Cliff Buchan
News EditorDrug and alcohol use by youth in the Forest Lake area remains a serious issue, but all is not doom and gloom, a crowd of 50 learned at a drug forum Monday night.
The drug forum, hosted by a Chemical Task Force in ISD 831, presented an overview on drug issues and what school, county and community agencies are doing to combat the problem.
But the two-hour program also gave the audience reason to be optimistic. A panel of 12 students from secondary schools in Forest Lake presented personal comments from kids who are chemical free.
The student panel filled a 45-minute segment of Mondayís program at Forest Lake High School. The panel was clear in its testimony that many positive factors are involved in keeping todayís youth drug-free and many of todayís youth are choosing a positive lifestyle.
ìA lot of us arenít using drugs,î said junior Nicquie Twedt. ìWe only hear about the bad.î
All 12 students acknowledged that drugs and alcohol are available and that they could get them if they so desired. But the students agreed other choices can push kids in the right direction.
ìIf you want to stay from it, you can ignore it,î Twedt said.
The student panel offered multiple reasons for their personal decisions to not use drugs or alcohol. During questioning by Kathy Bystrom, youth development coordinator for ISD 831 Community Education, the students said parental direction and family support were key factors.
Students also said concerns about drug side effects, fear of loss of privileges and fear of addiction were key factors.
In listing reasons why kids do or donít make poor choices, the panel said friends, sports, activities, boredom, church and family and parents all played roles in behavior.
Erik Stolberg, a sophomore, said little things like family time were important to him. He said his parents always took time getting him to and from school. Time at home to share meals has also been an important family way, he said.
ìWeíre always finding time together,î the student said.
Twedt, a vocal leader on the panel, said she spent her Grade 7 and Grade 8 years with chemical involvement but made a break from the lifestyle thanks to strong religious belief and her personal faith.
ìI really didnít want to follow the crowd,î she said. It meant major changes in her circle of friends beyond the school day.
Twedt and others on the panel encouraged parents to push their kids and set boundaries that kids want.
Twedt said she has worked hard to change her lifestyle and has too much to lose in going back. ìI had to regrow my trust,î she said. ìI really donít want to lose the trust of my mom again.î
Good, Bad news
Audience members also left the high school Monday with some sobering facts presented by the adult panel.
Sgt. Pat Olson of the Washington County Narcotics Task Force said in his 22 years of law enforcement he has seen the scope of drug use change from marijuana and cocaine to date rape drugs and methamphetamine.
When he took over 11 years ago as head of narcotics unit, only three meth labs were busted in Minnesota. Last year 402 were found in the state. Olson said Washington County busted 13 labs last year and has uncovered six in the first quarter of 2004.
ìWe are seeing the rise,î Olson said.
Officials said the substance of narcotics is also changing. Powder meth that was once 30-50 percent pure is now found in form of glass meth that is 98 percent pure. Marijuana of a higher potency is also found today.
Secondary principals Steve Massey (high school), Marc Peterson (Southwest) and Ben Lewis (Century) said the schools continue to utilize building resources and curriculum in efforts to deal with drug and alcohol problems.
Lewis said part of the problem today goes beyond students to parents. He said there have been occasions when students are turning in drug paraphernalia used by their parents.
ìThat kind of stuff scares us all a lot,î Lewis said.
Massey, the first-year boss at the high school, said it was important to reinforce positive assets in students as a means to prevent risk-taking activities. He said it was vital to ìget them on track and keep them on track.î
Massey said a partnership with parents and community is one way to be successful.
Parents involved
Joe Grafft, task force chair and vice-president of the ISD 831 School Board, said it was important to take away something positive from the forum. He pointed to the student panel as an example.
ìWeíve got some good kids here,î Grafft said. ìWe need to keep them that way.î
Keeping communication open with kids was important, he added.
ìTalk to your kids and keep talking,î he appealed.
Laurel Goehl, a 17-year resident of Scandia, said it was time to empower parents to ìwake upî and understand the issues. ìIt seems so distant,î she said of the problem.
After hearing the adult panel comments, Goehl said she was experiencing a generation gap with little or no knowledge of many of the drugs that are being found today.
ìItís like a foreign language to me,î she said. ìIím sure most parents feel the same way.î
Top of Page
