INTERVENTION

Parents Must Take Lead

First comes the easy statement: Action must be taken to stop young
people from consuming drugs and alcohol.

Now the tough question: How can this be accomplished?

A group of school and community officials met last week to talk about
how the question can be addressed, if not completely answered.

The school and the community can take steps to reach students. Many
possibilities were discussed at the session, some that are already in
place and others that could be implemented.

The biggest steps, though, must be made by two other groups -- the
students themselves and their parents.

Education and outreach programs can tell youth of all ages about the
dangers of drugs and alcohol, but the decisions not to use these
deadly substances must be made by the young people. School and
community groups will have some success reaching the youth, but
studies have shown -- despite all the publicity about the separation
between youth and their parents -- young people still listen to what
Mom and Dad have to say.

This means parents must take the lead in talking to their kids about
the dangers they will face. The drugs and alcohol are there, and young
people will have to make decisions about them. The more correct
information they have, and the more positive role models they see in
their own homes, the better the chances they will make the right
decisions and distance themselves from drugs, alcohol and the other
dangers that can result from their use.

What young people do not need is parents who think they are protecting
their children by offering to buy alcohol for them or to sponsor
parties. These parents hide behind the excuse that if their kids are
going to drink, they would prefer it be done in a supervised setting.

What these scenarios actually create is a perception by the youth that
it is all right to drink. What they don't realize (and, apparently,
neither do their parents) is the greater risk their young bodies face
in being exposed to alcohol, especially in large amounts. Starting to
drink at an earlier age also increases the chances an individual will
become addicted to alcohol or have other problems relating to the drug.

Parents have to be strong enough to explain to their kids why it is
wrong for a teen-ager to drink. If the parents drink, they also have
to be able to explain why an adult can have an occasional or regular
drink and a young person can't have any. It may seem like a double
standard to the young person, but there are many reasons besides the
ones listed above.

In addition to the young people, the parents are the key to solving
this problem. They must talk to their kids and prepare them for life.
Not every conversation will be a success, and, certainly, they will
not all be easy. The stakes, though, are too high to let anyone else
play the primary role in offering protection.