PARENTS, TEENS SHOULD TALK ABOUT DRUG USE

Recent deaths from heroin use in Grandville show that drug use in West
Michigan knows no zip code.

The deaths were a shock for some parents who may wink at teen alcohol and
marijuana use, thinking it keeps youths from hard drugs. It was a wake-up
call that teens here are trying the same drugs found in large cities, and
not just in a few neighborhoods.

"We've seen every zip code in our county come into our (teen drug and
alcohol) programs," said Michael Reagan, president of Project Rehab in
Grand Rapids.

A recent study reported less drug use among children who learn about the
risks at home. But only 31 percent of teens in the study said their parents
told them about the dangers of drugs.

"Every parent should sit down and talk with their kids about drugs, even if
it's a one-way conversation," said Dr. Wayne Creelman, medical director at
Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services.

A free town meeting Monday might be a good place to start. "Working
Together To Keep Our Communities Drug-Free" starts at 6:30 p.m. at the
Prince Conference Center at Calvin College.

The event, with an appetizer buffet at 5:30 p.m., is sponsored by the
Michigan Resource Center, Community Mental Health &Substance Abuse
(CMHSA) Network of West Michigan, Comcast and the Partnership for a
Drug-free America.

To register, call 977-2280.

"We are getting good response from every segment of the community," said
Richard Evans, CMHSA spokesman . He said three drug-related deaths since
last September made the meeting a priority.

A 21-year-old Grandville woman, a 17-year old Salem Township boy and a
17-year-old Wyoming boy all were found dead after using heroin, authorities
said.

"We're not immune to the world of drugs here," Creelman said. "There is not
one youngster that's immune to the peer pressure and the culture of
experimentation with drugs, no matter what school they go to."

A typical scenario for experimentation is a party that is unsupervised,
Creelman said. Someone pulls out a bag of drugs and some teens try it out
of curiosity.

"They feel they're immortal. Youths are gullible, they're trusting. They
think, 'My friends would never hurt me,' " Creelman said.

Most teens will back away from a tourniquet and a syringe. But when heroin
is presented as something to smoke or snort, they think it is less potent,
less harmful -- and that is dead wrong, he said.

Teens at greatest risk for drug or alcohol problems include those with a
family history of substance abuse, those who are depressed or have low
self-esteem, and teens who feel like they don't fit in with their peers.