Pubdate: Wed, 26 Dec 2007
Source: Newark Advocate, The (OH)
Copyright: 2007 The Advocate
Contact: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/customerservice/contactus.html
Website: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2634

SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION STARTS AT HOME

The survey of Licking Valley High School students  regarding use of
drugs, alcohol and tobacco was  disappointing in many ways. Just as
disturbing, it is  not unique to Licking Valley.

The November survey indicated more than 55 percent of  LV high school
students tried alcohol within the past  year. For seniors, the number
came out to 70 percent.

About 33 percent of the students have used tobacco and  almost 18
percent used marijuana within the past year.  A 2006 survey at Newark
High School found that 62  percent of the students said they had tried
alcohol at  some point in their lives.

According to the Monitoring the Future survey, funded  by the National
Institute on Drug Abuse and conducted  by the University of Michigan's
Institute for Social  Research, in 2007, 66.4 percent of seniors said
they  had used alcohol within the past year. At some point in  their
lifetime, 72.2 percent of seniors said they had  used alcohol.

Nationally, marijuana use was reported by 31.7 percent  of seniors
sometime in the past year.

So we have similarities to national numbers and even  might be doing
better in regards to the use of  marijuana. But this is of little comfort.

Let's be honest. These numbers are a disappointment. We  know the
destruction the use or abuse of these  substances could cause. Their
use by youngsters  especially is harmful at this point in their lives.
  Worse, they could be setting themselves up for a  lifetime haunted by
addiction.

Thankfully, students themselves, such as Licking Valley  senior
Daniella Brown, are taking it upon themselves to  inform, warn and
guide their fellow classmates.  Schools, staff and independent
organizations, such as  Students Against Destructive Decisions, also
are  working to convince students to reject this harmful  behavior.

Still, it's not a job that should be left to the  schools alone. As
always, the greatest firewall between  a student and any harmful
activity or addiction is the  family. Moms and dads need to talk to
their children,  monitor their kids and be good role models for them.

Someone once said that at home is where everybody's  story begins. It
takes actively involved parents more  than anything else to give that
story the best chance  of being a good one.
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MAP posted-by: Derek