TEEN DRUG USE IS PROBLEM, SPEAKER SAYS

LeRoy Glenn is not an unfamiliar face to many of Davidson County´s
teenagers. Glenn, a substance abuse counselor at the mental health center
and speaker at Tuesday night´s talk on drug abuse at Lexington Memorial
Hospital, knows firsthand the problems local adolescents face - and the
drugs that many of them turn to to cope with those problems.

"There are a lot of kids in this area using drugs," he told his audience of
about 20 health care and social work professionals. "A lot of kids."

The talk, which focused on signs and symptoms of adolescent drug abuse, was
held as part of April´s designation as Child Abuse Neglect and Prevention
Month. It was sponsored by the hospital and the SAY NO Task Force of
Davidson County.

In his 25 years of experience in substance abuse counseling, Glenn said
he´s known only one reason why teenagers use drugs.

"Kids use drugs for one reason and one reason only: to feel good," he said.
"Drugs make you feel good. They'll tell you that everyday."

What varies is why teenagers feel bad in the first place, he said. Some are
dealing with guilt, others with hurt or family problems, and still other
children use drugs to cope with boredom.

But teens who get involved in drugs don´t realize the dangers that they
could be facing, Glenn said. "The kids feel that they are Teflon and
nothing is going to happen to them."

Glenn has compiled a list of signs of drug use from information given to
him from the teens he works with. Items associated with drug use like blunt
wrappers, needles, razor blades, bent paper clips, cut straws and scratched
mirrors are often telltale signs of substance abuse. Other indicators
include having too much or too little money, having friends who use drugs
or talking about drugs.

But other common symptoms of drug problems in teens - such as mood swings,
loss of interest in school and hobbies, personality changes and
concentration problems - could also be signs of behavioral disorders or
teenage growing pains, he said.

Unfortunately, Glenn said, many teens have told him one way for parents to
know if their children are using drugs is to check their own stash of drugs
and alcohol for missing substances.

The best strategy for parents to prevent and deal with teenage drug use is
to hold children accountable and to parent with authority, Glenn said.
"Don´t be a best buddy to your child. Be a parent."

Parents should feel free to enter a child´s room, to know where their child
goes and to know who the child´s friends are, he said. Parents who suspect
or should suspect that their child is using drugs also need to avoid the
trap of denial, Glenn said as he told the story of one teenage girl who
came to his office and told him which drugs she was using.

"She was a master pharmacist," Glenn said. But when he informed the girl´s
father of the severity of the situation, the father said only, "Not my
child." The father told Glenn that his daughter did not need treatment.

But on top of keeping an eye out for possible drug use among teens, parents
also need to treat their children with understanding, he said. Get children
to discuss their future goals and motivate them to reach those goals. Treat
them with respect. Learn to let go as they mature. Hug them.

"Anytime you tell a kid `Do something,´ of course they´re going to rebel,"
Glenn reminded the audience. "That´s their nature. That´s what we did when
we were growing up."

One audience member, Denise Mitchell, of Davidson County Social Services,
said she learned a great deal from Glenn´s real stories about children he´s
worked with. "It wasn´t just that general textbook stuff," she said.

Michele Garkusha, who works with teenagers at Family Services of Davidson
County, said she found the talk enlightening. "I think it´s just important
to be as informed as possible of what´s out there," she said.

It still takes a village to raise a child, Glenn reminded the audience.

"I think it´s important that we as a community get together and work toward
a drug-free community," he said. "I think it´s time for us to really start
taking a look at our kids and making sure it´s not getting out of hand."