PARENTS SCHOOLED ABOUT DRUG USE

Bluffton: First Of Two Drug Awareness Seminars Held At Bluffton High.

The dope was dealt about drugs and alcohol Tuesday night at Bluffton High
School during the first of two drug awareness seminars geared for parents.

The rainy weather may have dampened the turnout for the two-hour meeting,
but those who attended got an earful about the dangers of legal and illegal
substances their children may be encountering daily.

Pam and Bill Glover, whose son is a junior at the high school, were among
about 15 parents braving the rain to come to the seminar.

While the Glovers said they have a good relationship with Preston, 16, and
their 13-year-old daughter Lisa, an H.E. McCracken Middle School student,
they wanted to become more educated.

"We just want to find out what's going on with kids today," Pam said.
"We're trying to be on top it before things can become a problem."

They learned that alcohol is the No. 1 culprit in this community.

Second to alcohol is marijuana, then ecstasy followed by hallucinogens,
said Larry McElynn, a 30-year veteran of the Drug Enforcement Agency and
one of Tuesday night's speakers.

McElynn, who has spent the past six years speaking to local high school
students about drug and alcohol usage, said the biggest misconception is
the "very low perception of risk" involved.

That goes for parents too, he said.

"A lot of parents think it's a benign right of passage," to use alcohol or
drugs.

The truth is, the marijuana that is being smoked today is not the same
reefer passed around 30 years ago, he said.

"It's 10 to 12 times stronger than what was used in the 1970s," McElynn said.

He warned not only about the drugs found out on the street, but also those
that can be located under the kitchen sink, in the garage and in the
medicine cabinet.

Inhalants - everything from nail polish remover to gasoline to Liquid Paper
- - can be poured into a plastic bag and "huffed."

This activity is growing more and more popular with middle schoolers
because of the accessibility of the inhalants, he said.

Over-the-counter drugs and prescriptions are also a concern, according to
Bluffton Police Cpl. Thomas Loving, the high school resource officer

OxyContin, a very strong pain killer, Robitussin and Sudafed all seem to
have a growing popularity among teens wanting to get high.

Several parents said they were concerned about teenagers taking large doses
of Coricidin HPB, an over-the-counter cough and cold medicine that contains
the highest amount of dextromethorphan (DXM) per dosage, which can cause
high blood pressure, dizziness and respiratory distress.

This new trend is called "skittling" because the pills resemble the
brightly colored candy Skittles.

At Bluffton High this year, Loving said he's made eight drug arrests, one
of which included a student having OxyContin on school premises.

"Those are the ones that have been caught, what about the ones that haven't
been caught?" he said.

More than 1,000 students attend the high school.

Loving urged parents to really be involved with their children.

"Parents are the best deterrents," he said. "If your child usually makes
good grades and then they begin to fail. You had better ask why."

And don't accept the answer that the teacher is mean or the class is too
hard, he said.

"Dig a little deeper," Loving said.