HEALTH AND RISK

The general health report card is in for California counties, and we're
doing OK in many categories. Most notably, teen smoking rates are on a
downward slide in Santa Barbara County, as are the number of births to teen
mothers. In both cases, that seems a reflection of public education
campaigns that take the message directly to youngsters.

This county also is among the safest in California when it comes to
violence; there are fewer gun-related deaths or suicides here than in most
areas of the state.

But there is bad news as well. Santa Barbara County remains far above the
state average when it comes to deaths caused by alcohol use and drug
overdoses, and only seven of 58 counties statewide have had higher
drug-related deaths per capita in the past four years. The Santa Barbara
County average is 10.3 deaths per 100,000 residents,
compared with a statewide average of 7.9 deaths.

The raw numbers may seem at first glance not so damaging, but they are
thought-provoking - in 1990, 14 people died from drug use in Santa Barbara
County; in 1997, the number had jumped to 43.

That's an unfortunate trend that needs to be reversed, and one the surest
ways to bring that about is to educate yourself and members of your family
about the risks of substance abuse. A good opportunity to do just that
involves participation in "I'm Free 4 the Weekend," a series of teen parties
taking place this weekend from Goleta to Carpinteria. This is the eighth
"I'm Free 4 the Weekend," which has gained in popularity and teen
participation every year. Another great opportunity to discuss substance
abuse occurs every year during Red
Ribbon Week.

Talking to your youngsters about drug and alcohol use should occur
throughout the year. You don't want your family to contribute to the grim
statistics concerning drug-related deaths.