COUNSELORS SAY KIDS ARE TRYING HARD DRUGS AT EVER YOUNGER AGE

Teen-agers today are experimenting with and becoming addicted to harder
drugs, and at a younger age, said Dawn Williams, Snohomish County drug
court coordinator.

"Years ago, marijuana and alcohol were the most commonly abused drugs, now
counselors see an increasing number of teen-agers addicted to
methamphetamine, cocaine or heroin," Williams said.

"Meth is really bad right now with the kids," added Tom Alvers, a Snohomish
County probation counselor.

At some Snohomish County high schools, "You have kids wild in the halls on
meth," Alvers said.

Federal drug studies say that 10 percent of all methamphetamine users were
introduced to the illegal drug by their parents, with many of those parents
manufacturing it in their homes. Statewide, police say that one-third of
all the home-based meth labs they bust are occupied by small children.

The age at which teen-agers begin using drugs has also dropped in the last
10 to 15 years, particularly among girls, juvenile counselors say.

"In the 1970s, I'd see girls who started their drug use at 15 or 16. Now
I'm seeing 12- and 13-year-old girls hooked on drugs and on the streets,"
Alvers said.

Among teen-age boys, drug use can result in aggressive or violent behavior,
and brushes with the law are common. Among girls, "zero self-esteem,"
teen-age pregnancy and prostitution are the main problems.

A former teen prostitute known as the "Queen of Broadway" was homeless and
using drugs by the time she was 14, Alvers said.

"When she got pregnant, we got her clean (off drugs), and she delivered a
healthy baby. That was one of our successes."