Pubdate: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 Source: Daily Southtown (IL) Copyright: 2000 Daily Southtown Contact: 6901 W. 159th St., Tinley Park, IL 60477 Fax: (708) 633-5999 Website: http://www.dailysouthtown.com/ Author: Laura Lynn Ryan Note: Laura Lynn Ryan is the First Lady of the State of Illinois and the Chair of Futures for Kids. TALK ABOUT DRUGS There is good news and bad for parents concerned about their teens and drug use this holiday season. The good news is that fewer teenagers in America are smoking marijuana and more kids have negative feelings about the drug. However, the recently released Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA) Attitude Tracking Study found that the trial use of a new and dangerous drug, Ecstasy, has doubled since 1995. If you haven't heard of Ecstasy, it is a synthetic stimulant -- often called "X," "E" or "the Love Drug." It is the new popular "club drug" often used in dance clubs and all-night raves. According to PDFA it is now the drug of choice for many teens in rural and suburban areas. And more American teens have tried Ecstasy than heroin. The consequences of Ecstasy use are only beginning to be understood. Long-term effects may include nervous system damage and permanent memory impairment. In the short term, depression can set in after an Ecstasy-fueled weekend. A growing number of teens are dehydrating and passing out after heavy use. You may have read about those who have died. But teens living in the moment rarely care about such facts. During the holidays, it is important for parents and other guardians of teens and pre-teens to talk with them, either for the first time or to reinforce previous conversations. As chair of the Futures for Kids program in Illinois, I hosted nearly 100 teens from throughout the state at the Governor's Teen Summit 2000. They told me what we've confirmed through this national study -- that more teens are hearing anti-drug messages and paying attention. Overall teenage drug use slowly declined over the past few years. But there are still millions of teens trying and regularly using alcohol and other drugs, beginning when they are as young as 9 or 10 years old. Many teens think "everyone is doing it" and so they should, too. They need to know that most teens are not using drugs. In fact, the PDFA study found that trial use of marijuana was down about 10 percent. And the regular use of marijuana by teens is down 13 percent since 1997. This year, more teens believe marijuana will make them lonely, boring or act stupidly or foolishly than ever before. That's good news. Your children need to know that they are in the majority, so they can feel confident saying "no" when someone encourages them to "join the crowd." Although Ecstasy use is up, 90 percent of our young people have never used it. This illustrates the point that there is no "crowd" drinking alcohol, smoking or using other drugs. In other words, using drugs is not as popular as our young people are led to believe. Researchers tell us that when anti-drug attitudes are strong, drug use is more likely to drop. Futures for Kids will be using this approach in an exciting new statewide anti-drug campaign aimed at 10- to 14-year olds that will be launched next year. While we're seeing that such programs are working, the most effective deterrent to drug use is still parents talking to their kids about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Ask them how they feel about drugs. Listen to what they have to say. Then empower them with information that will help them stay drug-free this holiday season. Let's make this New Year the beginning of brighter futures for the children of Illinois. Laura Lynn Ryan Illinois First Lady Chair, Futures for Kids - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager