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.

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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.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart