ADULTS CAN HELP MAINTAIN DROP IN YOUTH DRUG ABUSE

The recent reports that youth substance abuse has decreased is
exciting news for Northwest Florida. This decrease reflects the
efforts of parents, teachers, law enforcement and many local
organizations. While this is good news, we must not see it as an
indication that we can stop our prevention efforts.

For several drugs including tobacco, Northwest Florida youth report
higher incidents of abuse than our state averages. For example, while
Florida lifetime incidents of marijuana use by youth is 37 percent,
the Escambia County rate is 42 percent.

Santa Rosa youth indicated using inhalants at 14.5 percent, with the
state average being 11.8 percent. So, while our efforts are showing
results, we still have much to do.

The Community Drug and Alcohol Council and the newly formed Northwest
Florida Prevention Coalition promote the message that prevention
works, and it begins with families and the local community.

The Office of National Drug Control reports that youth with an
attachment or bond to a positive adult role model are 36 percent less
likely to smoke marijuana, 50 percent less likely to use inhalants, 56
percent less likely to use cocaine and 65 percent less likely to use
LSD.

The most important people in this battle for the future of our youth
are parents and other adults of influence. Most teens say that it is
their parents who more often influence them, not their peers. Adults
need to take advantage of this opportunity.

The best protection we can provide is to talk to our youth about
drugs, set standards for their behavior, establish expectations,
monitor their activities, know where they are, who they are with and
what they are doing, practice consistent and fair rewards and
punishment, and most importantly, actively listen to them.

Find opportunities to talk and listen to one another - together at the
dinner table, while walking or talk in the car. Every opportunity we
let pass by is a missed chance to have an impact in a child's life.

It is true that youth substance abuse is decreasing, but we are far
from being drug-free. On June 7, a News Journal article reported an
average of 110 people in Florida died with drugs in their system every
month during 2001; heroin overdose deaths tripled in South Florida,
cocaine-related deaths increased statewide by 7 percent, heroin
overdoses rose 30 percent, and a new drug craze - Ecstasy - claimed 31
lives.

In addition, while we are concerned about illicit drug use, we must
also be concerned about the abuse of legal, seemingly "safe" products
found in most homes. Many young substance abusers find their drug of
choice under the kitchen sink, in the garage, or the family medicine
cabinet. Many children know they can get high from inhaling fumes from
paint, gasoline, glue, cleaning fluids and aerosol containers. They
don't realize that first-time use can result in death.

Teens have discovered, often from unsupervised searching on home
computers, that many over-the-counter cold remedies and diet aids
contain ingredients that produce an amphetamine-like high. Parents
need to know these things too.

We all have a responsibility to our youth to do what we can to protect
them and ensure that every child has the tools to live a healthy and
safe life. In 2001 the Northwest Florida Prevention Coalition,
representing Santa Rosa and Escambia counties, was formed to reduce
youth substance abuse.

We encourage you to join others in our community effort. If you would
like assistance or information about prevention and your local
coalition, contact the Community Drug and Alcohol Council at 434-2724.
~~~~~~~
Deborah Iturralde is prevention specialist, and Gail E. Honea is
executive director for Community Drug and Alcohol Council.