Pubdate: Mon, 07 Jul 2008 Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO) Copyright: 2008 St. Louis Post-Dispatch Contact: http://www.stltoday.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/418 Author: Daniel K. Duncan PREVENTING ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE AMONG KIDS SHOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY I'm a political junkie. I look forward to election years. From the first day of primary campaigning right down to the last minute of election-night returns, I'm paying attention to the process, to the candidates, to their stands on issues. Given my occupation, I'm naturally interested in the candidates' perspectives on substance-abuse issues, and what I've noticed in successive election cycles is progressively less focus on these topics. Whatever happened to the so-called war on drugs? Have the problems disappeared? Have we just accepted the fact that we are an addicted nation that no longer has the will to confront such issues in meaningful ways? I'm not particularly fond of the "war" metaphor, but I certainly believe we need a redesigned and more enlightened effort, one that incorporates decriminalization, drug courts, invigorated treatment and much greater focus on preventing children from starting to use alcohol and other drugs. Children are far too vulnerable to the allure of alcohol and other drugs to dismiss their experimentation with them as merely a rite of passage. They need protection from this as teenagers, just as they need protection from other dangers when they're younger. This is a responsibility we must take to heart. It is vital to understand that involvement with drugs -- particularly alcohol -- is the leading cause of death for teens. When an adolescent dies in America, chances are it is related to alcohol or other drug use, a sad commentary on our society. So why aren't we all over this issue? Why don't we continue to strengthen, fortify or expand our efforts? The answer, I'm afraid, is apathy. It's the apathy that comes from thinking that "it won't happen in my family" or worse yet, "kids will be kids, and there's nothing you can do about it." We need to reject these cop-outs and find the will to rethink our strategies and renew our dedication to prevention. The St. Louis-area chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse is the lead agency in providing alcohol and drug-abuse prevention services for young people in our region. Public apathy makes our already-difficult job that much more difficult. We see evidence of apathy at every level, starting with the federal government. Funding for Safe and Drug-Free School Grants, the federal program that underwrites prevention services provided by school districts, has been cut by 34 percent in the past three years. An additional 63 percent cut has been proposed for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. This makes no sense whatsoever. It's not as though we've reduced alcohol and drug use to tolerable levels. Rates of underage drinking and other drug use still are unacceptable. And beyond direct substance abuse by young people, there's the issue of substance abuse by their parents and other caregivers, contributing to abuse and abandonment. Approximately 70 percent of the young people in foster care are there because of adult alcohol or other drug issues, yet another sad fact. What's the answer? Clearly, we cannot sit back and hope that somehow things will get better. Instead, we should make a renewed effort based on the what we've learned about what kinds of approaches work and what kinds don't. I'd also suggest a greater focus on local efforts and local solutions. We cannot expect the feds to do it all. Along these lines, residents of St. Louis County will have an opportunity in November to approve Putting Kids First, a modest sales tax initiative that would provide dedicated funds for youth services. The measure is similar to those that already have been enacted in the city of St. Louis and St. Charles and Lincoln counties. Putting Kids First would allow St. Louis County the opportunity to restore and improve such vital services as mental health and alcohol and drug prevention programs aimed at the children of St. Louis County. If there's anything more important than protecting our kids, I don't know what it is. - ------------------------------------- Daniel K. Duncan is the director of community services for the St. Louis-area chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse and a member of the Post-Dispatch Community Advisory Board. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart