TEENS TAKE DRUG WAR TO LEGISLATURE

Youths Draft a Bill Defining Illegal Paraphernalia

Their assignment was to come up with a public-policy topic that would teach
them something about government and citizen participation.

The teens seated around a table at Girls Inc. in Wilmington's Riverside
neighborhood could name plenty of problems that need more study and more
solutions.

But they agreed the problem of drugs was one of the community's darkest.
And in Riverside, it's hard to miss, they said.

"When you walk on the streets, you see the baseheads and the dealers," said
16-year-old Troy Hinson, adding that the prevalence of drugs gives the
community a bad reputation.

A recent summer civic project called Project Citizen, sponsored in part by
WHYY and Girls Inc., gave the teens a chance to do something about it.

And now a bill written largely by the youths has been introduced in the
General Assembly by Sen. Margaret Rose Henry, D-Wilmington East.

Senate Bill 336 would change the law to more clearly define drug
paraphernalia, giving store owners and police a better picture of what
equipment might be considered unlawful.

It is against the law to use equipment to take illegal drugs, but it's not
clear exactly what equipment the law against drug paraphernalia refers to,
said Vincent Jamison, 16.

He said the teens' version of the law "is easy for you to understand what
it means. It has regular words, not big, long, dictionary words you have to
look up."

The youths decided to tackle this piece of the drug war because they see
materials that could be used for drugs every day in local shops. They
wanted it to be clear to everyone - including shop owners - that seemingly
harmless items can be linked to crimes.

"You know those little glass tubes with the fake flowers in them?" Troy
said. "People use them to smoke crack."

The teens surveyed Wilmington stores and interviewed residents to learn
more about the paraphernalia issue. They also used model drug-paraphernalia
legislation that has been used by other states for a similar purpose.

They got help from the Attorney General's Office in drafting the bill and
spoke before a legislative task force assigned to study substance-abuse
treatment issues. They plan to testify in Dover when the bill is considered.

Pat Quann, the executive director of the Delaware Law Related Education
Center Inc., helped coordinate the group.

"It was up to them to sit around the table and say, 'This looks good and
this looks dumb,' " said Quann, whose nonprofit group provides services to
Delaware schools and the community, including the Delaware High School Mock
Trial Competition.

The teens came up with a document that explains that blenders, bowls,
spoons, balloons and pipes, among other things, can be considered drug
paraphernalia in certain contexts.

"We certainly welcome any legislation that more narrowly defines the
situation," said Capt. Ray Hancock of the Delaware State Police. "The goal
of any law is voluntary compliance. Hopefully this will increase voluntary
compliance."

Project Citizen was designed by the Center for Civic Education - a national
nonprofit that specializes in civic education, law-related education and
international educational exchange programs - and the National Conference
of State Legislatures.

The Wilmington project cost about $5,000 and was supported by a partnership
between the WHYY Education Connection Project, Girls Inc. Youth Development
Center, the Delaware Department of Education and the Delaware Law Related
Education Center.

The students selected to participate already were affiliated with Girls
Inc., Quann said. They received computers from WHYY as part of the deal.

About 10 youths started the drug paraphernalia project last summer and a
handful have stuck with it into 2002, including Vincent Jamison.

The William Penn High School sophomore said he got a lot out of the program.

"I learned I could make laws if I wanted to," he said.

For Quann, that makes the process worthwhile.

"The kids learn that they can influence government," he said.