STARFISH FOUNDATION DIRECTOR WILL DISCUSS WAR ON DRUGS AT LHS

The United States may be winning the war in Iraq, but one woman says the
country is losing the war on drugs.

Starfish Foundation executive director Belita Nelson will talk to Lewisville
ISD parents about student substance abuse in "What You Can Do To Win the War
on Drugs" at 7 p.m. Thursday at Lewisville High School. Nelson visits
schools, organizations and other events to speak about the war on drugs. The
Starfish Foundation is located in Carrollton.

"We will never win the war on drugs, the way we are fighting it," Nelson
said.

Nelson founded the non-profit Starfish Foundation in 1998. The foundation
educates parents and children about the dangers of substance abuse.

"We've got more people than ever who are addicted," Nelson said. Nelson said
seven out of 10 families are affected by substance abuse.

Nelson said the war on drugs started during Richard Nixon's presidency. She
said 80 to 90 percent of the money was spent on treatment, while the rest of
the money was being spent on trying to stop drugs from entering the states.
Now the United States is spending 90 percent of the money on stopping the
drugs from coming into the country, and the rest on treatment.

Nelson said neither way is the solution.

"No matter what you can do, you can't stop it (from entering the United
States)," Nelson said. "The question is 'how do we stop people from wanting
it?'"

Nelson will educate parents about substance abuse. She will also talk about
her personal story, which led her to the Starfish Foundation.

Nelson found heroin in her house. She refused to believe it belonged to
Jason, her son, who was a senior in high school. After months of Jason
struggling with his addiction and Nelson struggling with her denial, Nelson,
who taught at Plano East Senior High School, left and went to graduate
school.

Things didn't get any better, and Nelson finally couldn't deny Jason's
addiction. Jason relapsed, took one of the cars and would not come home.
Nelson became desperate and filed charges against Jason for stealing the car
to get him back home.

Nelson soon learned of the death of Rob Hill, a former peer of Jason, who
died because of his heroin addiction. For two days, Nelson searched for
Jason.

Eventually, Nelson found Jason.

That was two years ago. After several months of battling his addiction,
withdrawals and another arrest, Jason was ordered by a judge to go to a
Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facility through the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice.

Nelson later found the Starfish Foundation to save other students' lives.
Jason, now 25, also speaks at some presentations.

"Parents can make themselves more knowledgeable," Nelson said. "Everything
has to start with knowledge and education."

Nelson is working with the Dallas ISD to create a curriculum to stop
substance abuse.

The Starfish Foundation will expand into Denver and Washington next year.

For information about the Starfish Foundation go to
www.starfishfoundation.org.