Pubdate: Sat, 16 Apr 2005
Source: Pacific Daily News (US GU)
Copyright: 2005 Pacific Daily News
Contact: http://www.guampdn.com/customerservice/contactus.html
Website: http://www.guampdn.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1122
Author: Natalie J. Quinata
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

FORUM CALLS ATTENTION TO DRUG USE BY GUAM'S YOUTH

By The Numbers

A survey of 540 high school students showed that more than half at
each grade level were either current users or had experimented with
some type of illicit substance.

9th grade: 78 percent
10th grade: 85 percent
11th grade: 86 percent
12th grade: 92 percent

About 92 percent of all high school seniors surveyed had used drugs at
least once, according to a survey called the 1999 Safe and Drug Free
Schools and Communities of Youth Risk Behavior on Guam.

But local law enforcement officials have recently found that drug use
and experimentation are creeping into elementary schools, making youth
substance abuse prevention an even more important issue that must be
brought to the forefront of the community.

A panel of experts from various local and federal government agencies and
medical clinics brought their expertise to the table at the University of
Guam's Government Public Information class' "Deadly Lessons: Drugs in
School" community forum last night to bring attention to this alarming
problem among Guam's youth.

"How did it get so bad that 78 percent of our children are using
marijuana?" asked Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Barrett-Anderson,
Juvenile Drug Court System, referring to the 1999 survey. "Kids follow
our lead, they look at what we do."

Sgt. Arthur Paulino of the Guam Police Department's Juvenile
Investigations Section said his division is planning to combat youth
substance abuse by focusing its efforts on the drug-free school zones
and raising the awareness of the dangers of drug abuse among
elementary-aged students and other members of the public.

Paulino said also that he is attempting to have agents in the juvenile
division trained in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program.

UOG student Erika Cruz said she and her classmates had chosen the
issue not only to raise more awareness, but also to begin solving the
problem.

"Obviously GPD knows about this, but we want to keep reminding them
that we need to do something about it. It's escalating and we can't
just sit around and talk about it anymore," Cruz said.

Fellow classmate Johnric Mendiola was also hopeful that forums like
these and other activities and events will force people to remember
what is at stake in this drug war.

"The children are the future of Guam and if we want our island to
prosper, then we have to start investing in our children," he said.
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