PARENTS - DRUG USE RAMPANT AMONG EAGLE CO. TEENS

EAGLE-COUNTY -- A culture of rampant drug and alcohol use has been
thriving at local high schools for years, parents say, and now
they're ready to clean up the valley.

Simply put, drugs and alcohol have become the center of high school
social life in the Eagle County. Those who abstain are often teased
and pushed away from friends, and many students voluntarily isolate
themselves from the drug- and booze-fueled parties that are
commonplace on weekends.

The drug culture has become accepted as normal among students, and
the many student who don't like it are often afraid to take a stand,
although they are desperate for change.

"It's excessive. My kids don't really know anyone that doesn't use
something," said Margaret Olle, a Battle Mountain High School parent.

And while schools and law enforcement agencies have been increasingly
diligent in enforcing drug laws -- parents say the community as a
whole has been slow to realize how common teen drug and alcohol use
is in the valley.

"The problem thrived in secrecy," said Janet De Clark, a parent at
Battle Mountain High School. "If you are a parent and your child has
been in trouble, you don't want to say anything about it."

Parents are starting to talk openly about the problem, though, and a
recently flurry of action from parent groups and school
administrators point to a more serious crack-down on substance abuse.

Parents are talking

Battle Mountain High School has taken the lead in addressing the teen
drug problems in the valley. A forum recently hosted by Battle
Mountain High School's accountability committee gathered law
enforcement officers and medical professionals to talk to parents
about teen drug and alcohol use, and the talks prompted some quick
results.

Most importantly, parents started opening up to each other, and
stories about how drugs were affecting families started coming out,
De Clark said. Parents eventually found some comfort in realizing
that everyone was going through the same problems, she said.

"The best thing we realized is to get together and talk about it and
to not be judgmental," De Clark said. "Even if you have a child that
is not a partier, they're facing this every single day at school.
They sit next to kids who do party and use drugs."

School programs starting

A group of parents immediately joined together to develop a Safe
Homes Network for students, which requires parents to sign a pledge
saying they won't allow drugs and alcohol in their homes and that
they'll closely watch parties for drug and alcohol use. This parent
group will also focus on developing education programs and finding
counseling for kids who find themselves in trouble.

Battle Mountain has also been exploring new policies and programs to
address the drug problem. The most prominent change will be a random
drug testing policy being developed for students in extra curricular
activities.

Principal Brian Hester said the school has dedicated more time and
resources over the past couple years to finding and helping students
caught or suspected of using drugs.

The front office has become busier. More students who use drugs and
alcohol are getting caught, and lots of time is dedicated to
investigating where students got their drugs, how often they use and
who else is using, said assistant principal Philip Qualman. Teachers,
counselors, nurses and even students are joining in to report drug
and alcohol use, Hester said.

Drug dogs make regular visits to the parking lots, and taking a
breathalyzer test is required for students to enter school events
like prom. Teachers are receiving training in how to recognize
students who may be using drugs by the way they act and look.

Hester said he hopes to gradually engage the students and get them
involved in the fight against drugs and alcohol. Many students are
tired of it and want to see change, he said.

Small valley can help

The drug problem is seen at all different levels -- there are kids
who don't use at all and have become socially isolated. There are
kids who have tried it once and never again, there are those who
drink and use drugs occasionally at weekend parties, and there are
those who are developing serious problems, the kind that can damage
their lives.

So no matter if a student uses or not, if they use just a little or
have become a constant abuser, it's hard for them to escape the
culture, parents say.

The Eagle Valley is a small community. Students run into each other
at movie theaters, restaurants and ski slopes. There aren't the
normal cliques you see at larger high schools, De Clark said.

De Clark said she knows of students who were a part of the drug
culture, and had a hard time pulling out because they didn't' want to
lose their friends. Over time, she hopes to see a change in the
attitude of students to where drug use isn't the accepted normal any
more, to where it isn't "cool."

And, this being a resort community, a place where people come to
party and have fun, many people seem ambivalent to the idea of drugs.

"How many of us have gone through the cloud of pot smoke on the ski
lifts?" De Clark said.