Pubdate: Sun, 23 Oct 2005
Source: Telegraph (NH)
Copyright: 2005 Telegraph Publishing Company
Contact:  http://www.nashuatelegraph.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/885
Author: Barry Timmerman
Note: Author is is coordinator of substance abuse services at The Youth
Council in Nashua.

SHOWING YOUR COLORS DURING RED RIBBON WEEK

Red Ribbon week, which runs from Monday through Friday, began in Texas
after the kidnap and murder of drug-enforcement agent Enrique Camarena.

Since 1985, his family and the people in his hometown have worn red
ribbons on the anniversary of his death to bring attention to the
damage done by drug abuse and to celebrate making a commitment to a
drug-free lifestyle.

What started in this small Texas town quickly became a national event.
Red Ribbon Week is now celebrated in towns and cites by an estimated
80 million Americans.

In Nashua, people in all of the schools get red ribbons, an annual
project of the Nashua Task Force on Alcohol and other Drugs. Thanks go
to Bruce Donohue at Pennichuck Middle School for coordinating this
effort. In addition, a special thanks goes to Pam DeGennaro, Virginia
Prive and their family consumer science class students, and Patricia
Bellahrossi and her health class students, for their work in putting
together thousands of red ribbons for district-wide
distribution.

What does it mean to wear a red ribbon during Red Ribbon Week? It's
all about raising awareness – awareness of the scope of the
problem of drug abuse.

When I use the term drug abuse, I'm also referring to alcohol. Let's
not forget alcohol also is a drug – one that kills 10 times as
many people as all other drugs combined.

We need to be aware of drug abuse and how prevalent is among our young
people. We need to be aware of how few services are available to
address, prevent and treat the problem. We need to be aware of how
little time we spend having conversations on a daily basis with our
children about the risks of drug abuse. We need to be aware of our own
attitudes and habits regarding drug use.

Red Ribbon Week reminds me of Christmas in a way. For a short period
of time, during the holiday season, people are reminded of compassion
and are nice to each other for a day, and then it's back to business
as usual. During Red Ribbon Week, attention is paid to the issue,
people wear their red ribbons and give voice to the issues, and then
it's back to business as usual.

I would like to advocate for sustainability. We should maintain the
compassion of Christmas every day, as we should maintain the awareness
of Red Ribbon Week all year.

What's scary to me is the rapid change children go through between
elementary school and middle school. Before sixth-graders moved to the
middle schools, many of them had received education about drug abuse
and in their innocence had declared the intention to "never use
drugs." Then, a series of biological and environmental events takes
place, i.e., raging hormones, peer pressure and a strong, almost
overpowering desire to be accepted by their peers.

That earlier innocent heartfelt declaration often becomes just so many
empty words, replaced by curiosity, experimentation and, for too many,
a descent into the progression of adolescent substance abuse. This is
the time in children's lives schools, communities and families need to
make a concerted effort to ramp up prevention programs. The risk
factors increase exponentially in middle school.

I read about a 14-year-old girl in Hollis who had an alcohol overdose
because of drinking shots of hard liquor. This story made the front
page of several local papers. According to the story, this excessive
drinking among young teens has become a rite of passage.

I have some news for you, folks! This trend isn't new. Young kids have
been overdosing on alcohol, inhalants and a host of other drugs for
quite some time.

This problem gets exposed every now and again in a more public way
when someone decides it's newsworthy. There tends to be a flurry of
outrage, finger pointing and dire predictions if we don't act, and
then – like most disasters – it fades from the public's
awareness.

It's like what was exposed by Hurricane Katrina: victims are the poor,
disenfranchised segment of our population many want to pretend doesn't
exist.

I deal with the problem of adolescent substance abuse every day. I
have dealt with it every day for 20 years. Do me a favor, dear
readers: Put me out of business. The substance-abuse prevention and
treatment fields know how to solve the problem; they just need the
support from the federal, state and local levels to pull it off.

Let Red Ribbon Week be a reminder of what we have to deal with. Don't
just wear your ribbon for a few days, then discard it along with the
awareness. Make a commitment to sustain your awareness and find a way
to make a difference beyond Red Ribbon Week. Families, make a decision
to talk with your kids about drug use every day.

As I have mentioned in many previous columns, there are a myriad of
Web sites available to parents with solid information about how to
talk with your kids. Just go to Google.

The community could get on board by providing alcohol-free fun
activities as part of the Downtown Nashua campaign, in addition to
beer and wine events. Think about the message it sends young people
when the city endorses alcohol use as a means of promoting business.

The schools can continue to increase the number of prevention and
support services, in addition to the school resource officers and the
Student Assistance Program counselors. The Nashua School District
already has a policy in place that's a model for the rest of the state
in how it deals with students who are caught at school with possession
of alcohol or other drugs or under the influence.

There is progress being made, but we still have a long way to go. Keep
up the good work and stay awake!

Until next time, stay safe out there.

Barry Timmerman is coordinator of substance abuse services at The
Youth Council in Nashua. He has been a substance abuse professional
for 18 years. Readers with questions may e-mail them  Questions also may be mailed to The
Telegraph, Straight Talk with Mr. T, PO Box 1008, Nashua, NH 03061, or
faxed to the paper at 882-2681. Timmerman is unable to answer letters
individually, but readers with further questions or concerns are
invited to contact The Youth Council at 889-1090.The advice in this
column is intended to provide an understanding of chemical dependency
issues, but is not a substitute for treatment. It does not reflect the
opinions of The Telegraph or The Youth Council, and is in no way a
replacement for the services of a licensed professional counselor.In
addition, the youth council is mandated by state law to report any
suspicion of child abuse or neglect. Should a letter to "Straight Talk
with Mr. T'' raise such concerns, the agency will report the
information to the state Division for Children, Youth and Families or
the Nashua Police Department.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin