DOES DRUG TREND HIT HOME?

A drug-abuse counselor keeps a photograph of a teen in his office, a
reminder of the importance of his work.

That teen, Geneva High School graduate Jake Zegart, died at 18 from
an overdose of the painkiller oxycodone.

"I have a picture of him working on his car," said Chic Williams,
the community intervention coordinator for Geneva schools. "It's
kind of a reminder of why we do what we do."

Although Zegart used the powerful painkiller that day in October
2004, Williams said, prescription drugs were not the usual drugs of
choice for Kane County teens.

But a study released last week by the University of Michigan's
Institute for Social Research says prescription-painkiller abuse is
on the rise among young people.

The study also found that overall teen drug use is falling,
partially because of a decrease in the popularity of marijuana.

In Kane County, some officials aren't so sure that's the case.

Assistant State's Attorney Deb Bree prosecutes cases against juveniles.

"Our trend is still holding strong with marijuana," she said. "I
haven't noticed juveniles being charged [with possession of
prescription drugs]."

Bree said juveniles occasionally would be charged with using other
varieties of drugs, but not nearly as frequently as marijuana.

Williams agrees that marijuana and underage drinking is his biggest
concern, but he doesn't discredit the national study, and has seen
other drug use also.

"It's a valuable study. When you look at national statistics and
apply them locally ... areas take on a little different look," he said.

"Moving into the prescription-drug area is something that's very
concerning," he added. "We see young kids using cold medicine [and
powerful prescription drugs]. Kids are getting it out of their
medicine cabinet. It's very bothersome."

Williams credits a society full of pressures, combined with the
teenage tendency to take risks.

"There are so many things kids are exposed to," he said, referencing
school shootings and other tragedies. "I wouldn't want to be a kid
growing up in our culture. It's just kind of a scary environment."

Regardless of the drug, juveniles in court for drug use typically
receive counseling to treat the drug abuse, Bree said.

Juveniles also have the opportunity to enroll in the county's drug
court, where treatment and other methods are completed and then the
charges can be expunged.

Williams said an important component of treating the addiction is
parent involvement, but also should involve professional help.

"Our approach is multifaceted," he said. "Getting parents on board
is an [important] part of what we do."

This approach is used whether a teenager is using marijuana,
prescription drugs or other drugs, Williams said.

"Parents should know where there kids are, how much money they
have," he said. "It's kind of old-school, common sense stuff."