What You Can Do

TACKLING DRUGS AS A COMMUNITY

GULFPORT - Citing figures from the coroner's office, Fred Walker, chairman
of the Long Beach Drug Task Force, says it's time to recognize that drug
abuse is a major public health problem in South Mississippi.

"There were 45 deaths from drug overdoses in Harrison County last year," he
said, during a recent meeting with The Sun Herald. "We're on pace to
possibly top that this year... Imagine the reaction if the West Nile virus
killed 46 people in Harrison County. We'd have mosquito netting all over
the place."

Kathy Best, director of the Jackson County Children's Services Coalition,
said parents must be focused on stopping drug use among children.

"I think the first thing parents can do is stop turning a blind eye," Best
said. "It is a problem, and adults in many ways perpetuate it by not
complaining.

"... It's time for society as a whole to take a stand that we want to raise
a generation that will be substance-free."

Walker said South Mississippi needs to abandon the "Mardi Gras culture"
that makes excessive drinking seem acceptable.

"Anything goes; it's OK for a 50-year-old to be blind drunk on the street
if it's Mardi Gras," he said. "... We need role models. We parents need to
take it very seriously and not send mixed messages."

Charlie Wood, an assistant district attorney in Harrison County, said
adolescent drinking and drug abuse permeates both upper and lower income
communities.

"A lot of people think that's all going on in a few impoverished poor
neighborhoods, it's not happening in Bayou Oaks," he said. "That's not true."

He said parents need to be strict about not allowing their children to
drink alcohol.

"I know people who will let their children have a wine cooler or maybe a
beer at 15 years old at home, and they'll say, 'Well, I know where he's
drinking or I know where she's drinking,' but that's ridiculous. I think it
needs to be zero-tolerance."

Shannon Harrel, a recent graduate of D'Iberville High School, did not drink
or use drugs during high school. She credited her parents for setting a
good example.

"You can't tell your kids that they're not allowed to drink and smoke if
you're going to do it," Harrel said. "If they see you going out and getting
drug and smoking cigarettes, they're going to look up to you and think it's
OK."

The Rev. Nathaniel Jeanpierre, a community activist in Gulfport, said he
too often sees parents who are unwilling to take responsibility for raising
their children.

"In my community, we've got parents who are drug addicts and alcoholics who
send their kids to school and expect the teachers to raise them," he said.

Walker said a heartfelt conversation between a parent and child can prevent
drug and alcohol abuse.

"One word from a parent can go a long way," he said. "We need to set
standards by sitting them down, saying, 'Do you know how hurt or
disappointed I'd be if you used drugs?' "

Reaching Out, Getting Organized

Here is a list of ideas, complied during a recent meeting of The Sun
Herald's anti-drug task force, of how to protect children from drugs and
alcohol:

Don't leave children without adult supervision.

Be involved in your children's extracurricular activities.

Get involved in the lives of children; for example, coaching Little League
sports.

Seek professional help for your child early on if you suspect he has a drug
problem or is depressed.

Set a standard for your child: "Do you know how disappointed I'd be if you
used drugs?"

Churches must reach out beyond their walls into the community. They should
provide after-school care.

Get to know the patrolmen in your neighborhood. Welcome their presence and
keep them informed.

Organize your neighborhood. Report crimes. Call about underage drinking
parties in your neighborhood.

Judges should require children to attend drug education classes as part of
sentencing for drug-related violations.

Elect candidates who support strict enforcement of underage drinking laws.