copyright: 2001 Lee Enterprises
Contact:  Mid-Valley Sunday, P.O.Box 130, Albany OR 97321
Fax: (541) 926-4799
Website: http://www.mvonline.com/mid-valley_sunday/
Author: Becky Waldrop, Mid-Valley Sunday
Note:  Mid-Valley Sunday is a joint publication of the Albany 
Democrat-Herald and Corvallis Gazette-Times

KIDS & DRUGS

To have a child tested for drugs isn't an easy decision, but Pat 
Vorderstrasse said it was out of love that she had her 15-year-old son, 
Trevor tested last year. The Lebanon woman had noticed warning signs for 
several months that something was wrong with her only child.

"His grades dropped dramatically. He was belligerent. He was spending time 
away from home without permission," Vorderstrasse said.

Then one night she'd had enough.

"He finally came in one evening, and he was very out of it, like he was 
drunk," Vorderstrasse said. "So I called the hospital and asked if they did 
drug tests. I took him right down there and had him tested."

The results confirmed her suspicions. Trevor was using drugs. Vorderstrasse 
wanted to get her son help and found drug counseling at the Linn County 
Health Department. A counselor recommended residential drug treatment and 
arranged to have him go to an area facility.

But Trevor refused to sign himself in. Oregon law protects the rights of 
drug addicts to refuse treatment unless it's court-ordered, including 
children under the age of 18. Because he hadn't broken any laws yet, he 
didn't have to stay.

Since then, Trevor's been arrested twice for being a minor in possession of 
a controlled substance and other violations, including an assault charge 
filed by his mom. He spent three days in the intensive care unit of a 
hospital last fall after a drug overdose, but his mother can't convince him 
to go to treatment. Trevor lives at home, but Vorderstrasse said she can't 
give him the help he needs.

"He's in denial. I understand that kids have to hit bottom before they get 
help, but he almost died," Vorderstrasse said. "I am personally not willing 
to take the risk. I'm willing to pay for treatment. I look at this as being 
a health issue. This is not some social disorder. There's nothing that 
prepares you for this."

It took a more than a year, but Friday, Trevor finally agreed to undergo 
treatment. He made the decision after he had to go to court on a contempt 
charge for not following a judge's order to attend drug support meetings.

Trevor isn't different from many kids his age who've experimented with 
drugs and alcohol. Kids aren't necessarily doing more drugs these days. In 
fact, statistics show the use of illicit drugs has decreased in the last 
decade, but officials say drug use is still a major problem. What's more, 
as Vorderstrasse found out, despite a patchwork of agencies and other 
groups, sometimes help is seemingly impossible to find.

Children's advocates warn drug use can lead to violence, crime and other 
problems at home and school, but their message is often undermined by 
popular culture.

Many people have tuned out the anti-drug propaganda and turned up the 
volume on a new campaign - instead of the war on drugs, they've launched 
the fight to end the war on drugs.

Kids And Drugs

George Baskerville works as an alcohol and drug counselor at the Benton 
County Health Department in Corvallis. He deals with kids in middle and 
high school and was one of many counselors who spoke to students after the 
death of a Corvallis teen from drinking. Tamara Wardles, 14, a student at 
Western View Middle School, died of acute alcohol poisoning Feb. 10.

Investigators said two adults gave Tamara and other teens alcohol at a 
party in a southeast Corvallis apartment the night of her death.

On Friday, a Benton County grand jury indicted two women and a teen-ager on 
felony charges in connection with Tamara's death. The grand jury alleged 
Teresa Bettes, and Lonna Capaci, both 37, and Tristan DeMers, 17, were 
responsible for the alcohol-induced death of the teen. The three defendants 
will be arraigned in court Monday.

Prior to Tamara's death, Baskerville said many people didn't know that a 
person could die from drinking. The tragedy stirred a new interest in 
talking to kids about the dangers of drugs.

"Alcohol is a drug," Baskerville said. "Alcohol and tobacco are so 
ubiquitous the way they're depicted in films. The alcohol industry spends 
billions of dollars to convince you to have a good time. Those are powerful 
messages."

Alcohol and drugs are not difficult for kids to get their hands on. In many 
cases, prevention strategies taught by teachers are ignored.

"There are parents that say, 'I don't want my child out there drinking and 
driving. I'd much rather (he or she) drink at home.' The rationalization is 
that if you allow kids to drink at home, it isn't as bad. One of the 
prevention strategies is to be clear about expectations. That's a 
deterrent," said Baskerville.

A day before she drank herself to death, Tamara and other eighth-graders at 
Western View watched a video about the dangers of drinking.

"We need to change the culture - that intoxication is not a good thing," 
Baskerville said.

As for marijuana or ecstasy, kids don't seem to connect that using these 
drugs could be dangerous. Drug and alcohol use causes more severe brain 
damage in kids, he said. The downside is some kids don't listen to what he 
says.

"Early onset of any substance use doubles your chances of developing a 
problem," Baskerville said. "It's like Alzheimer's disease, it shrinks the 
brain. Alcohol, tobacco, marijuana - these are all toxins - but scare 
tactics don't work."

Ending Addiction

When voters passed Measure 3, Oregon's Property Protection Act in November, 
they sent a message that went beyond property rights. The initiative 
amended the state constitution and put a stop to police seizing people's 
property until a person is convicted.

Most seized property came from crimes related to the manufacturing or 
selling of drugs. Proceeds from the sale of property seized during drug 
busts almost entirely funded police's anti-drug teams.

Measure 3 also dictated that three-fourths of the profits made from 
property seized after a conviction was to go to drug treatment and 
education, not narcotics squads such as VALIANT, or the Valley Interagency 
Narcotics Team. Measure 3 was backed by national figures associated with 
the drug legalization movement. George Soros, Peter Lewis and John Sperling 
contributed more than $250,000 to the campaign, according to contribution 
and expenditure reports.

Because wording on the ballot described Measure 3 as a property rights 
protection act, it's not clear whether people knew they were voting to 
limit the authority of narcotic agencies. Regardless of voter intent, the 
measure passed with 67 percent approval.

The passage of Oregon's forfeiture reform law was among several success 
stories in Western states for the people trying to end the war on drugs. 
Utah voters passed a similar proposal that restricted government seizures 
of drug offenders' property. Colorado and Nevada joined Oregon and other 
states to legalize the medicinal use of marijuana. In California, voters 
passed an initiative that would send first- and second-time drug offenders 
to treatment programs instead of jail.

For 13 years, Monty Meyer has been a member of Narcotics Anonymous in 
Albany, an organization that helps people deal with drugs. Meyer said he's 
opposed to legalizing drugs.

"People are tired of drug addicts and alcoholics making excuses for their 
behavior," Meyer said. "Society doesn't understand what is going on 
physically and mentally, nor should they have to. The simple fact is 
they'll never understand it, so they'll try to deal with it the best they can."

Even if drugs were legal, some addicts wouldn't be able to afford them, he 
said, and people would still commit crimes related to drug use.

"We have seen an epidemic with alcohol abuse. We tried to outlaw it. It 
didn't work. Alcohol is the number-one killer drug. What's next, legalizing 
the minor use of pot? I've seen an enormous amount of people in 13 years 
whose major choice of drug is marijuana. Every time they used it, bad 
things happen. It still causes families to split, people to break the law."

People that normally wouldn't try marijuana might because it was legal. 
That's particularly true with kids, he said.

"Some kids won't break the law simply because it's not legal," Meyer said. 
"I believe in much of our society, there are healthy families. There's a 
movement of kids who are standing up for morals. Unfortunately, society is 
knocking them down."

Kids are surrounded by messages that glamorize drugs, alcohol and tobacco, 
including song lyrics, movies and television. Peer pressure, older siblings 
and coming-of-age issues also seem to encourage some kids to drink or use 
drugs.

Drug use among young people is apparent to the teachers and other people 
who are around kids on a day-to-day basis. Still, many more adults are 
oblivious to drug and alcohol use among teens.

Full Circle

When Vorderstrasse attempted to get her son into drug counseling the second 
time, he was in the hospital after overdosing. Trevor had swallowed a 
handful of pills a friend gave him, and doctors strongly urged that he get 
treatment.

He'd been arrested on minor-in-possession charges, and a juvenile court can 
ask a drug offender to enter a treatment program, but the legal process and 
finding a space at a treatment center can take several months.

Vorderstrasse has tried to get her son help other ways. She's asked state 
Sen. Mae Yih, D-Albany, to propose changes to the law that would allow her 
son and others to get treatment, but Yih responded with a letter and list 
of resources she'd already tried.

A school counselor put her in touch with the county's Youth Services Team, 
a group of representatives from local agencies that help families. However, 
after the initial evaluation and recommendation to get her son into 
treatment, they haven't been able to help her.

"I've contacted the team leader twice to ask when are we going to deal with 
this. I've attempted everything," she said. "I've approached this from 
every angle. I've called help lines - anybody that might be able to help me 
- - but there is no help out there."

She said some people disagree with her decision to have her son tested for 
drugs or to seek treatment for him. She had even had Trevor arrested when 
he came home one night after drinking and assaulted her.

"He said he'll never forgive me for this," she said. "Some people think I'm 
crazy. I'm just very stubborn."

When she reads news articles or hears people suggest that legalizing drugs 
is the answer to the problem, it makes her angry.

"I know there are people promoting legalizing marijuana, but with an 
addict, it's a totally different ball game." Vorderstrasse said. "They 
don't live with an addict. I do."
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