SUBSTANCE USE SURVEY SUGGESTS TEEN RISKS

Teens may smoke cigarettes to relieve pressure, drink because they can't
think of what else to do and use drugs because they have the money to buy them.

High levels of stress, boredom and spending money are a "triple threat"
that The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia
University wants families to heed.

According to a survey released by the center in August, teens who are
frequently bored, highly stressed and have $25 a week or more in spending
money are at least three times more likely to use tobacco, alcohol or drugs.

Asked to comment on the center's latest survey, some local parents, police
and those who treat teens for addiction say the conclusions provide
interesting food for thought and for dinner table discussion.

For eight years, the center has surveyed teens, parents, teachers and
principals about the factors that may increase or diminish the risk of
teens using drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

The center's methodologies and conclusions have been criticized in years
past. Some say the conclusions are not supported by the data.

Others, such as Anne Lider of Lake Oswego, say the center's findings are
useful in highlighting risk factors even if the survey is open to
interpretation.

"It's probably typical of a lot of Lake Oswego kids," says the mother of
three, ages 20, 17 and 14. She volunteers with the Lake Oswego Asset
Builders Coalition, a community group involved in parent education.

She takes issue with the author's description of parents as pessimistic
about drugs in schools. The survey found that more than 40 percent of
parents think their children's schools were not drug-free. And, a majority
of them said it would do no good to change schools.

Lider says parents see experimentation -- but not necessarily abuse -- as
prevalent.

She doesn't find it surprising that 92 percent of the parents surveyed said
they know what they would do if they believed their children were using
illegal drugs. What parents struggle with, she said, is knowing the
difference between abuse and just trying something.

She finds herself relying on instinct to set limits and respond to her
children's behavior as they get older. While raising teens seems
brain-busting at times, she considers parenting "the greatest work" for the
joys it brings.

Mark Lewinsohn, a clinical psychologist and director of child and family
services for Tualatin Valley Centers, worries that too much time is spent
with children hyperstimulated by electronic games while parents are zoned
out in front of the television.

"Having some down time is not bad," he says, "but having some interests is
key."

Hobbies, sports and pastimes shared by family members can provide more than
just ways to deal with stress and boredom. They also provide parents with
precious opportunities to find out what is going on in their children's lives.

High standards can create stress John Parke, vice principal of Lake Oswego
High School, finds that teens use drugs most often in a spirit of
celebration or to blow off steam. Teens smoking in the bushes next to the
school tell him they "needed" a cigarette because of the stress they feel.

Parke says students at the school strive to meet high standards set by
families -- and themselves -- academically and in other ways.

"The kids here expect more of themselves," he says, "than anywhere else
I've ever worked."

Although it may seem like an oversimplification, he sees access to money as
a common denominator among kids using drugs.

He is surprised by how much money teens have, explaining that three or four
times a year a student will report that $100 or more is missing from a
backpack or has been taken from a locker.

Parke understands that a parent might want to avoid the hassle of routinely
doling out money for lunch or other expenses, but he urges parents to give
teens just what they need each day.

"If you have an extra $10, $15 or $20," Parke says, "it can get you in
trouble."

Rob Cavasher works with students and their families as a counselor at
Wilsonville High School and in private practice as a psychologist in Tigard.

He talks with parents who grew up in the "questioning" generation of the
1970s and have trouble setting limits.

But as a parent of two sons, ages 20 and 26, he has found talking with
fellow parents is a tremendous resource, especially when it comes to
picking which battles to fight.

"That's been one of the most useful things as a parent I've ever gotten,"
says Cavasher, noting how other parents counseled him not to make a fuss
when one of his sons dyed his hair blue.

Don't ignore a nagging fear about drug or alcohol abuse, he says. He
advises getting the help of a professional for an abuse assessment.

Sheryl Huiras, a mother of four ages 18 to 25, knows how difficult
parenting can be.

An officer with the Tigard Police Department, she hears from others worried
about their teens and substance use.

"I get a lot of parents calling, 'How do I know?,' " she says.

Huiras, whose many duties include teaching drug awareness in schools and
coordinating a summer camp guiding youth away from drugs and violence, says
use is widespread -- even among 4.0 students and captains of the football team.

She says it's important to see all facets of a teenager's life and equip
him or her to deal with it.

It's important for parents to know their teen's friends and interests, she
says, and to prepare them to respond to an offer -- or an urge -- for a
cigarette, beer or drugs.

Huiras has climbed out of bed at midnight just to greet one of her teens at
the door for the chance to talk -- but also to check their eyes for an
indication of drugs and to catch any whiff of alcohol.

"Working for the police department is a piece of cake," she says, "compared
to being a parent."