CONFRONT YOUTH DRUG PROBLEM

Let's face up to it: Central Oregon is losing the war on youth drug
abuse.

"Wasted," a recent two part series by Bulletin reporters Greg Bolt and Jeff
Nielson, should serve as a wakeup call that drugs and alcohol are too
casually accepted, widely available and frequently used among our young
people.

Combating these trends will require a stronger community effort in
prevention, enforcement and treatment. But first it will require all the
involved people- educators, law enforcement and health professionals, and
parents- to fully confront the drug problem.

The grim statistics and anecdotes presented in the articles that appeared
Sunday and Monday are especially disturbing in a region that prides itself
as a great place to raise kids.

In Deschutes County, a 1996 survey among eighth and 11th graders, showed
use of marijuana and alcohol were higher than the state average. Almost one
out of five of the middle schoolers surveyed and one out of four of the
juniors reported having smoked pot in the previous month.

While the same survey wasn't done in Crook and Jefferson counties, few
would dispute that there is a real problem in more rural communities.

It would also be unfair to say that Central Oregon is in total denial about
the youth drug problem. There are more treatment education programs in
place today than a decade ago and better cooperation between schools and
law enforcement. But with the overwhelming evidence staring us in the face,
we must admit we maybe underestimating the problem and what needs to be
done to stop it.

The front line has to be enforcement and a strict no-tolerance policy
toward drugs. It's telling that while reports of widespread drug
availability in schools abound, there are few drug-related disciplinary
cases at local high schools and middle schools. Does that mean drug sales
aren't happening in the parking lot or that kids aren't coming to school
stoned? Any ninth-grader will tell you a different story.

Local schools and law enforcement agencies need to take a hard look at what
they are doing to actively seek out and expose drug users and dealers. It's
time to look at putting police officers in all our schools, as done in La
Pine and Jefferson and Crook counties, as both a deterrent and a resource.
It's also time to consider enforcement measures like sweep searches of
lockers and school grounds.

We know by know that a " get tough " policy alone won't solve the problem.
There are a variety of education and treatment programs already in place.
We need to evaluate whether these are working or not, scrap the ones that
don't and expand those that do.

Of course, the ultimate resposibility for the behavior of our children
rests not with school and law enforcement authorities or peers, but with
the parents and families. The words and actions of parents can from a very
early age make all the difference about whether kids can resist outside
pressure. Active involment in teen-agers lives can make sure they stay out
of trouble.

There are no easy answers or single approaches that will make this problem
go away overnight. But we can do a better and we must do better.