SUMMERTIME, AND THE KIDS ARE MORE LIKELY TO TRY DRUGS

In the harsh middle school world, where people can be judged and humiliated
according to the tags on their clothing, drug users may be the most
accepting of all peer groups, said Kathy Herrick, prevention and health
specialist for the Beaverton School District.

"It doesn't matter what kind of clothes you wear, what kind of house you
live in, what kind of grades you get, how you look. All you have to do is
be willing to do it and not tell."

The number of young drug users (including alcohol) jumps in the summer
months. According to a 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, more
youths -- about 5,800 a day -- first try marijuana in June or July than at
any other time of the year. The number of new underage drinkers and
cigarette smokers also increases.

At the same time, the number of drug-prevention programs -- many of which
are offered through schools -- drops dramatically.

So drug prevention falls more heavily to parents, who are still a strong
influence, according to the children in the study, two-thirds of whom said
fear of upsetting their parents or losing the respect of family and friends
is one of the main reasons they don't smoke marijuana or use other drugs.

One of the first things parents can do is increase the level of adult
supervision for their children, most of whom are too old for child care. A
2001 study commissioned by the YMCA found teens who are unsupervised are
three times more likely to use marijuana or other drugs.

Supervision may be more of a problem in the Northwest and particularly
Washington County, where many residents have transplanted from other
states, leaving family and friends behind, said Judy Harris of Youth
Contact, a nonprofit Hillsboro counseling service that runs the largest
drug and alcohol program in the county. On the East Coast, more
grandparents are close to provide supervisory backup, she said.

Camps or drop-in centers are good alternatives.

"I've had kids come in and say the reason they're here is because they
don't want to get in trouble," said Jill Showalter, executive director of
the Westside Police Activities League in Beaverton.

For a $5 annual membership fee, the league offers a drop-in center with
games, science and computer equipment from 2:30 to 6 p.m. each weekday
during the summer. The Boys and Girls Club in Hillsboro offers weekday
drop-in services from 12 to 5 p.m., also for a $5 yearly membership.

Volunteer work is an option that provides adult supervision, a sense of
contribution and, sometimes, a new perspective on life.

Besides supervision, structured activities can satisfy the personal
cravings that sometimes drive children to try drugs. Thrill-seeking
children who like adventure and risks, for example, might try rock-climbing
or whitewater rafting. Children who want to feel grown up or independent
might try getting a job.

No matter how busy children are in supervised settings, most will want to
spend time with their friends. Parents need to know who those friends are
and who their parents are.

Some parents have taken to screening their children's diaries or e-mail for
references to drugs or alcohol, said Melinda Calkin, a school counselor at
Mountain View Middle School who has also taught a parenting course. Calkin
said parents disagree over the ethics of violating their children's
privacy. But one of the most important things all parents can do is talk --
and listen --to their children about drugs and alcohol.

Calkin said experts suggest adults start prevention activities two years
before children might be introduced to drugs or alcohol.

A 2-year-old survey of Beaverton sixth-, eighth- and 11th-graders found
that 58 percent of underage drinkers first tried alcohol between the ages
of 11 and 14. For marijuana use, it was 68 percent. On a national level,
between 1991 and 2001, the number of eighth-graders who used marijuana
doubled from one in 10 to one in 5.

In 1995, nearly 40 percent of 10th-graders reported current use of
marijuana, according to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse.

Sometimes parents need to improve their relationship with their children
before open communication is possible, Calkin said. Something as simple as
a walk can help create a connection.

Once communication starts, listening may be more important than talking,
she said. A parent who quickly bans a child from attending any more parties
after learning that the child had a few drinks at the last one may never
discover that the child is lonely and feels like he or she has no friends.

Overly severe punishments can alienate children even further, according to
the Anti-Drug Web site.

If a parent does impose a negative consequence on a child, "then you need
to go have good times with them and start listening, listening, listening,"
Calkin said.

When the relationship is healthy, children can work with their parents to
create appropriate rules, such as a midnight curfew. Family rules can give
children a way to escape tempting or frightening situations without losing
face in front of their friends, Calkin said.

Parents can help their children practice refusal skills, said Jim Murai,
another Beaverton school counselor. If a child becomes suspicious of an
activity suggested by a friend, he can suggest his own activity: "I'm going
to go play some basketball" or "Let's go over to so-and-so's house instead."