TEENS NOTE AVAILABILITY OF DRUGS IN MIDCOAST

CAMDEN - Most teens treated for drug abuse in the five town area consume
alcohol and marijuana, and the use of prescription drugs is on the rise,
according to a local clinic.

"We have seen a rise in students this year, in youngsters," said Connie
Putnam, executive director of the Midcoast Substance Abuse Council (MSAC)
in Camden.

Eighty-two teens between ages 13 and 18 received treatment in the fiscal
year ending June 30, 2001, Putnam said, ten more than received treatment in
the year ending June 2000.

MSAC counseled eight teens from Appleton, 29 from Camden, 14 from Hope,
eight from Lincolnville, and 23 from Rockport. In terms of the availability
of drugs, "It certainly seems to be plentiful, from what we hear from the
kids," Putnam said. "I think we're hearing that from kids all over the state."

MSAC also worked with 222 adults, 21 more than last year, during the same
time. There were 16 from Appleton, 105 from Camden, 32 from Hope, 26 from
Lincolnville, and 43 from Hope.

Janet Maynard, the program's full-time clinician who started in September,
is currently helping four teenagers in a recovery program.

Alcohol and marijuana are the substances teens use the most, according to
Maynard. Both substances are considered gateway drugs - using them often
leads to use of other substances.

Maynard noted that most people are "poly-substance users," though they
usually have one drug of choice.

"What I'm seeing more of, particularly up here, is more prescription
pills," Maynard said, such as Xanax, Oxycontin, and ecstasy. "I think we're
seeing more heroin in the younger ages," she added.

Methadone is another substance being abused. The narcotic is often
prescribed to help heroin addicts kick their habit. "Addicts I talk to say
when they have to detox from methadone, it's worse than heroin," Maynard said.

Maynard had never heard of methadone being used as a drug until she came up
to this region of Maine from York County, she said.

Drug Abuse Among Knox County Teens

One indicator of drug use in the area can be found in the Maine Youth Drug
and Alcohol Survey (MYDAUS), which was conducted in the spring of 2000 and
issued in February 2001. The study, which surveyed 30,491 students in
grades 6-12 at 180 schools, found that alcohol, marijuana, and cigarettes
were the primary drugs being used by high school students.

In Knox County, the study surveyed 1,398 students in grades 6-12 at six
schools, out of a possible 3,004 students. The bulk of students surveyed
attended Camden-Rockport High School, Mary E. Taylor Middle School in
Camden, Rockland District High School and Middle School, according to Jamie
Clough, who worked on the survey for the Maine Office of Substance Abuse.
The data also includes information from the North Haven and Vinalhaven
Schools, but there were very few respondents from those schools, she said.

About 43 percent of Maine students said they never had any alcohol more
than a few sips. There were about 15 percent, however, that admitted high
use, drinking more than 20 times, in their lifetime.

In Knox County, 14.4 percent or 201 students admitted high use of alcohol
in their lifetime, compared to 16.9 percent of the 1,191 students surveyed
in Waldo County and 18.9 percent of the 6,231 students surveyed in
Cumberland County.

One point of concern was that about 15 percent or 4,700 of Maine students
reported binge drinking - defined as consuming five or more alcoholic
beverages in a row - within the past two weeks prior to the survey. The
percent of students who binged increased with each successive grade level,
from less than three percent of sixth-graders to almost 30 percent of high
school seniors.

The surveys in Knox County found that 15.8 percent or about 220 of the
students admitted to binge drinking between one and nine times. About 1.3
percent, or 18 students, reported binge drinking 10 times or more.

These figures were near results from Waldo County, which reported 16.8
percent binge drinking between one and nine times, and 1.6 percent bingeing
10 or more times, out of 1,191 students. They were also close to Cumberland
County's figures, which reported 16.9 percent bingeing between one and nine
times, and 1.1 percent bingeing 10 or more times, out of 6,231 students.

About 28 percent of Maine students said they used marijuana in their
lifetime, with 13 percent reporting high use - 20 or more times. In Knox
County, 14.9 percent or 208 students reported high use, above the 13.6
percent reported in Waldo County and below 15.4 percent in Cumberland County.

While these survey results reflect the drug use situation two years ago, an
updated MYDAUS was conducted recently and, according to the Maine Office of
Substance Abuse, the new results are due this fall.

Prevention

Drug use addressed in MYDAUS was not limited to older teenagers. Of the
4,747 sixth graders surveyed, eight percent reported using alcohol, four
percent reported smoking cigarettes, and two percent reported using
marijuana within the month prior to the survey.

Research shows that if a young person delays drug use until age 21, they
almost never develop substance abuse problems, according to the survey. "We
really need to target them earlier, before they become casualties," Maynard
said. She prefers starting with kids in sixth or seventh grade.

The earlier teens use drugs, the more damage they do to the body. As an
example, Maynard noted that if a teen is drinking a lot, he or she is
putting a lot of pressure on the liver, interfering in its functions, such
as converting sugar into glycogen.

MSAC presents programs at the local high schools upon request, and recently
completed a sophomore awareness program at Georges Valley High School in
Thomaston. Maynard was involved in the Wellness Day at Camden Hills
Regional High School in the fall, where she presented several classes that
were, according to Putnam, very well attended.

Treatment

Treatment at MSAC begins with three sessions in which the problem is
assessed. "Usually there's some kind of family involvement," Maynard noted,
which she prefers.

The program follows very strict federal confidentiality laws, so strict
that Maynard said if she were subpoenaed, she would not have to respond; a
judge would have to issue a specific court order on specific information.

In the initial session, Maynard usually gives the teen time to tell her
what's been going on, to explain their situation. In the next session, they
complete a history form, which involves the teen's physical and mental
well-being, legal issues, social situations, and spiritual self.

"We really look at a holistic picture of a person, and how that contributes
(to the use)," Maynard said.

MSAC provides support by enrolling teens in self-help groups, such as
Alcoholics Anonymous. Maynard and the client then work together to develop
a treatment plan.

One of the things Maynard looks at when developing a treatment plan for an
individual is a picture of the family background. "We know there's a
genetic component to addiction," she said.

Usually there has been some kind of drug abuse in the family history. "The
grandfather died of alcoholism, or the uncle was arrested for dealing, or
something like that," Maynard said.

Many parents are very supportive of their children's efforts even if the
parents themselves are still battling problems, according to Maynard.

One obstacle to recovery is the lack of treatment opportunities in the are
for in-patient care of young substance abusers. "If a kid is under 18, a
lot of places won't take them," Maynard said.

A child can be put into the psychiatric unit, but does not get as much
treatment there as they would in a true substance abuse program.

Maynard believes the teens do best in groups, because they learn from each
other. "Kids can't see how they're doing," she said, "But they can say,
'You're in trouble. Look what you're doing.'"

Some teens who come are not genuine about wanting to recover, but are
instead coerced, for example, by run-ins with law enforcement. "My goal is
to try to give them some awareness on how this is impacting their lives,"
Maynard said.

There can be a difference in treating teens and adults. "Kids, a lot of
times, are more honest, especially when they're angry," Maynard said. "They
have a great capacity to heal, and to heal each other."