Pubdate: Thu, 03 Feb 2005 Source: Salem News (MA) Copyright: 2005 Essex County Newspapers Contact: http://www.salemnews.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3466 Author: Jamie Jamieson Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?135 (Drug Education) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/oxycontin.htm (Oxycontin/Oxycodone) LISTENING FOR ANSWERS TO A GROWING EPIDEMIC PEABODY - When District Attorney Jon Blodgett hosted a forum on drug abuse at Peabody High School last year, just seven parents turned out. Last night more than 1,100 people packed the school's auditorium, overflowing into the cafeteria, where a television monitor was set up. Peabody was ready to listen. Christine Deao listened with her daughter Kristina, a second-grader dressed in a Brownie uniform, sitting in her lap. Third-grader Angela sat next to her mom and sister. "I'm not sure they are going to understand, but I want to educate myself and maybe my kids will get a little education too," Deao said. Third grade is just two years from middle school, and Deao, a 1983 Peabody High grad, wants to make sure her daughter is ready to say no to drugs. "Things are so much different and so much scarier now," she said. She knows firsthand there's a drug problem, because she has a relative who got in trouble with heroin a few years ago. "I don't think it's been dealt with in the right way. I think it's been ignored," she said. Besides the families, there were contingents of Peabody police officers, coaches and teachers, and just about every athletic team from the high school. "We're the girls track team," said Katie Colbert, identifying the dozen girls lining one of the benches in the back of the auditorium. They all decided to come when they heard about the forum. "It wasn't mandatory," runner Amy Ryan said. "We wanted to come." After listening to a dozen presentations, many of the kids and parents said they were moved most by the testimony of Joel Levine, son of Salem School Superintendent Herb Levine, who became an OxyContin and heroin addict while a student in Peabody. Today, he is drug-free and attending Salem State College. His story made the anguish of a life sacrificed to drugs seem real. Equally stirring was Peabody Police Detective Scott Richards, who pleaded with parents to "be the boss in your own home." "I came tonight because my mom saw the forum in the paper," said Anthony Arduino, who attends Higgins Middle School. He and his friends said they knew someone in the neighborhood who had died from a drug overdose. Before last night, they had no idea what heroin looked like or how much it cost. And they were amazed to hear the numbers. Last year, for instance, there were 39 confirmed overdose deaths in Essex County. Last Sunday, three more young people died from overdoses. Suzanne Lanzikos came from Beverly to listen because she has been thinking that her city needs to do something, as well. Her children are 16 and 13. The speakers were "powerful," she said. "We've got everybody motivated," she said. "But now, what's the next step?" Superintendent Nadine Binkley, one of the speakers at the forum, said it's a little early to know what the next step should be. "Right now, it's important to get the message out," she said. School officials have informally discussed the possibility of drug testing, but aren't ready to talk about drastic remedies like that. "We're in the very, very early stages of discussing it," she said. One step the high school has taken is to form a council of sports team captains. It will take a little time for the council to gel, she said. But the athletes have already started to talk about the possibility of drug testing, themselves. Next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., the high school will host "Courage to Speak," a drug education program aimed at parents and students. Binkley is hoping parents and students turn out for that event the way they did last night. "I was very pleasantly surprised," she said of the overflow crowd. "I just think it was terrific." - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin