PROGRAM HOPES TO GIVE BETTER INFORMATION TO KIDS ABOUT DRUGS

Students participating in an innovative new drug, alcohol and tobacco
prevention program at St. Mary of the Angels, heard from a 10-person panel
on Tuesday. Speakers ranged from recovering drug addicts to law enforcement
officials to an emergency room doctor.

All addressed the long term consequences of drug use and answered
preselected questions from the student body.

"Did most addicts know the consequences of drugs before they started?" was
one such question, read out loud by a student.

"No one sets out to be a drug addict," answered Phyllis Haig, a supervisor
with the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Programs. It happens without
you noticing that it is happening, she told the audience.

Dr. Barry Shepard with Ukiah Valley Medical Center noted the seductive
nature of drugs in general and specifically pointed out that the tobacco
industry "puts compounds into tobacco to make it more addictive." Like
several of the speakers, Shepard didn't shy away from describing the
dangers of smoking along with the perils of other drug use, calling it the
"hardest addiction of all" to break.

Damen, a recovering alcoholic identified only by his first name, said that
as a child he saw the long term consequences of alcoholism on a regular
basis, but thought they were normal, since that was all he knew. Damen's
mother was an alcoholic. "I'm not here to tell you not to do something," he
informed the students, because he explained, as a kid he wouldn't have
listened either. But he said he hoped his example would help the audience
"save yourselves from this insanity."

Asked about the effects addiction can have, Peggy, also in recovery, told
of spending two years without leaving her bedroom except when she
absolutely had to. "The drug controls your life," she said. "It controls
when you eat and don't eat, when you go out and don't go out. It is like a
jailer."

Damen spoke of his state of mind when using alcohol. "I don't care about
housing," he said, "I don't care what I look like, I don't care what I
smell like." But now that he's sober, he added, "I feel great even when I
feel bad," because every day is a chance for recovery.

When a student read a question asking which were the most addictive drugs,
and which was the most commonly abused, Haig turned it back to the
audience. "Which do you think is the most common?" she said, asking for a
show of hands as she listed several addictive substances. Heroin got no
votes, while alcohol got several and cigarettes the most.

Hugo Boeckx, the Inmate Services Coordinator for the Mendocino County
Sherrif's Office, pointed out that there were other forms of addiction,
including gambling and the lure of the criminal lifestyle, that could lead
to incarceration.

Barry Vogel, a Deputy District Attorney, noted that tobacco was one of the
most commonly used drugs. "You don't see kids walking down the street
swigging a bottle of vodka," he said, comparing that to the kids who can be
seen smoking. Sheppard concurred, describing tobacco as the No. 1 most
commonly abused drug.

Asked if it was difficult to see teenagers come before her court when she
knew they would probably return, Judge Cindee Mayfield answered that it
wasn't, but it was tough to see "kids who are already hopeless." She quoted
one of them as saying "My goal in life is not to die before I'm 20."
Mayfield doesn't view those who come before her as doomed. "I'll see each
kid and lecture them as many times as I need to," she said with a smile.

After answering questions, each member of the panel was invited to offer
some parting advice. State Parole Officer David Hercher sounded somewhat
grim. "If you get to the area of my expertise, you've come a long way," he
told the students. "You don't want to be on parole. If you violate, you go
back to prison."

Peggy told the students to "stay kids as long as you can. Don't let drugs
take your childhood away."

Sheppard seemed to summarize the medical point of view on drug use when he
said "If you think it is cool, just come and work a night in the ER with me."

When it was her turn, Haig confessed that she too was a recovering addict,
now clean for 23 years. It was OK to ask for help if they needed to, she
told the assembly. "I encourage you to talk to each other and to trust
worthy adults," she said. Then she quoted a saying used in recovery. "You
are as sick as your secrets," she said. "It is secrets that kill."

After wrestling with so many serious consequences, the sixth through eighth
grade students seemed to instantly lapse back into childhood innocence when
homework was announced and a collective groan ran through the room. But
judging from the comments of some of them, the presentation had had an impact.

"I thought we learned more from this than DARE," said Anastiasia Casteel,
who described the format as "more hands on, more realistic." Many seemed
especially impressed with the information from former and recovering
addicts. Tony Delapo and Michael Rios singled out Damen in particular for
praise. They also preferred the variety of speakers to DARE's more narrowed
approach, which focused on law enforcement lecturing kids.

Judge Mayfield was "cool," according to Lauren Simmonds, because she
explained, "You can tell she's been up front with a lot of the kids."

Tom Rooney, the principal of St. Mary's and one of the creators of the new
ongoing program, talked about its inception. "One of our school board
members came to me with the suggestion," he said, "and we just brain
stormed for a while and got it going. And we wrote a grant. And it grew
from there."

Marcus Young is the board member Rooney spoke of. He's also a Sergeant with
the Ukiah Police Department. "Overall, it was great to have such a variety
for the panel," he said afterwards, echoing the sentiments of some of the
students.

In the past, St. Mary's has sponsored speakers from the now controversial
DARE program. Rooney still thinks it had a positive influence, describing
it as "something that in my opinion as an educator was very good for children."

Told that several studies revealed the nationwide program as ineffective at
best in preventing the use of substance abuse by children - a conclusion
even its own administrators now accept - Rooney held to his earlier belief,
asserting that "in every school I've been involved with, kids gained
education." But he added that his perspective on the issue was somewhat
limited.

Young hopes their new efforts may spread beyond St. Mary's. "We regard this
as a pilot program," he said. "When we're through here it will be available
to anyone who wants to use it."

The ongoing project continues next month with a drug identification
presentation.