DRUG USE UP IN MANY CATEGORIES FOR MIDDLE-SCHOOLERS

Sgt. Donna Ogden Doesn't Remember It Being This Way.

When she started with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office 18 years ago,
25 percent of middle school-age children were not drinking alcohol, and 11
percent of those students were definitely not binge drinking.

Those figures, which are actually down from the last survey conducted, and
others were released Tuesday as results of the 2004 Florida Youth Substance
Abuse Survey. The survey was taken by 1,627 randomly selected Charlotte
middle- and high-schoolers.

While the use of illegal drugs and alcohol is down in nearly every category
for high-schoolers, middle-schoolers went up in 11 of the 21 categories.

"Although some of them didn't go up much," said Amity Chandler, director of
the Charlotte Alliance for a Safe & Drug Free Community, "we still have to
keep an eye on them because they did go up."

The use of alcohol is down for middle-schoolers, but the use of inhalants,
methamphetamine, crack cocaine, heroin, OxyContin and others is up since
the 2002 survey.

Ogden said despite statistics saying it's down, marijuana also remains
extremely popular.

"We seem to make more marijuana arrests than anything else," said Ogden,
the supervisor of juvenile operations.

Although nobody can pinpoint why many of the categories rose from 2002,
nearly all agree that slowing it down starts right in the home. Research
done by Chandler found that most juveniles get alcohol from their the
refrigerators or liquor cabinets in their own homes. Murdock Middle School
principal Christine Dollinger said some students have admitted they take
alcohol and prescription pills from their parents, or even grandparents, at
home.

And while the parents sometimes may not even be aware of the situation,
other times the problem starts with them or an older brother or sister.

"There's no consequences for them at home if mom and dad are doing it,"
Odgen said.

Demetrius Revelas, principal at Port Charlotte Middle School, also chalks
up the use of drugs and alcohol to a tumultuous time in children's lives
when they are in middle school.

"This is a time when they are trying to find themselves and experiment with
things," Revelas said. "(Middle-schoolers are) trying to check how adult
they are, and they sometimes think that's the right thing to do."

Dollinger and Ogden said the biggest thing that has changed for juveniles
is the huge increase in access to technology, including the Internet,
television and movies. Dollinger said she doesn't watch much television,
but turned on a movie over the weekend and immediately saw an actor downing
numerous drinks.

"I think it desensitizes them to the issue or makes it look common," she said.

While some anti-drug and alcohol programs are already present in the middle
schools, and even more are on the way, parents can help stop the problem
simply by talking to their children.

Ogden recommended talking to children every night to find out what is going
in their life, and do not worry if they get annoyed with the questions.

"Be nosy," she said. "Be a part of your kid's life.

"A lot of it just boils down to paying attention."