Pubdate: Wed, 26 Sep 2001
Source: Herald-Mail, The (MD)
Copyright: 2001 The Herald-Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.herald-mail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1537
Author: Tara Reilly

NO CLEAR ANSWER FOR RISE IN TEEN DRUG USE

Washington County health and community officials say they don't know why 
drug and alcohol use was up last year among sophomores and seniors who 
participated in an adolescent survey, and say it's going to take a team 
effort to stop the trend.

"I don't believe there's a clear answer," said John Budesky, executive 
director of Washington County Community Partnership for Children and 
Families. "I wish I had the answers, because then we would be solving these 
problems."

Budesky said past statistics show drug use has gone up among county 
teenagers over the last 10 years.

"We're not sure why these figure have gone up," said Andrea Harris, 
prevention coordinator with the Washington County Health Department.

Budesky and Harris said the Washington County Board of Education and 
community members will have to work together to curb drug and alcohol use 
among teens.

The 2001 Maryland Adolescent Survey, released Tuesday, indicates a higher 
percentage of students who completed the survey took drugs and drank 
alcohol than those who responded to the last survey.

The survey results indicate Washington County sophomores and seniors ranked 
above state averages in the use of Ecstasy, marijuana, crack, cocaine and LSD.

The survey is given every two years by the Maryland State Department of 
Education, which says the results enable local school systems and the state 
board to make generalizations about drug and alcohol usage patterns.

"I don't see it as a big problem," said Alaina Rowe, a South Hagerstown 
High School student and representative on the School Board.

Rowe said she doesn't know of many students who take drugs at her school, 
but the ones who do talk about it openly to their friends.

She said students who have drug problems are referred confidentially to a 
team of teachers who try to get them help. She noted that 10th- graders 
must participate in the anti-drug D.A.R.E. program.

Rowe said she'd like to see more drug counseling in place at the schools 
without incidents being reported to the police.

Billy Bergan, 16, treasurer of the Washington County Association of Student 
Councils, said he'd like to see stronger drug and alcohol awareness 
programs in the elementary and middle schools.

"By the time they reach their sophomore year they're already doing it," the 
junior at North Hagerstown High School said.

Bergan said he knows of a few kids at North High who take drugs, but the 
problem is not widespread.

Budesky said Community Partnership is working to obtain grants to fight 
teen drug and alcohol programs. He said he'd like to poll students on what 
they feel needs to be done.

"It's alarming to us that it's continued to go up," Budesky said. "It 
certainly is something that we need to address, and we need to address it 
immediately."
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens