CITIZANS DRUG ACADEMY WARNS PARENTS OF DANGERS CHILDREN FACE

Tewksbury - Not me. Not my kids. Nope. No way.

Just more than a year ago, Tewksbury CARES showed Tewksbury parents
that yes, it could be their kids who succumb to drug abuse when the
non-profit organization conducted a local survey of 1,585 local
seventh through 12th-graders revealing their marijuana and ecstasy use
is above the national average.

In 2005, Students Against Destructive Decisions found 9.9 percent of
children between the ages of 12 to 17 were illicit drug users.

Currently, Tewksbury CARES is working hard again to dispel the "not me
syndrome" among Tewksbury parents through sponsoring its free Citizens
Drug Recognition Academy from Feb. 4 to March 10.

After Tewksbury CARES member Pat Mooney attended a session of the
class in Wilmington in 2006, she said she was so moved by certified
drug abuse recognition trainer and instructor Marilyn Belmonte's
presentation of the real-life drug culture, that she reported back to
her fellow Tewksbury CARES members and insisted they work towards
bringing the class to Tewksbury.

"I think every town [has a drug problem] " said Mooney. "I guess the
thing is, is a town ready to admit they do? And are they ready to try
and do something to prevent, address and educate to do whatever it
takes to minimize it and not sweep it under the rug. I think that we
are fortunate in Tewksbury that we stood up and we've admitted that
this is an issue and what can we do as a community to make things
better, hence Tewksbury CARES."

The five evening, two-hour class addresses everything from recognizing
the signs of drug abuse to prescription drugs and teens, through video
clip testimonials of kids and slides along with a concluding panel
discussion featuring members from the community.

Mooney said Belmonte's "mind-blowing" information aids adults in
recognizing what their children are exposed to on a daily basis,
including several pieces of drug paraphernalia she brings to class.

"'Amazing awareness' is the best way to describe it," said Mooney. "
She stays on top of the trends right as they hit the streets."

Moony, who considers herself well versed and read in alcohol abuse and
awareness, said even she found the real-life videos of youth on drug
trips in clubs upsetting and awakening.

"It's heartbreaking," said Mooney. "The fact that they are so naive
and uneducated about the repercussions. It's scary to think of
prescription drug abuse and over the counter drugs [being used by
kids]. As an adult you would be like, 'Why the heck would you do
thatUKP' But for kids, they are curious and they experiment with the
wildest things. It's a sad thing to say, but we need to scare them."

Mooney said the one way to get through to parents "without being a
Gestapo" is building trust through classes and programs like the
Citizen's Drug Recognition Academy.

Through her research and as a mother raising two daughters in their
20s, who have gone through the Tewksbury school system and have
witnessed their friends become involved with drugs, Mooney said she
has witnessed the effects of drug abuse.

"That's part of why I got involved in Tewksbury CARES, because I had
seen these kids grow up," said Mooney. "I had seen them go through
school and I saw what was happening and it's heart breaking. Addiction
is a horrible, horrible disease."

Tewksbury CARES plans to administer the survey again this year to view
the impact it has had on the youth in Tewksbury. Tewksbury CARES funds
surveys and classes like the Drug Recognition Academy through
fundraisers such as the October festival at the Longmeadow Country
Club.

Belmonte began her fight against drug abuse 10 years ago as a mother
of three daughters. When she was an anxious mother of a middle school
aged daughter, Belmonte became a member of the Burlington Drugs and
Alcohol Task Force, where she "threw herself into" learning about drug
and alcohol awareness and abuse through sources such as the
Massachusetts State Police Academy.

"My idea was to take this information and make it available to parents
as well as teachers, school people and nurses," said Belmonte. "The
idea is if you can recognize it early enough, maybe you can intervene
and do something about it before it develops into an addiction. I
think it's easy for parents to chalk things off to hormonal changes
and teenage mood swings, so this really helps to sharpen their eyes."

While Belmonte, who has been teaching on her own since 2005, said she
is still amazed at the positive feedback she has received from
parents, she said she still needs to overcome the obstacle of getting
more parents to attend.

"The only time I ever get 200 people in an auditorium is if something
bad has happened or if someone in the community has recently died or
overdosed," said Belmonte, who is now co-chair of the Burlington Drugs
and Alcohol Task Force. "There are a lot of parents that say, 'I don't
have to worry about drugs and alcohol. This isn't Roxbury or
Dorchester, we don't have to attend this.'"

This feeling of invulnerability does not only affect children but
their parents. In a recent article, Belmonte named three recent
Massachusetts cases where parents were charged with allowing minors to
drink alcohol at their residences. Parents are not above the under 21
drinking law and, by allowing minors to drink in their home, they are
opening the door for civil suits and criminal prosecution.

During the first week of Citizens Drug Recognition Academy, Belmonte
focuses her teaching on plant-based drugs like heroin, cocaine and
marijuana. The second week, Belmonte transitions to the newer trend of
prescription and over the counter medication, which many parents and
school officials continually find shocking. The third week, Belmonte
delves into club and date rape drugs. During the fourth week, the
class covers underage drinking and raises the topic of parents
inflicting drug testing on their children. The fifth and final week is
wrapped up with a panel discussion featuring local officials and
community leaders such as School Superintendent Christine McGrath.

The Citizens Drug Recognition Academy begins Monday Feb. 4 at the Wynn
Middle School Library and runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The class runs on
Feb. 4, 11, 25 and March 3 and 10 for free. Adults only may register
for the program by contacting Cynthia Basteri at basteric@tewksbury.k12.ma.us.