GIVE YOURSELF A CHANCE TO GROW UP

On the one hand, Pembroke students should be hailed for their
openness and honesty in talking about their alcohol and drug use.

On the other hand, a study by the Southeast Center for Healthy
Communities should raise an alarm for parents and educators that they
need to drive home the message that does not appear to be taking hold
that substance abuse is a dangerous path to take at such a young age.

A study by the health consortium found that nearly half of Pembroke
High School students - 48.7 percent - said they had drunk alcohol at
some point in their lives. About one-quarter of students said they
had smoked marijuana.

Pembroke's figures are slightly above the national average for both
alcohol and marijuana use and above the state's average for drinking
but slightly below for smoking marijuana.

But far more troubling was the admission by 30 percent of high school
students who said they drove a car while under the influence in the
30 days prior to the survey.

"I've worked in other high schools, and the most painful experience
a principal can go through is the death of a student, and when it is
related to drugs or alcohol, it's just tragic," Pembroke High
principal Ruth Lynch said following the presentation to the school
committee Thursday night.

Tragic indeed. Each year more that 10,000 young people in the United
States are killed and 40,000 injured in alcohol-related automobile
accidents.

The rate of fatal crashes among alcohol-involved drivers between 16
and 20 years old is more than twice that for alcohol-involved drivers
21 and older, according to a federal study.

Pembroke is clearly not an island but more of a microcosm of today's
youth in society. But anyone concerned about the future of today's
teens needs to take a hard look at the figures.

According to the American Association of Child and Adolescent
Psychology, people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times
more likely to develop alcohol dependence at some time in their lives
compared with those who have their first drink at age 20 or older.

Alcohol use interacts with conditions such as depression and stress
to contribute to suicide, the third leading cause of death among
people between the ages of 14 and 25.

Adolescence is a time to allow your body to grow and develop, not a
time to experiment with harmful substances. Pembroke students showed
they are willing to talk honestly about their use of drugs and alcohol.

Perhaps that is an indication they are also willing to listen.