Pubdate: Mon, 14 Mar 2005
Source: News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Copyright: 2005 The News-Herald
Contact:  http://www.news-herald.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/305
  Author: Justin Maynor Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

DISTRICT REACTS TO DRUG WORRIES

Teen's Huffing Death Sparks Action In Perry Schools

Citing concerns from parents in the district and the recent death of a 
Painesville Township teen, Perry Schools Superintendent Timothy B. Berkey 
says it's time to take a serious look at drug prevention. "I think we're 
being honest with ourselves in saying we need to strengthen what we're 
doing," he said.

Fourteen-year-old Kyle Williams was found dead March 2 after apparently 
huffing "Dust-Off" - a compressed-air cleaning product. Berkey sent a 
letter to parents March 4 indicating that two Perry Middle School students 
were involved in an inhalant-abuse incident that same week. "It has been 
brought to our attention that we are in need of strengthening our drug 
education program," Berkey wrote. "Thus, we are taking steps to examine 
effective programs for students, staff and parents."

The Perry School Board held a special work session Tuesday to begin that 
process. Topics ranged from the potential adoption of a formal drug 
prevention program, such as the Lake County Narcotics Agency's Peers 
Learning Usable Skills program, to implementing the use of drug-sniffing 
dogs. "It was the opener for us to step back and examine what we're doing 
and what we're not doing in the schools," Berkey said.

What the district is doing is educating children generally on living a 
healthy lifestyle, Berkey said.

But there is no formal drug education program in the schools. That, he 
said, may change with the formation of a committee of concerned parents 
whose job will be to examine such programs and how they might benefit Perry.

"One of the things we want to revisit is how can we collect information 
from our kids that will give us a better sense of the degree to which kids 
are engaged in the use of chemicals," Berkey said. Though anonymous surveys 
gauging student drug use have been administered in the past, Berkey said 
changes in the law now require parental permission for such surveys to be 
given, making it more difficult. Berkey said introducing drug-sniffing dogs 
to the schools is an idea the district is willing to revisit.

However, the question of whether the presence of such dogs could be more of 
a disruption than a deterrent is one Berkey said the district will have to 
examine.

The drug prevention committee will continue to work with Wellness Director 
Connie Bowler, Berkey said, to develop recommendations on moving forward 
with instituting a prevention program. Meanwhile, Perry Village Police 
Chief David Liggett said Thursday that his department has forwarded the 
case against the two Perry Middle School students to the Lake County 
Prosecutor's Office for possible charges.
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MAP posted-by: Beth