O.S. TALKS ABOUT DRUGS

But Only A Few Parents Show Up For Meeting At High School

Ocean Springs High School junior Brett Walker, 17, was one of those at
Thursday's Community Involvement on Drug Prevention and Control program at
the school. Only a handful of students and parents were on hand for the
program.

Ocean Springs High School student Meagan Walters says that she has seen
drugs at a party within the last couple of weeks in her community, but not
at school.

OCEAN SPRINGS - Only a handful of parents attended a meeting Thursday at
Ocean Springs High School, where city leaders said drug arrests at the
school are rare and most illegal drug use among teens occurs off campus.
Principal Robert Hirsh pointed out that media reports often blame schools
for teen drug use even when the illegal activity occurs off campus at
parties, such as the recent rave party in Jackson County, where several
Ocean Springs and St. Martin high school students were arrested. Another
party in Jackson County led to the arrests of two parents who held the
party, attended by an estimated 100 minors who were drinking alcohol.

"There are two agencies that not only teach anti-drug philosophy but also
enforce anti-drug policy, and that is the police and the schools," Hirsh
said.

School officials held the meeting Thursday to talk about drug use among
teen-agers. The meeting is one among many held to talk about the growing
concerns about drug and alcohol abuse among teen-agers.

In Ocean Springs, Hirsch said maybe a student a month is arrested on charges
of carrying an illegal substance, usually marijuana. He said the schools
continue to promote anti-drug messages with educational programs.

Hirsch said the problem is that many parents in South Mississippi allow
their children to drink alcohol, or even smoke marijuana with their
children.

Attesting to that was Meagan Walters, a 17-year-old junior at the school.

Walters said she has never seen illegal drugs at the school, although she
has seen such drugs as marijuana and cocaine away from the campus while out
with friends. Her most recent encounter came at a home on Lover's Lane, she
said, when she and friends stopped for a party. Walters said her group left
as soon as they saw about five students snorting cocaine off a kitchen
counter in the home. No adults were around.

"I do feel there is a drug problem in our community, but I don't see it here
at the school," Walters said.

To fight the battle against drugs, city leaders, including Mayor Seren
Ainsworth and Police Chief Kerry Belk, said undercover operations will
continue at the school and on the streets. Business and church leaders also
are continuing efforts to promote open communication between parents and
children.