TIER KIDS' MARIJUANA USE EXCEEDS U.S. PERCENTAGE

But Broome Numbers Drop; Schools Fight On

Marijuana is small enough to fit into a student's back pocket. It's
easy to carry and easy to find. It doesn't cost a lot and it doesn't
require complicated paraphernalia, as some drugs do.

Amber, a student at Union-Endicott High School, admits she tried it
for a simple reason: peer pressure.

"I would go to parties and see everyone doing it," said Amber, whose
last name is being withheld to protect her identity because she's a
student. "Everybody said it was good."

She still smokes marijuana, she said, but not very often and not
regularly. The last time was in early December.

Amber is not the only Broome County teenager who has tried
marijuana. A 2004 survey of 5,662 students in grades 7 through 12,
conducted by the KYDS (Keeping Youth Drug-free and Safe) Coalition,
revealed that Broome County teens' use of marijuana is higher
than the national average in several grades. For example, 27.8
percent of 1,574 Broome County high school seniors surveyed said
they had used marijuana during the past 30 days, compared to 19.9
percent nationwide.

On the plus side, marijuana use among Broome County teens has
dropped, even though numbers are still high, according to the
survey. Some 16.9 percent of students used marijuana in 2002,
compared to 13.4 percent in 2004.

There are several reasons why marijuana is so popular among teens.

"It's cheap, affordable and readily available," said David Daniels
principal at Susquehanna Valley High School in Conklin.

It's easy to get marijuana from other students or from dealers
outside school, Amber said. All students have to do is ask.

The peer pressure is enormous.

Gary Stephens, 21, a 2003 graduate of Harpursville High School, said
he first tried marijuana two or three years ago while hanging out
with friends. He last smoked it about a month ago, he said.

Others, such as Ben Persons, a 2004 graduate of Binghamton High
School, couldn't avoid marijuana use: "I grew up around drugs," he
said. "I picked it up from my family."

Persons, now 19, said he was 13 when he first picked up the habit.
He said he smoked pot off and on for the past six years. He said
he's clean now and avoids marijuana after he bought a bag laced with
what he believes was LSD six months ago. He said it made him "very,
very sick."

Daniels said some students try marijuana because they're isolated
and not part of school life. School officials discipline students
caught with marijuana and will call police, but the number of times
that has happened in recent years was not available.

"The kids who are hanging out on the street corners smoking
marijuana or cigarettes are kids that are looking for a positive
peer group," Daniels said. "They're searching for people who care
about them" and a way to stay connected.

Binghamton High School Principal Albert Penna acknowledges that some
young users have family or other personal issues, but he said even
good students turn to marijuana as a way to cope with problems.
"We're seeing more alienation from family," he said. "It's an escape
from that situation they're in."

By contrast, there's less marijuana use among students who are part
of the school community, such as athletes, musicians, artists or
other groups, Daniels said.

And some students try marijuana out of sheer rebellion.

"My parents have tried so hard to get me to try to stop smoking
weed, to stop smoking cigarettes," said Amber, who admits she
sometimes skips school and isn't involved much in school life. "It's
my life. I can do what I want."

Other students may try marijuana because they think their parents
think it's OK for them to use it, said Jessica Booker, project
specialist for the KYDS Coalition. Parents may not be getting across
the message that it's not OK to use drugs, she said.

Some students try marijuana because it isn't a "hard drug" such as
cocaine or heroin, said Doug Stento, safety and drug-free schools
coordinator for the Binghamton City School District. "The kids don't
realize how dangerous it can be," he said.

What they don't realize is that their brains and bodies are still
maturing and growing, and could be damaged through the use of
marijuana, Stento said. Marijuana also is addictive, something many
students don't realize. Using marijuana also can cause students to
lose their motivation to study, work or do anything but get high, Stento said.

"It is a good buzz," Amber said. "But when you lose your buzz,
you're tired. You're wicked hungry."

Schools are doing what they can to prevent marijuana use, but it's
an uphill battle, she said. "They have tried so many times to stop
us. It's not working."

Local schools have several tools in place to combat marijuana use,
including Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, school resource
officers, health classes that teach about its dangers, counselors
and social workers.

But no matter what programs are in place, the temptation to smoke
marijuana will always be there, Persons said.

"There's nothing the schools can do," Persons said. "They aren't
going to stop people from doing it. Kids are going to try it."

What Parents Can Do

Talk to your children about drugs, alcohol and smoking. Make sure
they know you don't approve of such behavior. Talk about the dangers
of using drugs and the consequences. Keep the conversation
open-ended and don't just lecture.

Look for opportunities to talk about the subject during everyday
moments such as watching television or movies that may portray drug
use. Let them know that drug use may be portrayed as being "cool,"
but it's really being used just to sell products.

If you tried drugs in your youth, don't be afraid to acknowledge it
and tell your children you don't want them repeating the same
mistakes you made.

Find out what your children are interested in and encourage them to
get involved in sports, clubs, music or art. Don't let them have too
much down time. Go to their games, concerts and other activities.

The more connected they are to school, the less likely they are to
use drugs. They'll also be cultivating friends that may act as a
positive influence on them instead of peer pressure to use drugs.

Know where your children are, what they're doing and who they're
with. Be sure there's a parent present to supervise if they are at a
friend's house. Or open your house up as a gathering place for your
children's friends and supervise them yourself.

Set limits and boundaries for your children to follow such as rules
and curfews. Don't be afraid to discipline them even if it means
grounding them or taking away the use of the family car. Remember
that teens still need guidance from you.

Spend as much time with your children as possible. That can help you
keep track of them and allow you to pick up on behavioral problems
that could indicate possible substance abuse, such as a drop in
grades or an increase in sleeping time.

Sources: Alan Wilmarth, director of addictions and outpatient mental
health services for United Health Services; Ed Spellman, the father
of twin boys who are freshmen at Maine-Endwell High School; and
Douglas Stento, safety and drug-free schools coordinator for the
Binghamton City School District.