A panel about teen substance abuse at Ballard High School promoted the Let's Draw the Line campaign, which is intended to keep people from buying alcohol for youths.
Teen substance abuse isn’t a school, neighbor or financial problem, but a kid problem. That was one of the first things pointed out by the panel of speakers at last week’s drug and alcohol information night at Ballard High School.
The panel, which included staff members from Ballard High School and professionals from around the community, answered questions from the crowd of about 50 and offered resources for parents and students.
Some of the statistics that stood out came from the representatives from the Science and Management of Addictions foundation (SAMA). For instance, alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs are the three most common substances used amongst high school students in the US.
The SAMA representatives, Jamie Weber and Lara Okoloko, also spoke about recent trends. Marijuana usage has increased nationwide due, in part, to teen’s low perception of risk. In other words, it’s more common that teens feel marijuana won’t affect them negatively, which is increasing their usage of the drug.
On the other hand, alcohol use has actually decreased, thanks to parents who have talked to their children about the potential dangers of alcohol.
The panel also offered advice for parents. Meg Wakeman, BHS staff nurse, cautioned parents against falling into denial and, along with Chan Saelee of Asian Council Referral Services, informed the crowd of certain events to be aware of. School dances, for example, often yield a number of alcohol related incidents.
Some of the resources mentioned during the night can be found right at school. Paul Barry, who was also one of the speakers, is the mental therapist at the school’s teen health center, while Lee comes to Ballard every Monday to work with students. SAMA’s office is located close by as well, in Queen Anne.
The panel also promoted the Let's Draw The Line campaign, which is intended to keep people from buying alcohol for youths. According to the campaign, providing alcohol to minors can be punishable with fines up to $5,000 and up to a year in jail.
The event, organized by parent Julie Campbell, gave the community an opportunity to talk about a topic that carries a certain stigma, and offered advice and resources for the community.
For more information, visit http://samafoundation.org and http://letsdrawtheline.org.
