Pubdate: Sat, 29 Dec 2007 Source: Lancaster Eagle-Gazette (OH) Copyright: 2007 Lancaster Eagle-Gazette Contact: http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3143 Author: Tierra Palmer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?135 (Drug Education) PROGRAM TO HELP YOUTH MAKE DRUG-FREE CHOICES LANCASTER - Drinking and illicit drug use by teens has continued to decline, according to a recent survey of high school students in Fairfield County. However, parents still have cause for concern, officials say. But a new program at Fairfield Medical Center is teaching parents how to help their children make healthy choices when it comes to drugs and alcohol. Results from the 2006 Youth Survey indicate that about 80 percent of high school seniors have drank alcohol and about 40 percent have smoked marijuana. Although fewer teens reported regularly using alcohol and marijuana, most said those substances were easy to obtain and not particularly harmful. Trisha Saunders says that is the wrong attitude to have. "The scariest thing to me is that alcohol and marijuana can be very dangerous to youth," she said. Saunders sees the effects of drug use firsthand as the director of the Recovery Center, an outpatient substance abuse treatment facility in Lancaster. Now, FMC is offering a new class, which will make it easier for parents to talk to their children about drugs and alcohol and recognize the signs of abuse. How to Drug Proof Your Kids is a six-week course designed to equip parents with the tools needed to effectively steer their children away from substance abuse. "We need to get to kids before they make the choice (to use drugs)," instructor Marilyn Booze said. "Many parents think that (because) their children don't come from a fractured home they won't be tempted (to experiment)." But even kids from good homes use drugs, she said. Booze found that out the hard way 15 years ago, when her son David began experimenting with drugs and alcohol. "I wondered if he would ever have a life. He lost 10 years (to addiction), but he learned some hard lessons," she said. Now, David, 30, who has been in recovery for four-and-a-half years, is sharing his experience with others as a counselor at Teen Challenge, a residential treatment program in Cincinnati, where he was once a student. That is why it is important for parents to establish and maintain a healthy relationship with their children. Booze said that good communication is essential to developing that bond. - --- sidebar More Information Fairfield Medical Center is offering a new class that better enables parents to talk about drug use with their children. How to Drug Proof Your Kids is a six-week course designed to educate parents on the facts about drug use and give them practical techniques and strategies to steer their kids away from the temptation of drug use before they're tempted. The class will meet, from 7 to 9 p.m. every Thursday, with the exception of Valentine's Day, at Fairfield Medical Center, 401 N. Ewing St., Lancaster. There is a $20 registration fee. For more information or to register, call 740-687-8007. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom