DRUG CZAR CITES GOOD WORK OF NORTHLAND COALITION

"Unfortunately, this problem has an important dimension of denial.
People don't want to see it. They want to believe it's bigger than it
is. They also believe there's nothing they can do. That's wrong."

John P. Walters

The nation's drug czar is praising the Northland Coalition for its work to
reduce illegal drug use and alcohol consumption among area youth.

John P. Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy,
said it is because of work that groups such as the Northland Coalition, who
have formed partnerships with schools and local law enforcement agencies,
drug use among area teenagers have dropped. Walters was in Kansas City on
Friday to present an award to the Northland Coalition for its work in
reducing drug and alcohol use among teens.

"People talk about partnerships in government," Walters said during the
presentation at Maple Woods Community College. "Here is one of the places
where it could not be clearer."

He also said parents need to play a more prominent role in the lives of
their children to ensure youth do not fall prey to social norms that
suggest recreational use of illegal drugs is acceptable.

"We have communities like this across the nation, where people like you are
saving lives," Walters said. "We can save more lives, more rapidly, with
more people reaching to lend a hand."

The Northland Coalition includes volunteers from Ray, Clay and Platte
counties who work to address substance abuse and violence prevention issues.

"The volunteers have worked hard over the years to reduce substance abuse,"
said Vicky Ward, manager of prevention services at Tri-County Mental Health
Services which is part of the Northland Coalition.

"It was an honor to have the nation's drug czar to acknowledge the work of
those volunteers," Ward said.

Last week, the federal government released its 2003 National Survey on Drug
Use and Health. The survey discovered that fewer young people are using
marijuana, LSD and Ecstasy, but more youth are now abusing prescription drugs.

For example, Walters said more youth are obtaining illegal prescriptions
for drugs such as Oxycontin and other painkillers.

The study also showed a 20-percent decline between 2002 and 2003 in the
number of youths who smoke marijuana at least 20 days each month.

Despite those numbers, Walters said, the conflicting ideas persist that
drug use always will be part of American culture.

"Unfortunately, this problem has an important dimension of denial," he
said. "People don't want to see it. They want to believe it's bigger than
it is. They also believe there's nothing they can do. That's wrong."

While the federal government can provide some support, Walters said,
community groups and local law enforcement agencies also play a critical
role in reducing drug use. He said local groups can target that support
because they see problems and solutions more closely.

"We provide a national estimate on a variety of dimensions and try to
improve some of those, but it's very important that those be tied to local
measures as well," Walters said. "You can see what's working. You can see
what's growing."

The latest Missouri statistics from the federal Drug Policy Information
Clearinghouse were issued in August. For the most recent years available,
2000-2001, the statistics showed that 9.94 percent of those aged 12 to 17
had used an illicit drug in the previous month.

Tri-County Mental Health is the lead group for the Northland Coalition.

Ward said community groups in the Northland are working with law
enforcement to devise new ways to clamp down on youth who either possess or
consume illegal drugs.

Ward said many agencies in Ray, Clay and Platte counties have developed a
zero-tolerance internal policies when it comes to under-age drinking. No
longer are officers in many departments able to allow minors, who have been
drinking, to continue on their way.

Officers must now either deliver the youth to a responsible adult or take
the minor in until a parent or guardian can pick them up.