SUBSTANCE ABUSE SURVEYS REVEAL TROUBLING INFO ABOUT OUR YOUNG

News from recent surveys on drug use by young people in Nevada County is
not good.

County students in seventh, ninth and 11th grades use alcohol and drugs
more frequently than their peers throughout the state. Furthermore, the
students were asked not about whether they had experimented with, say, beer
or marijuana at one time or another, but about substance use over the
previous 30 days.

Of course, any drug use by young people is worrisome because of how
difficult it is to break old, ingrained habits in our later years.

The fact that students in our county are using drugs and alcohol at a
higher rate than other students in the state is enough to send parents into
a tizzy. For example, 38 percent of our high school freshmen reported using
alcohol in the previous 30 days, compared with only 29 percent statewide.

The results of the survey from 1999-2000 - conducted by the state
Department of Education and the state Attorney General's Crime and Violence
Prevention Center - need to be taken into context, however.

These age groups, because of peer pressure, may feel a tendency to
exaggerate their use of drugs and alcohol, as was noted by County
Superintendent of Schools Terry McAteer.

We'd agree that schools can and should play a role in alcohol and drug
prevention. But they can't be asked to supplant the role of parents.
Schools are charged with educating our children for the 21st century, and
teachers and administrators would probably point out that they face plenty
of challenges just doing that. Some must cope with overcrowded facilities,
along with uncertain enrollments and funding - in addition to coping with
students who might be using drugs or alcohol.

So, yes, the schools should intervene to address substance or alcohol abuse
when they notice it on their campuses. They need to contact the students'
parents and any appropriate authorities when students' drug use becomes
apparent.

Ultimately, however, parents must do the heavy lifting. If a student uses
alcohol or drugs and starts becoming a problem for his or her school or
society in general, then frankly we'd argue that the parents should be held
accountable for that.