Pubdate: Wed, 31 Aug 2005
Source: Summit Daily News (CO)
Copyright: 2005 Summit Daily News
Contact:  http://www.summitdaily.com/home.php
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/587
Author: Tim Grotemeyer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

PROTECT THE COMMUNITY; DON'T HUMILIATE THEM

The community seems to be claiming that Summit County teens have drug and 
alcohol problems. The police say that we are out of control and the paper 
agrees.

Yes, Summit teens do drink and use illegal substances as everyone has read 
about in the Summit Daily News. But I feel we are looking at our teens 
because they are the worst ones and, because they live in Summit County, 
they should know better.

We teach D.A.R.E in all of our elementary schools and, heck, it worked for 
me until I got to high school.

Being a person who, at the age of 19, has already attended a substance 
abuse program for 12 months, I have had a little closer look at what a true 
drug and alcohol problem is.

Growing up in Breckenridge as a kid is hard because the towns are supposed 
to be wild and exciting. After all, we are a vacation town where people 
come to get wasted and go skiing the next day.

Other than going to a party on a Friday or Saturday night, what else is 
there to do? Well, we could go to a movie but wait, that's what we did last 
night - and it costs us $20 to pay for the movie and getting a snack and we 
don't even think about bringing a date because that will cost us at least $40.

It is much cheaper and "more fun" to go out and pick up a handle of vodka 
for under $15 and you and two or three of your friends are stoked to get 
wasted.

As I mentioned earlier, I spent seven weeks in the wilderness of Utah at a 
wilderness recovery program - and it wasn't me and my friends from Summit 
who were drinking and smoking.

It was kids from the big city that had problems with drugs like cocaine, 
acid, ecstasy and many more. I have never once seen people have or do 
crystal meth, heroin, special K, Robotrip or crack.

But I met people who could not live without them. You have a true problem 
when you beat your girlfriend because she smoked your last rock or took 
your last bump of ice. We are not hearing about that. Personally, I don't 
think that it does happen because we live in a small community and word 
travels fast.

The reason I feel there is so much publicity on the substance abuse in 
Summit County is because that is how our police departments fill their 
quotas. Honestly, if there is an arrest that is reported in the paper, it 
was one of three things: an underage drinking ticket, a fight or cocaine 
bust at a local bar or another DUI.

They are easy arrests and to me I feel that is what the cops look for.

In conclusion, I feel we should concentrate on protecting our community 
instead of humiliating the community like the paper and the Breckenridge 
Police Department has done in the past few weeks to Mr. Joe Weaver.
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman