SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION STARTS AT HOME

The survey of Licking Valley High School students regarding use of
drugs, alcohol and tobacco was disappointing in many ways. Just as
disturbing, it is not unique to Licking Valley.

The November survey indicated more than 55 percent of LV high school
students tried alcohol within the past year. For seniors, the number
came out to 70 percent.

About 33 percent of the students have used tobacco and almost 18
percent used marijuana within the past year. A 2006 survey at Newark
High School found that 62 percent of the students said they had tried
alcohol at some point in their lives.

According to the Monitoring the Future survey, funded by the National
Institute on Drug Abuse and conducted by the University of Michigan's
Institute for Social Research, in 2007, 66.4 percent of seniors said
they had used alcohol within the past year. At some point in their
lifetime, 72.2 percent of seniors said they had used alcohol.

Nationally, marijuana use was reported by 31.7 percent of seniors
sometime in the past year.

So we have similarities to national numbers and even might be doing
better in regards to the use of marijuana. But this is of little comfort.

Let's be honest. These numbers are a disappointment. We know the
destruction the use or abuse of these substances could cause. Their
use by youngsters especially is harmful at this point in their lives.
Worse, they could be setting themselves up for a lifetime haunted by
addiction.

Thankfully, students themselves, such as Licking Valley senior
Daniella Brown, are taking it upon themselves to inform, warn and
guide their fellow classmates. Schools, staff and independent
organizations, such as Students Against Destructive Decisions, also
are working to convince students to reject this harmful behavior.

Still, it's not a job that should be left to the schools alone. As
always, the greatest firewall between a student and any harmful
activity or addiction is the family. Moms and dads need to talk to
their children, monitor their kids and be good role models for them.

Someone once said that at home is where everybody's story begins. It
takes actively involved parents more than anything else to give that
story the best chance of being a good one.