THE PROBLEM OF METH

Known on the street as "tina," "crank," "ice," or just plain "crystal,"
methamphetamine is back in the news as a powerful, addictive stimulant that
is easily created with store-bought ingredients.

Users -- known as tweakers -- most commonly use a pipe to smoke the clear
crystal chunks. Advocates laud the feeling of euphoria and sense of sexual
liberation achieved under its influence. Critics talk less glowingly of
episodes of erratic and violent behavior, as well as painful withdrawal
symptoms.

Although crystal meth appears to be most frequently used by younger adults,
the drug is not completely unknown to middle school and high school kids.

A recent national student survey found that an average of three of every
100 students in the eighth, 10th and 12th grades reported using some form
of methamphetamine at least once in 2003.

This information was gathered nearly two years ago, before crystal meth
began its much-publicized resurgence into the adult party scene. We can
expect these numbers to only increase as popular "grown-up" drugs -- such
as Ecstasy and LSD -- rapidly drift into the youth culture.

But there is another quality of this drug that will make it attractive to
teens.

Crystal meth provides temporary calming of the physical, emotional and
intellectual feelings of inadequacy that are a normal part of adolescence.
The drug can result in weight loss and diminished social anxiety, and it
can increase feelings of mental clarity and fuel all-night cram sessions.

And there is a powerful cost for this respite from teen angst:

When it comes to potential injury from drug experimentation, kids are not
"little adults." The immature brain and still-developing body of a teen is
vulnerable to permanent damage from "tweaking" -- using crystal meth -- and
long-term effects include stroke, coma, and even death.

But dissuading kids from using a "feel-good" drug that enjoys adult
popularity is not an easy task; it means teaching non-chemical coping
mechanisms for building and sustaining self-esteem during the teen years.

Such conversations about drugs and other harmful behaviors, along with
setting fair and firm boundaries regarding substance abuse, must begin long
before a youth enters adolescence.

Research indicates that children who learn about the risks of drugs from
their parents are up to half as likely to use drugs than their uninformed
peers.

Yet a recent survey released by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America
reveals that 12 percent of parents say they have never spoken to their kids
about drugs.

But there is more.

Of the parents who do have discussions about drugs with their children, the
above survey indicated the parent doing the talking was most often the
mother; only 39 percent of fathers talked to their kids "four or more
times" in the past year about drugs, compared to 48 percent of mothers.

And if conversations about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs are not a part
of the family experience, how likely are youngsters to "just say no" when
temptation occurs? And how likely are they to seek parental advice if they
do develop drug-dependency problems?

Family psychotherapist Gwen Olitsky stresses the importance of parents
establishing and enforcing consistent and fair boundaries with regard to
drug use.

"It is normal for kids to do developmentally appropriate activities, like
bending the rules, testing limits, taking risks, and living dangerously on
the edge," Ms. Olitsky says.

"But also it is expected that parents do the developmentally appropriate
activities, like setting rules, setting boundaries, and accepting anger
from their children as part of the cost of protecting them from harm.

"Being an effective parent means learning the signs of drug use and
becoming aware of the chemical substances that kids are using. It also
means setting appropriate behavioral limits after talking with other
parents and professionals about what constitutes fair expectations (where
kids can go, with whom, how late they can stay out).

"Set limits, stick to them and don't back down because you are afraid you
will lose your child. If you let your teen live by his peer group's rules,
you might lose him or her permanently."

I couldn't agree more with Ms. Olitsky.

By the time the government develops an effective anti-drug message for
crystal meth use among teens, another drug will have taken its place. If we
look only at the current drug-of-choice of the youth culture, we forever
will be playing catch-up with regard to prevention.

But if we shift our focus to encouraging parents to assist their child in
developing self-esteem and drug-refusal skills early in life, we will be
taking giant steps toward creating a generation of resilient youth whose
only knowledge of tweeking will be from reading history books.