Pubdate: Sun, 03 Dec 2000
Source: Akron Beacon-Journal (OH)
Copyright: 2000 by the Beacon Journal Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.ohio.com/bj/
Forum: http://krwebx.infi.net/webxmulti/cgi-bin/WebX?abeacon
Author: William Canterbury

AKRON CENTER HELPS TEEN-AGERS KICK DRUG HABIT

Community Health Gives Counseling, Medical Aid To Young Substance Users

When Victoria Barnhill saw the dilated pupils in her daughter's eyes one 
night last summer, she knew the moment of truth had arrived.

For months, Barnhill had been trying to get 14-year-old Brittany Burns to 
face up to her use of drugs and alcohol. On this night, Brittany confessed: 
She had sneaked off to a friend's house and taken numerous cold pills to 
"get a buzz." Another friend had downed even more -- 15 pills -- and then 
became incoherent.

"The paramedics came, and I grabbed hold of (Brittany) and asked, `Is this 
enough? Does (your friend) have to come this close to dying to make you 
realize what you're doing?' " Barnhill recalled.

These days Brittany is getting counseling for her substance abuse problem 
at Akron's newest adolescent treatment facility. Run by the Community 
Health Center at 702 E. Market St., the facility opened in August to help 
young people in Summit County. Community Health also serves some Portage 
County adults.

Adolescents are estimated to use 35 percent of the illicit drugs sold in 
the nation, said Community Health Center Director Ted Ziegler, but there 
aren't enough treatment programs geared specifically for them.

Last year about 1,000 children used the Community Health Center's services 
for drug treatment and prevention, he said. Currently, about 50 adolescents 
are in counseling sessions at the center, which looks like an office 
building and doesn't have the word "drug" in its signs to help families 
avoid any stigma attached to seeking treatment there. Medical facilities 
also are available to address any health needs.

Lori Long, a certified chemical dependency counselor, said many teen-age 
substance abusers suffer relapses. Group counseling sessions help them 
understand that other young people are struggling with the same situations. 
Individual counseling helps them confront personal challenges.

The importance of focused treatment programs for young people came to the 
forefront last New Year's Eve when an 18-year-old Rootstown Township woman 
died after taking ecstasy, a party or club drug that is said to boost 
energy levels. The same drug also killed a 19-year-old student who 
collapsed in April during a Kent State University fraternity party.

Club drugs more popular

As a survey released this week by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America 
shows, the trend has been for more adolescents to abuse club drugs.

The nationwide survey of 7,290 students in seventh through 12th grade found 
that the use of ecstasy has doubled since 1995 -- with one in 10 teens 
having experimented with the drug. Other popular teen-use drugs include LSD 
and methamphetamine, which federal drug experts say has increased 
dramatically in use among adults in the Akron area.

On the other hand, the survey found that marijuana use by teen-agers has 
decreased for the third year in a row.

But the main first-time drugs of choice for young people are still 
marijuana and alcohol, according to officials at Edwin Shaw Hospital. The 
hospital, which has a residential program, and the Akron Health Department 
also help adolescents with substance abuse problems by offering more 
intensive treatment. They both take referrals from the Community Health Center.

All the county's agencies and programs work together to help address teen 
issues as they arise, Long said.

Before young substance abusers get help, their lives and the lives of their 
families can be chaotic.

Brittany Burns and her mother were willing to share their story of 
substance abuse in the hope that such candor would help other young people.

Brittany, who's a Springfield High School student from Lakemore with long, 
dark hair and green eyes, said that a male relative with an addiction 
problem introduced her to alcohol. When her mother learned about it, she 
put a stop to the relative's influence over her daughter.

But Brittany began drinking beer every other weekend with friends. That 
became every weekend and beer progressed to liquor.

Last summer she learned by mistake that "if you take enough cold tablets, 
you can get a buzz."

When she learned what Brittany had done, Barnhill rushed her daughter to a 
hospital, where she was hooked up to a heart monitor for six hours while 
doctors made sure her heart didn't stop.

Both Brittany and her friend, whose mother also rushed her to the hospital, 
were lucky they didn't suffer any lasting effects from taking the cold pills.

Addressing the problem

Once Brittany was released from the hospital, her mother placed her in 
counseling with the Community Health Center.

Other teen-agers who have undergone adolescent treatment also were willing 
to talk about their drug and alcohol problems, though they asked not to be 
identified.

Eighteen-year-old Scott ended up at the center through a court referral 
after he was arrested for underage drinking. He recently completed a 
15-week intervention counseling session.

During his counseling, Scott watched videos that related how overuse led to 
hospitalizations and even suicides. He is now in an alternative school 
program to complete high school.

Fifteen-year-old Carol, who is pregnant, started counseling at the 
adolescent treatment center. But after she tested positive for cocaine use, 
she was put in Edwin Shaw's intensive, three-week residential program. Now 
she's in an after-care program at Edwin Shaw, and will then resume 
counseling at the treatment center, at least until her baby, due in March, 
is born.

"I met a whole lot of new people in the (counseling) program," Carol said, 
"and on weekends we do things that normal people do -- go out to movies and 
go bowling or to my (AA) sponsor's house to talk and watch movies.

"Sometimes they seem boring, but I know that's the disease and the way I 
think. I don't have as much pain or self-pity today, though."

Brittany said teen-age drug users have to want to change their lives.

"I'm grounded and half my family doesn't believe a word I say anymore," 
Brittany said. "They have every right not to trust me because I've lied so 
much."

Her group sessions helped her set goals -- to become a cosmetologist with 
her own shop and "have stable family and other relationships."

Barnhill said if her daughter has a relapse, the next step would be to put 
Brittany into a residential treatment program.

"I'm never going to give up to try to get her out of this (abuse)," 
Barnhill said.
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