PARENTS GET EDUCATION

CROMWELL -- Drugs are available for children to experiment with, whether
they are illegal or over-the-counter drugs, officials told parents recently.

Middle school-aged children are using such drugs as marijuana, Ecstasy,
GHB, as well as getting high on the active ingredients in cough syrup,
spray paint, nail polish and nail polish remover, substance abuse experts said.

Abut 50 parents attended an informational meeting at Cromwell Middle School
called "It's What You Don't Know that Could be Harmful to Your Child." The
meeting was sponsored by Police Chief Anthony Salvatore, School
Superintendent Mark Cohan and the Edna C. Stevens of the School PTO.

John Callas, Juvenile Justice Bureau intensive aftercare program
supervisor,and social worker Tom Szigethy, told the parents and school
officials about the various drugs and hazards of what children are doing.
They also told them of the effects and symptoms of the drugs.

School nursing coordinator Pam Grande said the children have been educated
in drug prevention and heard about the risk of substance abuse and use.

"They hear it in kindergarten from year to year and all throughout high
school," Grande said. The piece that is missing is the parents, she said.
"(The parents) need to know what's available out there."

Middle school-aged children who are experimenting and are not active drug
users are going toward a "gateway drug" known as DXM -- or
dextromethorphan, Callas said. "It's over the counter and accessible," he
said. It is a main ingredient in cough and cold medicines.

Children will drink multiple bottles at a time, and some of the effects
include hallucinations and out-of-body experiences, Callas said.

"There's a lethal piece to DXM," Callas said. "It's like an acid trip."

DXM studies have been done on the effects on rat brains, Szigethy said. The
study shows that DXM created lesions on the brain making it like "Swiss
cheese," he said, adding it is unknown how long the effects last.

The use of Ecstasy for its euphoric feeling is popular, especially at
raves, Callas said.

However, "it does brain damage in a short amount of time," Szigethy said.

"It's like a crap shoot -- like Russian roulette," Callas said. A person
could die on the first usage of Ecstasy, he said, adding "there is no
tolerance build up."

"It's become a mainstay on college campuses -- bigger than beer," Callas said.

One parent asked how the drugs were getting into the town.

"From I-95 to I-91," Szigethy said.

"Because we're between Boston and New York City, they have called I-91 the
Ecstasy corridor,' Callas said. "It's out there. It's available." People
can get it at raves that occur in Hartford, Wallingford and New Haven, he
added.

"Raves don't have to be in an organized place," Szigethy said. "They can be
in a person's house."

Inhalants are still popular with children, he said, but it has turned from
sniffing gasoline and airplane glue to White Out, air freshener and spray
paint.

"It's a very superficial high," Szigethy said. "It's poisonous. Basically
it's all underneath your sink."

"We do have all these drugs available in Cromwell," School Resource Officer
Kevin Vandersloot said. Kids can get them by networking at school functions
or over the Internet. "Stay on top of what your child is doing."