OFFICIALS EDUCATE PARENTS ON KEEPING KIDS OFF DRUGS, LOOKING FOR SYMPTOMS

SIERRA VISTA -- If your teen starts carrying a pacifier or wearing a dust
mask, he or she may be using dangerous drugs and not going along with a
silly fad.

About 25 parents and educators learned Wednesday that using a pacifier or a
dust or surgical mask helps users of the drug ecstasy hide symptoms, such
as teeth clenching. A panel of law enforcement officials talked to parents
about symptoms of drug use and signs of gang involvement during a meeting
sponsored by Substance Abuse Free Environment, or SAFE.

Ecstasy is a slang term for the drug methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or
MDMA, a "club drug" that is chemically similar to the stimulant amphetamine
and the hallucinogen mescaline. Other names for ecstasy include Adam,
Beans, Clarity, Lover's Speed and Love Drug, according to information
provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Jim Molesa, a DEA officer with the agency's Phoenix division, said he often
is asked about drug use in Sierra Vista.

"I should be asking you what's going on in your town with drugs," he said.

He said club drugs also are called "predator drugs" by law enforcement
officials. That's because the drugs are frequently used in cases of date rape.

Molesa said parents need to know what's in their child's room or car, even
if it means going through the room or car. He said parents do not need to
stage a formal inspection to get this done. He said just spending time with
the youngster in his or her room will give the parent a good idea of what
may be in there.

Molesa also said parents have every right to go through a child's room
because the room is in their house.

If they find drugs or drug paraphernalia in their child's room, parents
should not hesitate to seek help. Education is the best way to keep kids
off drugs.

"We can't arrest our way out of it," Molesa said.

According to Molesa, many parents are apathetic about their child's
activities, then are surprised when they find out their son or daughter is
involved with drugs or gangs.

Parents also need to look at their own behaviors to see if they are
influencing their child.

Parents also need to listen to their own intuition about the possibility of
their child's involvement in gangs or drugs.

Sierra Vista police detective Brett Mitchell, who also is a member of the
state's gang task force, said there are about 90 known criminal gang
members between the ages of 12 and 20 in Sierra Vista.

Mitchell agreed parents should be familiar with the contents of their
children's room. "Spend time in your kid's world," he said.

He also said parents should become suspicious if their teen insists on
wearing only clothes of a certain color or T-shirts with a certain number.
These are signs of gang affiliation.

Gary Garrison, substance abuse prevention coordinator for the Sierra Vista
school district, said children and teens are reluctant to tell what they
know about drug activity because they have received "mixed messages" from
their parents.

He said parents often encourage their child to talk to them, then tell the
child he or she is a "tattletale" for telling when someone does something
wrong.

Andrea Lans, a Cochise County juvenile probation officer, said a program
called Drug Court offers young offenders a way to get off drugs without
going to jail. She said the program has a 71 percent success rate
throughout Arizona.

The program includes weekly appearances before a judge, counseling,
immediate rewards or consequences for the teen's actions and a strong push
to stay in school.

After the officials talked, parents had a chance to submit written
questions or concerns that were fielded by panel members. These included:

- - Lack of adequate services for young drug users.

- - No admission of a drug use problem at Buena High School.

- - The need for a Spanish-speaking anti-drug program.

- - Low number of parents at the meeting.

- - Parents lack of knowledge of the symptoms of drug use.

Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever said there are three categories of
parents: Those who are "absolutely clueless," those who care but are often
frustrated, and those who do not care.

SAFE plans on continuing its community seminars focusing on individual
topics in hopes of alerting parents, teachers, youngsters -- the entire
community -- to the problems facing young people.