"Just Say No" is Not the Answer

In a productive meeting last night, The Bernards Township Municipal Alliance Against Substance Abuse identified the three main substances being used by the community's youth: alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drugs.

After going through local survey results and statistics that concluded Bernards Townships' substance abuse amongst adolescents is way above the national average, the Alliance tried to come up with an appropriate solution to this growing and consistent problem. 

The Municipal Alliance unanimously agreed that the best solution starts with parental education.

If parents are not aware of the circumstances, pressures, and temptations surrounding their children then they cannot stop or slow the problem. It was also recognized that the amount of pressure adults in the community put on their children to succeed in school, athletics, and on standardized tests could be a contributing factor in the high amount of substance abuse. The amount of stress on teenagers in society today is one of the reasons they feel the need to unwind and indulge in illegal substances or, conversely, turn to substances (such as stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin) to perform better. 

On Feb. 3, 2009, the American Drug and Alcohol Survey (ADAS) was conducted at William Annin Middle School and Ridge High School. There was 77 percent participation rate, with active consent granted by parents, from students in the 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grades. The ADAS is answered anonymously by over one million students nation-wide and has forty consistency checks to guarantee accurate information.  The results indicated that the percentage of alcohol use from 1995-2009 has stayed approximately the same in high school but has significantly decreased in middle school. Marijuana use has stayed under 7 percent in middle school, but risen exponentially (47 percent in 2009) by 12th grade, confirming the greater accessibility and acceptability of marijuana smoking in high school.

Another staggering statistic amongst the 12th graders is the rise in prescription drug abuse from 1 percent in 2002 to a disturbing 14 percent recorded last year. This  increase can be attributed to the larger population and the greater number of prescription drugs on the market and their easy attainability. 

Some of the most insightful comments in the meeting came from Garry Giannone, an addiction counselor for over 30 years who was far more concerned about alcohol abuse than drug abuse. "We have a drinking problem in this town, we don't have a drug problem. People just want to talk about drug problems." American culture glamorizes and glorifies drinking and drug use, Giannone said, but since alcohol is the most socially acceptable drug many parents agree to supervised drinking.

"Parents would rather have kids drinking than smoking pot," Giannone says. The 2009 ADAS found that 38 percent of 12th graders surveyed used alcohol with parental consent. Therefore "the problem," Giannone says, "is not a school problem, it is a community problem. It starts with us and trickles down to them." Parents need to change their attitude about teen partying from lax to strict.

In a focus group conducted among 33 randomly selected 8th graders at William Annin last year, the number one answer to the question "What could adults say to deter you from drugs or alcohol?" was consequences. Kids want to know the truth about the harmful effects of alcohol and drugs on their physical, mental, and emotional health. Without knowledge of these damaging results, teenagers will not think twice about experimenting with illegal substances and believe that it is fine. 

One of the main goals of the Municipal Alliance is to change the numbers. While this problem is not going to completely cease, they are aiming to, at the very least, get teenagers to indulge at a later age. The effects of early on-set alcohol and drug abuse can significantly alter brain functioning and growth. An Alliance member, Barbara Bush, brought up the fact that "a 15-year old who begins abusing alcohol is five times more likely to become an addict than a person who began abusing at the age of twenty." 

In a society where parents are too busy to come together and discuss these issues,  Dorothy Shleifer believes, "We need to start using some of the modern technology where people can listen to [this] when they can listen to it. Get into the home and not into the hall."

The first step is education and the second step is dialogue. The Municipal Alliance feels it is essential for parents to begin an open and honest discussion with their children about drugs and alcohol in order for this burgeoning community problem to change. 

2009 American Drug & Alcohol Survey Results

Bernards Township 12th Graders by the numbers:

38 percent used alcohol at home with parental knowledge

37 percent used alcohol at home without parental knowledge

12 percent used alcohol while driving 

87 percent believe that regular alcohol use will not lead to a lot of harm

71 percent believe that using marijuana regularly will not lead to a lot of harm

48 percent reported experiencing black outs

36 percent reported passing out after using alcohol

30 percent reported doing something sexually because of alcohol that they later regretted

14 percent reported hurting themselves as a result of using alcohol