TEEN SEX, DRUG USE OCCURRING AT HOME, EXPERT WARNS

Motivational speaker Milton Creagh had a grim message for parents this
week: Teenage drug use, drinking, and sex are taking place right in your home.

Creagh spoke before 750 parents at Ramapo High School on Thursday
after having frank discussions earlier in the day with students from
the Ramapo-Indian Hills Regional High School District's three towns.

"Do you think kids here aren't having sex?" said Creagh, who lives in
suburban Atlanta. "They can go straight to your home. If your bed's
bigger than theirs, they'll use yours. In communities like this, they
don't need to go to a motel or the back seat of the car."

Creagh's talk was part of an effort by parents in Franklin Lakes,
Wyckoff, and Oakland to tackle teenage problems head on.

At 6 feet 7 and 343 pounds, the 43-year-old Creagh is an imposing
figure said to have a knack for getting kids to reveal secrets.

An anti-drug and anti-teenage sex crusader who talks to 500,000
teenagers a year, he preaches to parents to intervene more in raising
their children.

After talking to students at Ramapo, Indian Hills High School in
Oakland, and three middle schools in Wyckoff, Creagh told parents that
teenagers in their towns are no different than young people who live
in other white, upper-middle-class, suburban communities where he has
visited.

Because the communities are regarded as safe, parents are not as
careful as they should be about learning where and with whom their
teenagers are hanging out.

Also, since many people in affluent communities are career-oriented
and on the go, there are times when a home is left empty -- a tempting
invitation for teens who want to do drugs or have sex.

To prove his point, he asked the approximately 20 teenagers in the
audience if they knew the time when the parents of a friend would not
be home.

Nearly all raised their hands.

In his two-hour talk, Creagh told how students divulged secrets about
drugs, sex, alcohol use -- even incidents of drug abuse and alcoholism
among parents, leading to divorce and broken homes.

He also gave tips on how to spot problems and distributed brochures
and the names of support groups, telephone hot lines, and Web sites
that offer help.

Parent groups, schools, and police have been working to confront
teenage problems in the community.

Pat Khanjian, president of Sharing the Responsibility, a support
group, said one goal is to bring more awareness of the need for action.

"That's why we brought in Milton," Khanjian said. "He's the most
sought-after speaker in the country."

Among those in the audience was Catherine Scaglione of Wyckoff. Her
children are only 9, 5, and 2, but she said she attended because "I
would like to be prepared as a parent . . . know what I'm up against,
so I can start early with my children."

Richard J. Meier, Ramapo-Indian Hills Board of Education president,
said officials have noticed more drug use and the goal is to stamp out
the problem before it gets out of hand.

"In this area, kids have money," Meier said. "If they want to get it,
they can buy it."