Pubdate: Wed, 19 Sep 2001
Source: Log Cabin Democrat (AR)
Copyright: The Log Cabin Democrat
Contact:  http://thecabin.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/548
Author: Samantha Huseas
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

LISTEN AND WATCH YOUR CHILDREN

Expert Says Staying In Kids' Life Will Help Parents See Warning Signs

Steve Nawojczyk told Conway parents to listen to their children and 
they will tell you if something is wrong in their lives.

"Don't assume because a kid looks a certain way that's how he is," 
said Nawojczyk, a noted expert on gangs. "What you can do as parents 
is stay on top of your kid's life."

This sort of thing will help parents see the signs of impending 
violence or drug use, Nawojczyk told the group of about 150 parents 
and students gathered at the Conway Public Schools Auditorium. 
Nawojczyk spent much of Tuesday in Conway talking first to students 
and school officials, then to the public.

Nawojczyk first started talking to the public in the late 1980s and 
early '90s when gangs moved into the state and he was Pulaski County 
coroner. Gangs still exist, he said, but have become quieter for many 
reasons, including laws passed that make those affiliated with gangs 
ineligible for reduced sentences for crimes.

Now Nawojczyk has taken the information he learned about youth to 
educate on today's problems -- violence and drugs.

He said most children who get into trouble, either with gangs or 
other criminal activities, belong to "the 5H club" -- homeless, 
helpless, hopeless, hungry and/or huggless.

"As a community, you must give these 5Hers attention," he said, 
adding Conway does a good job of that.

He also said communities must have a "community ACTION plan"  After 
school programs, Community Oriented Policing, Teams or support groups 
for parents, In-school programs ("Conway's on the ball with that," he 
said.), One-on-one programs ("Because so many kids come from the 5H 
club"), and Neighborhood watch programs.

Nawojczyk also encouraged parents to watch for warning signs, such as 
obsession with certain logos or signs (like the Anarchy symbol), a 
new group of friends and truancy. Other larger warning signs are an 
obsession with fire, bed-wetting later in life than normal and abuse 
of animals -- "a very clear sign your child needs help and you 
probably need help helping your child," Nawojczyk said. He said 
serial killers have traditionally had those three characteristics in 
common.

When children start to have problems, they look for ways to solve 
them and if the community or parents are not there, kids often look 
toward drugs, Nawojczyk said.

"And the most used and sought-after drug by kids right now is 
Ecstasy," he said. "Its use started in the '60s when it was 
prescribed as a marital aid drug."

In 1996, the Drug Enforcement Agency confiscated 13,000 Ecstasy 
pills. In 2000 that number was nearly one million, Nawojczyk said.

Often referred to as "the love drug" because of the way it enhances 
senses, Ecstasy also makes the brain incapable of telling other 
organs what to do. This is why users can dehydrate and overheat when 
using the drug.

In a recent Ecstasy-related death at a Little Rock rave, a new-age 
party featuring loud music and often drugs, a young man who died had 
a fever of 108 degrees, Nawojczyk said.

Eric King, Conway High School resource officer, also talked to the 
parents about what he sees in the schools and what he learns from the 
students.

"Everyone's at risk  when you start talking about at-risk kids," King said.

He said when he talks with students about Ecstasy, he asks them how 
safe they think it can really be to ingest drugs made overseas with 
no regulations.

"With all that's happened recently, we worry about biological warfare 
but look at what we're doing to ourselves," he said.

"Take time to think about what you're doing."
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MAP posted-by: Josh