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. - ---