Pubdate: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 Source: Coppell Gazette (TX) Copyright: 2003 PowerOne Media, Inc. Contact: http://www.coppellgazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3152 Author: Stacy Wright STARFISH FOUNDATION DIRECTOR WILL DISCUSS WAR ON DRUGS AT LHS The United States may be winning the war in Iraq, but one woman says the country is losing the war on drugs. Starfish Foundation executive director Belita Nelson will talk to Lewisville ISD parents about student substance abuse in "What You Can Do To Win the War on Drugs" at 7 p.m. Thursday at Lewisville High School. Nelson visits schools, organizations and other events to speak about the war on drugs. The Starfish Foundation is located in Carrollton. "We will never win the war on drugs, the way we are fighting it," Nelson said. Nelson founded the non-profit Starfish Foundation in 1998. The foundation educates parents and children about the dangers of substance abuse. "We've got more people than ever who are addicted," Nelson said. Nelson said seven out of 10 families are affected by substance abuse. Nelson said the war on drugs started during Richard Nixon's presidency. She said 80 to 90 percent of the money was spent on treatment, while the rest of the money was being spent on trying to stop drugs from entering the states. Now the United States is spending 90 percent of the money on stopping the drugs from coming into the country, and the rest on treatment. Nelson said neither way is the solution. "No matter what you can do, you can't stop it (from entering the United States)," Nelson said. "The question is 'how do we stop people from wanting it?'" Nelson will educate parents about substance abuse. She will also talk about her personal story, which led her to the Starfish Foundation. Nelson found heroin in her house. She refused to believe it belonged to Jason, her son, who was a senior in high school. After months of Jason struggling with his addiction and Nelson struggling with her denial, Nelson, who taught at Plano East Senior High School, left and went to graduate school. Things didn't get any better, and Nelson finally couldn't deny Jason's addiction. Jason relapsed, took one of the cars and would not come home. Nelson became desperate and filed charges against Jason for stealing the car to get him back home. Nelson soon learned of the death of Rob Hill, a former peer of Jason, who died because of his heroin addiction. For two days, Nelson searched for Jason. Eventually, Nelson found Jason. That was two years ago. After several months of battling his addiction, withdrawals and another arrest, Jason was ordered by a judge to go to a Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facility through the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Nelson later found the Starfish Foundation to save other students' lives. Jason, now 25, also speaks at some presentations. "Parents can make themselves more knowledgeable," Nelson said. "Everything has to start with knowledge and education." Nelson is working with the Dallas ISD to create a curriculum to stop substance abuse. The Starfish Foundation will expand into Denver and Washington next year. For information about the Starfish Foundation go to www.starfishfoundation.org.