Arlington

STUDENTS PLEAD FOR HEALTHY DIVERSIONS TO STEM DRUG USE

In the past 16 months, Arlington has buried two students.

The deaths of 17-year-old Cameron O'Connor and 18-year-old Paul
Leone, who died in separate drug- and alcohol-related incidents,
still haunt this town of 42,000, the pain worsened by the fact that,
despite added resources and abuse-prevention programs, data collected
by the local health department shows continued increases in alcohol
and drug use among teenagers in town.

The issue has become so intense that some students are breaking rank
and speaking out -- urging community leaders to keep the pressure on
and to do more to stem alcohol and drug abuse among the town's youths.

Senior Sean Conroy, 17, who is bound for Trinity College in Dublin in
the fall, spoke to selectmen and School Committee members recently
about the counterculture at Arlington High. He said he wanted to shed
light on the substance-abuse problem but also focus the discussion on
helping students, not just punishing offenders.

"I think more kids would talk if there wasn't this fear of
punishment," Conroy said last week in an interview.

"Fully understanding what is going on is going to be hard, and
confronting the situation is going to be harder when some people feel
backed into a corner.

"This is a great town to bring up kids and the community is safe, but
this is an atmosphere that can't be ignored. The problem is real."

Classmate Nick Anway, 17, said adults in the community need to focus
less on stopping drug and alcohol use entirely and more on providing
options for teenagers.

"A good deal of the social activities outside of school involve "
alcohol and drugs, said Anway, who is to attend the University of
Pittsburgh in the fall.

"It's not something that you're going to stop entirely, but I think
the community needs to be more effective in identifying the problem
and be realistic about the solution. Providing alternative
entertainment would be a start."

Anway said that besides alcohol and marijuana, students at Arlington
High also are using prescription drugs and cocaine, which may be
harder for parents to detect.

Arlington officials said they are working hard to come up with a solution.

Despite an especially tight budget year, Superintendent of Schools
Nate Levenson has carved out two new positions -- a full -time social
worker for $45,000, to provide counseling and support to at-risk
students, and a part-time drug and alcohol counselor, at a cost of $25,000.

The town will continue to partner with local service agencies,
including the Arlington Youth Consultation Center, to help students
deal with drug and alcohol use, peer pressure, depression, and stress.

"Two deaths in two years is a catalyzing event," said School
Committee chairwoman Susan Lovelace.

"Parents and students are concerned, and so are we. The district has
to invest whatever is needed to get a handle on this."

Of the 34 Massachusetts communities in the Globe NorthWest coverage
area, only a handful -- the Dunstable-Groton district, Lowell, and
Winchester -- have drug and alcohol counselors on the school district
payroll. Others use various resources for substance-abuse issues,
including guidance counselors, partnerships with outside agencies,
and police departments.

In Bedford, a prevention services coordinator from Bedford Youth and
Family Services is contacted whenever a drug or alcohol issue is
raised. Erica Dinerman, the coordinator, said referrals often come
from police, rarely from parents, and never from students.

"Many parents withdraw because they are embarrassed when they think
they may have an issue with their child," Dinerman said. "There are
no easy answers."

In Bedford, a diversion program allows first-time offenders of drug
or alcohol possession laws to enter a program and avoid court all
together. Dinerman said that many times the threat of a court
appearance is enough to straighten some students out.

Arlington Board of Health director Christine Connolly, who
coordinates the fledgling Youth Health & Safety Coalition, has
applied for state and federal grants to hire a staff person to assist
with coordinating events and information sessions.

On May 3, the first community forum to focus on drug and alcohol
abuse in Arlington was held in Town Hall and drew more than 80
parents, students, and town officials.

"Our first big event was a solid, comprehensive program, and we're
looking to build on that," Connolly said.

Annie LaCourt, chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen, said that,
although the good turnout was a beginning, changing the problem will
be slow-going.

"There is no magic bullet," she said.

"We have to create a high level of community awareness. This isn't a
town issue; this isn't a school issue; this is a community issue, and
there is a lot of work to do."

The town's Youth Health and Safety Coalition plans to launch a
website soon that will be linked to the town's website,
arlington.ma.us, and provide information and a community events
schedule, officials said.