PARENTS URGED TO WATCH FOR DRUG USE SIGNS

News that Kittery police last month made the biggest drug bust in state
history when they seized $200,000 worth of crack cocaine did not surprise
local counselors and police.

As stronger, deadlier drugs make their way into Maine, parents of teens and
young adults need to be ever-vigilant and on the lookout for signs their
children might be involved with illegal drug use, said both police and area
counselors last week.

Locally, marijuana remains the most popular and accessible drug among
teen-agers, according to Sally Keck, a substance abuse counselor with York
Hospital's Cottage Program, and York Police Detective Tom Cryan. But a
growing number of deadlier drugs is making an impact.

"Marijuana is the No. 1 drug of choice for teen-agers and we see a lot of
it. But for older people, kids in their 20s, it's heroin, and it's here,"
said Cryan. "It's junk. Chances are if your body's not used to it, you'll
die. It's poison, just poison."

Some of the heroin appears to be coming into Maine through drug dealers
based in Lowell, Lawrence and Haverhill, Mass. - cities Cryan termed "the
Merrimack Valley pipeline," he said. Two weeks ago, Cryan worked with
federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) authorities to arrest three
York residents suspected of trafficking the drug.

The drugs Ecstasy and crack cocaine are as well growing in popularity, the
detective said. Keck agreed she's treating more people addicted to harder
drugs.

"Heroin has been on the upswing for the past couple of years," she said.
"We're also seeing quite a few kids coming in using Ecstasy."

Last fall, the Cottage Program averaged one or two phone calls a week from
people asking for heroin-addiction therapy services, according to Deborah
Erickson-Irons, York Hospital's community health liaison. Currently, the
program is treating "six clients or less" for addiction to the drug, she said.

Still, alcohol addiction remains the most pervasive problem among adult
users, and the reason most adults pick up the phone to call the Cottage
Program, according to Erickson-Irons.

Located at York Hospital, the program offers individual and group therapy
on an outpatient basis. Each therapy session runs for six weeks, followed
by an 18-week aftercare program, Keck said. Last year, the program treated
200-250 patients, according to Erickson-Irons.

Next week, the program will begin its first-ever support group specifically
targeted to 14-18-year-old teen-agers. The program is known as "Options."

"It developed because we had a huge number of calls from people seeking
services and there are fewer and fewer treatment centers. Many inpatient
treatment places have closed. There never have been very many services
geared toward children," Keck said.

Police are also tailoring their skills to address the expanding drug problem.

"We're getting to the point now where we have specialized training" for
officers to recognize suspects under the influence of drugs, Cryan said.
Such officers are trained to be drug-recognition technicians (DRTs),
according to the detective.

Drug recognition among parents can go a long way to stemming the tide of
teen drug use, Keck said. Warning signs that may signal to parents that
their son or daughter may be abusing drugs include changes in the teen's
circle of friends, grades, sleep and eating patterns. A teen's growing
tendency to keep himself isolated from other family members, and a lack of
interest in sports or extracurricular activities that once made him happy,
may also signal a problem.

"Usually, parents find (drug) paraphernalia," Keck said. Those items can
include baggies with drug residue, rolling papers, drug pipes and screens,
nips (mini alcohol bottles) or empty soda bottles that smell like alcohol.

Still other warning signs may point specifically to a drinking problem.

"Alcohol is the most destructive drug in America today," Keck said. Recent
research has shown that teen-age boys who have alcoholic fathers have a 50
percent-increased risk of becoming dependent on alcohol themselves, she said.

Along with providing outpatient services, Cottage Program counselors
maintain offices at schools in York, Sanford, South Berwick and Wells, Keck
said. They work one-on-one with at-risk students.

Bobbi Gagnon is a Cottage Program substance abuse counselor who works with
students at Marshwood High and Marshwood Junior High schools. She, too,
encouraged parents to take a greater role in their children's lives.

"Keep your eyes and ears open. there's a lot going on that parents aren't
aware of. There's stuff going on right under your nose," she said. "It's
very scary. Kids are getting exposed to more and more (drugs)."

Juveniles in the court system may also be referred to the Cottage Program.

"We also offer treatment for affected others" such as parents and loved
ones of drug addicts who have not yet accepted their addiction as a
problem, Keck said.

People interested in learning more about or joining the new teen therapy
group may call the Cottage Program at 351-2118. Patients enrolled in the
agency's programs are assessed fees according to their ability to pay, and
the counselors are bound to strict confidentiality, Keck said. The
program's substance abuse hot line is (800) 660-8500.