STILLWATER COALITION HOPES GRANT CAN REDUCE DRUG USE BY YOUTH

Half a million dollars can do many things. A growing coalition in
Stillwater County hopes it can buy better lives for area youth.

Last month, Stillwater County was selected to receive $500,000 in
Drug-Free Communities Support Program grant money - $100,000 for each
of the next five years for prevention programs.

Three staff members have been hired, and their strategy will be guided
by goals that unite communities, schools, families and individual youths.

"Our No. 1 goal is to lower the rate of drug, alcohol and tobacco use
with our kids," said Robin Morris, who wrote the county's grant.
Morris was instrumental in securing two Drug-Free Communities grants
for Havre when she lived in that community.

To help determine if the area could benefit from a Drug-Free
Communities grant, Morris checked out student responses to substance
abuse surveys. She didn't like what she found: The usage rate was
consistently higher than all of the state averages.

According to the 2003 Youth Risk Behaviors Survey taken at Columbus
High School, 95.7 percent of the students there had consumed alcohol
in their lifetime, as compared to 81 percent statewide. Marijuana use,
too, exceeded Montana's average by a few percentage points.

What really stood out, however, were the statistics for tobacco
smokers.

Roughly a quarter of the students reported having smoked at least one
cigarette per day for the past 30 days, more than three times the
state average.

That's significant because at-risk behaviors have a direct correlation
to meth use, said Diane Galloway, a member of the national advisory
board of Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America.

"It is a very big deal if kids smoke," she said. "It makes them
vulnerable to peer pressure. If we can delay and prevent that, we can
impact drug use."

Another red flag went up for inhalant use. Thirty-five percent of the
students said they had experimented with inhalants at least once, far
exceeding the statewide average of 13 percent.

"That really concerns me," Morris said. "They (inhalants) can have a
negative impact so quickly."

On the flip side, survey results showed that meth use had dropped
significantly - from 25 percent in 1999 to 10 percent in 2003.

But successes cannot be written off as "problem solved," she said.
Even at 10 percent, meth use is running above Montana's average of
nine percent.

Beyond Statistics

Law enforcement officers don't need surveys to know substance abuse is
pervasive. Stillwater County Undersheriff Dan Ames had just completed
an investigation on a suspected meth lab in Park City when he spoke
about the ongoing problem. In just the past two or three years, he
said, law enforcement has uncovered two meth labs and two
marijuana-growing operations in the county.

But the biggest increase has been in alcohol-related problems. MIPs
(minor in possession) and felony DUIs were both way up this past year,
he said.

Just recently, he added, one county youth nearly died from alcohol
poisoning and a 13-year-old girl was sexually assaulted while using
alcohol.

"The community waits for a problem to happen before addressing it," he
said. "The community needs to be more proactive than reactive."

In Columbus, Student Council President Tanner Lambert said he's
noticed an increase in marijuana use.

"The grant could help," he said. "There are not many drug programs to
prevent that."

He supports the idea of after-school activities, noting that such
activities motivate kids to stay clean.

"Just get the kids active in the things they love," he said. "Get them
dedicated in ways that doing drugs would keep them from their dreams."

Morris, in writing the grant, listed outcomes to aim for in the next
three to five years. Among them she cited a 5 percent reduction in the
number of youths using drugs, alcohol or tobacco before their 12th
birthday; a 15 percent reduction in the number of alcohol-related
arrests; a 15 percent reduction in juvenile violent crime; and one
less alcohol-related fatality per year.

Setting a New Norm

Columbus Superintendent of Schools Al Sipes welcomes the coalition's
efforts, but he also knows that progress cannot be made without
support from parents.

"Based on the youth risk survey, we - like every community -
definitely have our issues," he said. "Regardless of all the things we
do, parental involvement and parental intervention are without a doubt
the best prevention measures."

Unfortunately, says Juvenile Probation Officer Jim Hicks, too many
parents are either unaware or refuse to recognize what's going on.

"I think this community has been in denial for a long time," he said.
"There's always been a lot of drinking and alcohol use in this county."

Even worse, too many adults either use illegal substances or allow
them in the home.

"We need to set a new norm. We need to raise the bar," Morris said.
"We need zero tolerance for underage drinking. That means having law
enforcement and parents on the same page."

Making It Work

But the half-million-dollar question remains. What guarantees that the
grant will yield positive results?

According to one study conducted several years ago by Berkeley-based
researcher Joel Brown, drug prevention programs used in California at
that time had no positive effect and in fact could lead to even
riskier behavior. Additional questions remain about the efficacy of
such well-known programs as "Just Say No" and DARE (Drug Abuse
Resistance Education).

Ames, who has nine years' experience teaching DARE in Stillwater
County, said he asks himself if he's making a difference.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm beating my head against a wall," he said.
"I think, if nothing else, I get the rapport. I still get kids now in
10th and 11th grade who talk to me. "

Ames echoes Sipes' opinion that family support is critical. And that's
where the current program differs from DARE.

A Montana Success

Half a million dollars can make a difference in drug use, according to
residents of Havre, which is into its second five-year Drug-Free
Communities grant. During that time, prevention programs went from a
volunteer staff to 13 paid employees, said Krista Solomon, executive
director of Havre's long-range prevention committee.

The town also experienced reductions in alcohol use, tobacco use and
the age at which kids first used such substances.

One of the keys to Havre's success - and a direct result of the grant
- - is a new Boys and Girls Club that opened in July 2002.

"We anticipated 220 kids and we topped 850 that first year," she
said.

Taking the First Steps

At a recent meeting in Columbus to organize the prevention effort,
parents, law enforcement officers and home-schoolers were among those
voicing the need for change.

"People need to stick their necks out, to take some risks. It's so
important for kids to see adults as willing to commit," Morris said.
"It's not about how big you are or small you are - it's about a coalition."

Time will tell whether the effort makes a difference, but among a
roomful of people many were eager to give it a go.

"So little has been done in the way of prevention," said Marilyn
Kober, justice of the peace and an avid supporter. "We need to really
give it a chance and our support. If it even helps a few kids, it's
well worth it."

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MOTHER PASSIONATE ABOUT FIGHTING DRUGS

Connie Kostelecky doesn't have a bachelor's degree in drug
prevention.

She is a mother who has "been there, done that."

Three years ago, she and husband Randy turned in their son to the
police for possession of marijuana. Now, the Columbus woman would like
to spare other families her anguish.

"People think hard-working families can't have problems," she said,
her voice trailing off. "People who think it can't happen, (they just
need to) read the newspaper."

The memories remain raw for the Kosteleckys, who had no idea where to
turn for help when they discovered that their son was using marijuana.
They sought treatment for him, but they didn't have the insurance or
the $10,000 cash needed to enroll him at a Billings treatment center.
Their other option was the state hospital in Butte - but treatment
there was on a first-come, first-served basis with a three-month wait.

"When someone needs help right now, who do you call, what you do?" she
asked. "It's so scary."

The Kosteleckys' son eventually made it through treatment in Butte and
is doing well. But, she adds, he will struggle with his problem for
the rest of his life.

The experience taught Kostelecky harsh lessons. It taught her about
true friendship and it revealed to her how pervasive the drug problem
has grown. Above all, she came to realize that far too many parents
live in denial about drugs.

"They think if they don't think about it, it isn't going to happen,"
she said.

From her family's experience, Kostelecky turned despair into action.
She rallied parents, community leaders and kids. With the help of a
drug prevention specialist, she organized the Stillwater Community
Coalition three years ago. The lack of funding hampered the
organization.

Eventually, the coalition dispersed.

This fall, the coalition took on new life. Robin Morris, who wrote the
Drug-Free Communities Support grant for Stillwater County, said the
fact that a coalition had been formed, that the concern and structure
had existed, proved to be one of the decisive factors that earned the
county the $500,000 five-year grant.

"How exciting that the money is already available," Kostelecky said.
"That's such a big step -- let's get busy and figure out how to use it
because we can't waste time."

She would love to see a 24-hour hot line, a place where people could
call during a crisis.

"They need someone who's been there, who can feel the pain and say, 'I
know what you're going through,' " she said.

She also would love to see more community awareness. Parents need to
know that light bulbs, toilet paper rolls, duct tape and even dryer
sheets can be used in association with drugs, she said.

"Who misses things like these?" she asked.

Overall, she said, the community needs to take charge and say, "this
is not going to happen in our town."

Kostelecky said she is desperate to make a difference, to help another
family avoid the heartache they endured.

"If whatever we say helps somebody, that's one more reason to smile,"
she said. "Let's believe it can happen."