Commentary; Posted: 4/14/04

April 19th drug forum is vital for parents

By Don Heinzman

If one thing is clear from all the stories about ìKids and Drugs,î parents are the key in any serious community attack on the use of all drugs during their school years. This newspaper has attempted to arouse parents to take a much earlier interest in what their kids are smoking and drinking.

One particular story stands out in the series of stories just concluded. Remember the mother whose 15-year-old son had just died of alcohol poisoning and lamented: ìI never knew you could die from drinking too much alcohol. I just didnít know. My son didnít either. Why donít they teach that to kids in school?î

Another story in the Forest Lake Times about a student recovered from alcohol flatly said Forest Lake High School has a drug problem.

High School Principal Steve Massey was not at all defensive when he wisely responded, ìThe role of the high school is to join families and the community in fostering thriving and successful students.î

Note that Massey stresses drug abuse by adolescents also is a family and community problem. Massey offers a blueprint for parents and community in the form of strengthening assets developed by the Search Institute of Minneapolis.

Forest Lake has done much to develop its youth, which is a major obligation of a growing community. The Youth Service Bureau is a highly effective strategy to help youth. More needs to be done to prevent the use and abuse of drugs. A coalition of parents, school officials and community members has banded together in the Tri-County Youth & Family Partnership to add more clout to the community effort.

In addition to the Search Institute model, which is highly effective, thereís another model in the Hopkins and Minnetonka region. Sharon MacDonald operates a successful ìReduce the Useî program aimed at getting messages to parents. She uses the ìdrip methodî and methodically drops messages to parents about their obligations to know the signs of kids using drugs and what to do about them.

McDonald tells parents about the importance of setting limits for their kids, watching for signs of drug use and penalizing bad choices. Her program demonstrates when parents get involved and talk about rules and consequences for kids who use drugs, the number of kids using drops.

When a community becomes aroused over a drug abuse problem, things happen. Drug store owners are on the watch for kids who buy over-the-counter drugs, liquor store operators crack down on any employee who sells liquor and cigarettes to minors, church youth ministers and high school counselors become trained on how to work with families who have kids with a drug problem.

School administrators fight to keep chemical counselor programs, sometimes the first line of defense for parents.

Community leaders make sure there is a safe place for elementary and junior high school students to go after school when both parents are working.

Community educators sponsor classes for parents who need information to spot signs of drug use and how to combat it.

Legislators in the area need to vote against having wine sold in grocery stores and vote for the .08 alcoholic content law.

Above all the community leadership, particularly in the churches, need to say the community values youth and wants to involve them in community affairs.

A very important first step is for parents and residents in our community to attend the drug use forum Monday, April 19 from 7-9 p.m. at Forest Lake High School. A school district-sponsored Chemical Task Force, led by school board member Joe Grafft, is sponsoring the program. A panel made up of school and community professionals and students will share vital information.

Normally, parents donít like to attend such meetings because they may think their kids donít have a problem with drinking, smoking and drugs. Knowledge about this problem is power that may save your child from a period of grief and confusion.

Spend two hours at Forest Lake High School next Monday night and find out for yourself.

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