ASHLAND GROUP TARGETS TEEN DRUG USE

The Key Is Parental Awareness, Some Said, But Not Many Parents Attended The
Task Force Meeting

Turnout at the first Drug Task Force meeting in Ashland was a
disappointment to the 18 people who showed up.

Those present were all members of organizations involved in reducing
tobacco, alcohol and illegal substance use among Ashland's youth. Members
of the Boone County Sheriff's Department and the Ashland Police Department,
the PTA president, City Administrator Ken Eftink and some teachers were all
there.

"I think it's a disappointing turnout, given how much publicity there was,"
school board representative Bill Powell said about how few parents
attended. Parental awareness of adolescent behavior and substance use is
the focus of the task force.

Recent surveys conducted by the task force and the Community Alternative
Action Team showed that southern Boone County teens "are above the national
average for adolescent substance abuse." Survey data was analyzed by
Powell, chairman of the task force.

The team also sent surveys to parents to determine their perception of
substance abuse among students. Powell concluded that "parents are
seriously out of touch regarding the extent of tobacco use, alcohol use and
drug use at the middle school level." He said data indicated that parents
had a better grasp about high school students' substance use.

"Each survey reveals the disconnect between what the parents think,
especially about middle-schoolers and what the kids say the reality is,"
Powell said. "I think a lot of parents are apathetic because they think the
problem is nowhere near as great as it is."

The surveys for parents included feedback options, in which many parents
indicated concern with teenage consumption of alcohol and tobacco. Despite
the poor turnout at the task force meeting, parents also indicated a desire
to get involved.

One idea the team considered would allow willing parents to sign a
statement requesting notification if their children are seen involved in
any underage or illegal activity. But Mike Hall, an elementary school
teacher and coach, was doubtful about the effectiveness of such a list.

"I think there are a lot of parents in our community that would still not
believe it," Hall said.

If the City Council approves future task force plans, there may be more
implementation of what Ashland police officer Mason Lumpkins called
"shoulder tap enforcement," where minors would volunteer to be "decoys" and
try to purchase alcohol as a way to verify whether individual stores are in
compliance with regulations. Decoy minors could also ask adults to purchase
alcohol for them.

"It works both ways," Lumpkins said. "We're not just trying to get businesses."

Lumpkins said this type of enforcement would have to be done by Ashland
police. State liquor control, he said, "never has and never will probably
do any kind of compliance checks. It's just not politically feasible for them."

A survey of the Ashland class of 2003 showed that 79.8 percent of that
class felt that alcohol was easy to obtain, Lumpkins said. The national
average is 73.5 percent.

Lumpkins works full time as a school resource officer with grades five
through nine. His job involves regular classroom education to reduce drug
use through a program called Project Northland.

"We had DARE when I first started here," Lumpkins said, "but we wanted
something more research-based."

The task force plans to evaluate Project Northland in the future to
determine its effectiveness in preventing substance abuse.

Powell also pointed out the need to inform parents that their own behavior
toward substance use can affect their children.

" 'Let's not be hypocrites' is part of the message I'd like to see," Powell
said.

The experiences teacher Sue Adams has had in her own classroom with
Lumpkins illustrate that point.

"The kids will sit in class and we're talking about open containers, that
it's illegal to have an open container," she said. "Some kids will go, 'Oh
no! That's not true, Mrs. Adams. My father drives with an open beer all the
time.' They will argue with Mason and me that no, we are wrong about that
law because they live it."