Pubdate: Thu, 22 Dec 2011 Source: Thousand Oaks Acorn (CA) Copyright: 2011 J.Bee NP Publishing, Ltd. Contact: http://www.toacorn.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3872 NOT DYING IN VAIN Tragic as it was, the death of Thousand Oaks High School senior Griffen Kramer could be the tipping point in this area's fight against heroin. Word this week from the Los Angeles County coroner's office confirming the drug as the cause of the 18-year-old's death (see related story on page 1) puts an end to any debate and provides another opportunity to address this life-and-death topic. We're amazed by how many people we've talked to in the past month who had no idea high schoolers were using heroin and no clue about the prevalence of prescription painkillers in the local party scene. Along with this spike in awareness is a desire for action. Thankfully, one of the most popular questions we've heard from parents is "What can I do?" The first thing is not to panic. We don't want parents thinking that every kid in high school is shooting heroin or that every teenager who takes a pain pill is going to be a junkie. That isn't the case. What is the case is that if our children leave the house there's an extremely good chance they will encounter one of these drugs and a host of others. So arm them with the knowledge that one bad decision can lead to a lifetime of consequences. Young people don't need to be regular users to seriously hurt themselves. A bad mixture of alcohol and prescription pills can send them to the ER or, worse, the morgue. Teach them that misusing legal drugs is just as dangerous as abusing illegal drugs and set a good example by properly discarding your unused medications and not sharing prescriptions with friends and family members. If you think your child may have a drug or alcohol problem, speak up or refer them to a doctor, counselor or a mental health professional. Don't be afraid to drug test them; at-home kits are available at many local pharmacies, cost between $17 and $35, and will provide tangible evidence (as long as it is given unexpectedly and under supervision) that they are engaging in dangerous behavior. You can expect resistance, but being a good parent means being able to set rules and enforce them. We're not telling parents to be gestapo, but there's too much at stake not to act on your intuition. Teen drug use is a problem everywhere, and Griffen was only the latest of many young people in this area to have their futures ripped away by drugs or alcohol. But the exposure this story has received has given us the opportunity to make sure Griffen, unlike so many others, did not die in vain. We ask that you take advantage of it. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D