YOUTH FORUM AFFIRMS DRUG-FREE CHOICE

RIDGEFIELD -- Three local teens who have made the choice to be drug-free
learned this week they are far from alone. The three shared an epiphany
when they attended the Youth to Youth Eastern States Regional Conference at
the beginning of this week .

Actually, for David Duff, 16, the moment of insight came four years ago,
when he attended his first conference. With pride, he introduced his
friend, Mike Cautero, 15, to the event last year and his 13-year-old
brother, Erik Duff, to the experience this week.

Youth to Youth is an international organization that encourages young
people to stand up for staying healthy and drug-free. The epiphany comes
when the kids attending realize how many others in the world have made the
same choice.

"This was my second year as a participant in the conference, and the best
part about it was seeing 500 kids come together, and we're all united in
our choice to be drug-free," Mike said Friday .

"I come back every year hoarse from shouting and laughing and talking to
friends, old and new," said David, who worked on the conference staff this
year for the first time. "You can be yourself there."

There are no cliques like those that can be found in high school, Mike and
David agreed. And best of all, no pressure to experiment with drugs.

The Youth to Youth organization has been in place for 20 years. Two local
clubs have been active at East Ridge Middle School and the high school for
many of those years.

Lori Bochetta has been a co-adviser for the high school club for four
years. Each year she is delighted to see the club members come back from
the conference.

"Whenever I talk to the kids after they've come back from one of these,
they're just beaming," Bochetta said. "They're so full of pride and
happiness. They're just so empowered."

At the conference, the boys shared dorm rooms with other like-minded kids,
and met their peers from the Eastern Seaboard, California and Canada, and
even a counselor from Norway.

"We talked about how drugs are available in each culture and how we each
avoid them," Erik explained. "For me, I had my brother. Whatever David does
affects me. I grew up almost worshipping him when I was little. If he'd
done drugs, I probably would have. But he didn't, and he does great things
in his life."

While all three boys learned the value of being drug-free on their home
turf, going to the conference with its talks on "Finding Your Personal
Anti-Drug" and "Never Underestimate The Power of Assets" reaffirmed the
choices they have made.

"Conferences like these open your eyes to the diversity in the world, to
what you can do and be," Mike noted. "I'd never do drugs. Some drugs can
make you die 20 years younger than you would have. Others can kill you as
soon as you use them.

"I joined Youth to Youth because I wanted to make a statement that I am
drug-free. I'm a three-sport athlete, I'm active in other clubs at school.
I didn't get where I am using drugs, and I don't want drugs to hurt me."