PLAAD WANTS MORE PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED IN DRUG FIGHT

PINETOP-LAKESIDE - Blue Ridge High School Assistant Principal Dave
Clark wants the Pinetop-Lakeside Advocates Against Drugs to be
effective in the community. And to do that, he says, the
organization needs help from the community.

PLAAD is a non-profit organization with 501-3c status. Clark said
the organization is ready to help in the fight against drugs, but he
would like to see more people in the community become interested and involved.

"Now we just want to get our name out there," he said.

PLAAD started as an advisory group while Clark was a member of the
Pinetop-Lakeside Town Council. The organization was officially
formed in November 2007, to help combat drug use among the youth in
the community.

Clark, PLAAD president, said his role in the organization stemmed
from personal feelings, having two kids of his own.

"I have a 7-year-old and a 10-year-old at home," he said. "I've seen
things change here on the Mountain the 10 years we've been here."

The organization got $1,500 from the Town of Pinetop-Lakeside to get
started and has also received some financial assistance from Navajo
County and the Major Crimes Apprehension Team.

The committee has members representing a variety of organizations,
from the town and Pinetop-Lakeside Police to the Blue Ridge School
District and the Yellow Jacket Learning Center.

The committee has a list of objectives: pooling community resources
to support youth and their families, provide information and
education to youth regarding drug abuse, develop programs and
alternative activities for youth and encourage community
involvement. Clark said their current focus is on kids from grades 4-8.

"We want to have that impact early on," he said.

To help meet their objectives, PLAAD has sponsored a variety of
projects, including the second annual Drug Summit at Northland
Pioneer College back in September and student/parent informational
nights at the schools. Clark said they have had a drug awareness and
a technology awareness "Date Nite."

"There were 110 people in attendance that first night," he said.

While PLAAD focuses some of its energy in preventing conventional
drug use, such as marijuana, heroin and meth, Clark said he also
wants to raise awareness to "rampant" alcohol and prescription drug abuse.

According to results of the 2008 Arizona Youth Survey, 34.8 percent
of eighth graders have tried alcohol and 15 percent have tried
prescription drugs, with those numbers increasing as the student
reaches their senior year of high school.

It is for that reason that PLAAD, Clark said, wants to make the
youth center a kind of information center as well, providing kids
with information on drug abuse, alcohol abuse and how to deal with it.

"PLAAD is just trying to do all it can to provide information," he said.

Clark said PLAAD currently has five passionate members on its board,
but he would also like a full board of nine members. He said that
way, the committee could be more effective in meetings and projects.

"We want board members who are willing to be workhorses," he said.
"You need to get as much input as you can from people."

PLAAD does accept donations, being a non-profit organization, but
members are also working on obtaining grants to keep it running and
sustainable. Clark said with the drug war getting tougher and
tougher, it would be important to have an organization that can make
a heavy contribution.

"I feel like we're losing the drug war and that frustrates me,
extremely," he said. "We've got to get our cause out there. We've
got to get people informed."

PLAAD meetings are scheduled every last Monday of the month at 3:30
p.m. at the Town Hall board room. For more information on the
Pinetop-Lakeside Advocates Against Drugs or to get involved, call
Dave Clark at (928) 368-6328, ext. 802.