A Stranger In The House, Part 1a

A DRINK, A DRUG - AN EVERYDAY DISASTER

David saw "a lot" of students ingest illicit drugs last year at Edmond
North's campus. "I've seen kids selling it there.

I've seen kids pulling it out of their backpacks," said the 18-year-old,
who asked that his real name not be used. "I've never really seen anything
— I don't really want to say, 'bad,' because it's pretty much all bad —
anything like cocaine actually on campus.

But I've seen like countless amounts of marijuana and stuff up there all
the time." The two times the North graduate smoked marijuana left him
feeling sick, so he never smoked again. "I actually got so sick I threw
up," he said. Nearly a quarter of high school students in Oklahoma report
being involved with the transfer of illegal drugs on school property,
according to a statewide survey conducted during the 1999-2000 school year.
The report, sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and
Substance Abuse Services, included survey responses from 10,179 state
youth. "We need to be more honest and open up our eyes to say, 'Yes, this
is truly happening and it's happening with our children in our own
backyard," said Dawnetta Russell, student assistance counselor at Edmond
Memorial. Some parents mistakenly think that substance abuse occurs mostly
in families with lower incomes.

But addiction does not have a socio-economic preference, she said. "Whether
it's methamphetamines, marijuana or alcohol — it has no gender. It has no
race. It doesn't particularly care who it strikes," she said. Parents,
educators, counselors, government, law enforcement and religious leaders
say they can't solve the problem without working together. Approximately 60
percent of state high school seniors have used drugs or alcohol, according
to the statewide study.

Among Oklahoma's 12th-graders, 14 is the average age they first got drunk
and smoked marijuana and 13 is the average age they first tried inhalants.
Of the high school students surveyed, 9.2 percent admitted using cocaine
during their lifetime and 4.3 percent of the students stated using cocaine
during the last 30 days. The statistics don't surprise Russell, who has a
background as a therapist.

Students continue to have drunken "field" parties in Edmond on weekends,
she said of the gatherings in rural Oklahoma County where teens can flaunt
their drinking.

Financial drain In essence, the youth culture is saying, "I'm out of
control. Somebody stop me. Somebody help me," said former State Sen. Ben
Brown, now director of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and
Substance Abuse Services. The Democrat retired from the state Legislature
in November, after serving District 43 in south Oklahoma City for 20 years.

Four of those years were in the House. "I can't think of a social issue for
which the state Legislature has spent tax dollars that doesn't have
substance abuse as part of that picture," Brown said. "We focus on jail and
the criminal justice system disproportionately and certainly inadequately
provide for substance abuse treatment." The use of alcohol, drugs and
tobacco have a direct negative impact on Oklahoma's high school drop-out,
teen pregnancy, divorce and unemployment rates.

One out of 10 violent crimes in Oklahoma is committed by a juvenile less
than 18 years old. The Governor's Task Force estimated it costs the state
$7 billion annually because of lost productivity, health issues and crime.

Becoming outraged There are 17,000 teen-age and 190,000 adult alcoholics in
the state, Department of Mental Health figures indicate. And adult crime
can be traced to an early use drugs of alcohol. "In the interview process,
the average age of these people we have in jail who started drinking beer
is 13," Brown said. Convenience stores are licensed by government to operate.

But many are illegally selling beer and cigarettes to children, he said.
"We ought to be outraged at that," Brown said. "And the beer's cold." As a
lawmaker, Brown tried to pass legislation that would take away the license
of convenience stores that sell beer and cigarettes to minors. "But you
can't pass that in the state Legislature because (of) the convenience
stores and the oil mongers," Brown said. "We as a public, I think, ought to
be outraged because those people are marketing and targeting to our kids to
sell this." Government statistics indicate that high school seniors across
the nation will drink a billion cans of beer each year. A quarter of all
beer sales are consumed by underage people. "We get upset about teen
shootings and killings.

But the issue you don't hear as much about, and in my understanding
(involves higher numbers) is teen suicides," Brown said. The tragedy too
often directly relates to alcohol and substance abuse, he said. In
Oklahoma, it is illegal for anyone under 21 years of age to purchase or
consume beer. Still, alcohol is a major contributor to teen pregnancy,
Brown said. Studies have established a clear link to the price of beer and
the incidents of venereal disease, especially gonorrhea, Brown said. When
the price of beer was increased, the incidents of venereal disease went
down, he explained. "We all know this but we want to keep that cheap beer
out there," Brown said. "We don't want to tax it. In Congress right now,
there are efforts to lower the tax of beer and make it cheaper."

Meth labs on the rise Methamphetamines, or "meth," is the fastest growing
drug threat in America today, according to the U.S. Department of Justice
Drug Enforcement Administration. Like cocaine, the drug stimulates the
central nervous system and is known as "speed," "ice" and "crystal." Gov.
Frank Keating calls methamphetamine use the No. 1 health challenge for
Oklahoma. Drug use is prevalent in all social groups in high school.

And parents shouldn't be surprised to discover that some of their children
are abusers.

As a cheerleader, Kaymie was part of the popular crowd in school. "My
parents didn't have a clue one, not a clue one. I was a 4.0 student.

I was a cheerleader. I was very active in school and meth came around,"
said Kaymie, who asked to be anonymous. The 16-year-old Oklahoma City youth
is undergoing treatment for substance abuse at the Arcadia-based House of
Life drug recovery center. Kaymie never had to purchase methamphetamines.
They were given to her by older adults operating a meth lab. The youngest
person she knew with a meth lab was 14 and that person had little fear of
being busted, she said. "The gases are bad. When you walk out of the house,
you smell like chemicals," she said. "You'd think after you saw all that
was going in to it, you'd wonder what you're putting in your body. I just
wanted more." The Edmond Police Department is dealing with increasing
numbers of meth labs and arrests, said an undercover officer assigned to
special investigations who requested anonymity.

In Edmond, seven meth labs were investigated last year and four so far this
year. And officers take special precautions in avoiding "booby traps"
before entering a suspected meth lab. "Now these labs are becoming mobile.

People are putting them in trunks of cars and moving them around.

It's becoming more advanced as years go by," the officer said. "There's a
huge profit. It doesn't take much to start them out."

Erratic behavior Methamphetamines affect the libido and can induce a sexual
frenzy, said Linda Green, a substance abuse services specialist at Mental
Health and Substance Abuse Services. Pornographic material is often found
in meth labs along with sex toys. "It increases your sexual desire, but you
are unable to achieve orgasm," Green said. "So you are constantly in the
state of trying to reach sexual satisfaction with the inability to do so."
Ecstasy is a combination of hallucinogens and methamphetamines. It is known
as "the sex drug," and is commonly found at nightclubs. The drug is
increasingly appearing at home parties and in public schools.

Sexual activity among methamphetamine users sometimes becomes rough, if not
violent, she said. And those people are less prone to use protection, such
as condoms, thus increasing the spread of HIV and other sexual transmitted
diseases.

Early intervention is a solution, Green said. With addiction, a number of
drug-related instances occur before the child is directed toward treatment.

She recalls a 13-year-old girl who lived the life of a 40-year-old. She was
a prostitute living on the streets. "I asked her, 'How many times were you
arrested before someone talked to you about going to treat treatment?'" The
girl replied it had been at least a dozen times.

Any child is at risk Kaymie began consuming alcohol and smoking marijuana
when she was 14. Her appetite for a thrill escalated to the use of
methamphetamines, which she became addicted to last year. Thrill seekers
are in the experimental stage of risk taking, Green said. They are wanting
to fit in with peers and "be cool." Domestic violence, child abuse and
poverty are not the only catalysts of substance abuse.

Addicts can be part of prominent and nurturing families.

Kaymie is from an upper-middle class family and her parents are divorced.

A single parent faces additional challenges of sharing activities with
their child, Green said. They do the job of two parents in terms of
providing an income, shelter, clothing, supervision and housekeeping.
Regardless of whether a child is reared in a healthy family environment, he
or she is at risk who takes a drink and experiments with potentially
addictive drugs. Some youth are more genetically predisposed to becoming
addicted to drugs, Green said. Statewide, 11.5 percent of high school
students surveyed indicate using amphetamines without approval of a
physician. About 11 percent of adolescents in state-contracted drug
treatment facilities report meth as one of their three drugs of choice,
according to state mental health department data for fiscal year 2001.
Marijuana and alcohol remain the first two choices among adolescents. "Now,
while 11 percent may not sound alarming, (methamphetamines) represents an
80 percent increase in the last two years," Green explained. "And, I would
not be surprised to see the meth number increase significantly in the
coming year, as some of our providers are now reporting that almost all of
their clients are reporting meth use. "While these percentages certainly
are not reflective of 10,000-plus adolescents, it does tell us what we're
seeing in those who are showing up in our treatment system."

Take note of your family history Many amphetamines are legally manufactured
and used to treat conditions such as obesity, behavior problems, depression
and short-term control of fatigue.

Therefore, the category amphetamines can include dexedrine, benzedrine —
slang: dexies, bennies, black beauties, crosses, uppers, speed — and,
methamphetamine — chalk, crank, crystal, fire, glass, ice, meth and speed.
"Parents should recognize first whether they have a substance abuse problem
themselves," Green said. Children need to be aware of any family history of
alcoholism and drug addiction.

Families should educate themselves about substance abuse, she added.

Addiction interferes with psychological-problem solving, arresting
emotional development. Too many youth remain ignorant of the physical and
mental consequences of taking illicit drugs.

And children need to be informed of that matter at home and in school, she
said.

Grateful to be alive "Above all, we have to start in the homes," said Craig
Groeschel, senior pastor at Life Church in Edmond. Parents' lives are
complicated because it has become normal for them to be busy making a living.

As one solution, David and Kaymie encourage parents to spend more quality
time with their children. "Sit down and talk to them more," Kaymie said.
"Try to figure out what's going on in their lives, if there's anything
wrong with them — what they can do to help them, because trust me, it's out
there.

And the kids that you think are most likely not to (abuse drugs) are doing
it." A child has a greater chance of recovery when parents participate in
treatment, Green said. Parental involvement lets the child know the parent
is concerned about them. However, that doesn't mean that a child who goes
into treatment without the support of family will not succeed, Green said.
"It gets them out of an environment where they can be in a safe,
supportive, drug-free environment with some structure," Green said. "And
kids cry out for structure. They will tell you all day long, 'I don't want
you telling me what to do. I don't want curfews and boundaries. But they
respond so well when they go into a structured treatment environment."

Failing the test doesn't connect Adolescents typically don't equate
substance abuse with driving under the influence, risky sexual encounters
and criminal activity, Green said. The child is irritable, misses school,
falters with grades, disassociates with family and activities. "They don't
relate that to, 'Gosh, I went out and got high last night and it kept me
wired until 6 a.m. when I crashed and missed my final exam.'" Green said.
Such was the case for Bill. Last year, the 17-year-old Edmond Memorial
student took his college entrance exam the day after he ingested the
hallucinogen, LSD. He purchased the LSD from a fellow student and said he
failed the test, "miserably." "What led me to do it (was) -- there was an
actual acid dealer who went to school with us," he said. Symptoms of LSD
can produce nausea, chronic disorders and flashbacks according to the
National Institute on Drug Abuse. However, meth became Bill's drug of choice.

And now, he's sober after months of in-house treatment at Hazel Street
Recovery Center located in Texarkana, Texas. As a result, Bill is thinking
more clearly today, he said. "I am grateful to be alive and love every
minute of it," he said. But sobriety remains a daily struggle. "I have this
God consciousness now that I've gotten out of rehab.

The (12-step) program I work on talks about God or a higher power to help
me stay sober. ... They helped me to open my eyes instead of being such a
closed-minded perso