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January 2000 - The San Diego Union-Tribune
Healthy, drug-free communities can exist
By Mary Harrison
Every one of us foots the bill for substance abuse one way or the other.
The cost of alcohol and drug abuse in San Diego County adds up to $1.8 billion
a year in treatment and health care, public safety and social welfare. This
is not to mention the personal price families, friends and co-workers pay
in destroyed lives.
Currently, alcohol, tobacco and marijuana pose major problems for teen-agers.
According to a survey of more than 9,000 San Diego high school students
taken for the 1999 Substance Abuse Summit, 57 percent feel alcohol is a
problem, 47 percent say tobacco concerns them, and 27 percent consider marijuana
a big issue. Consider 1999s shocking statistics:
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Most
teen-age suicide victims had methamphetamine in their systems. |
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Children
were present at one-third of methamphetamine lab busts in the county. |
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More
than half of all San Diego County high school seniors crossed the
San Ysidro border into Tijuana to drink alcohol-many drinking themselves
into a stupor, returning to the United States too intoxicated to drive,
yet endangering themselves and others on the freeways. |
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Four
percent of high school students consumed alcohol every day. In the
last month, 52 percent of 12th graders in the metropolitan area drank
alcohol – 80 percent in rural East County. |
The community at large feels the impact of drug abuse:
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Forty
percent of San Diego residents stayed in at night and secured their
homes because they feared drug-related problems. |
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Substance
abusing employees were one-third less productive, absent from work
twice as often, and filed five times as many worker's compensation
claims. |
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The
facts about substance abuse are not a lot to celebrate as we move
on to the brave new millennium, but they should fuel our resolve.
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Entire
communities, including law enforcement, schools, businesses, government
agencies, youth, parents and grandparents, apartment and homeowner's
associations, neighborhoods, congregations and faith communities can
work collaboratively to address substance abuse. |
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Businesses
can encourage drug-free workplaces by setting policies. |
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Adults
can be encouraged to make low-risk drinking choices and not drink
and drive. |
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Alcohol
retailers can adopt policies to sell and serve responsibly, which
means no sales to minors or obviously intoxicated adults. |
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Community
members can support police efforts to enforce DUI and zero tolerance
laws against alcohol and drug impaired driving. |
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San
Diegans can participate in community-based, substance-abuse prevention
initiatives like Communities Against Substance Abuse. |
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Neighbors
can spread the word about the county's anonymous Methamphetamine hotline
(1-877-NO-2-METH) to report suspicious activity or to get help. |
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In
the past, substance abuse has torn at the very fabric of the family.
In 2000, families can take preventive action. |
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Parents
can support laws that outlaw outdoor alcohol advertising where children
live, play and go to school. Research indicates a direct correlation
between advertising and underage alcohol use. |
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Family
members can talk to children about drugs and prevention. Research
shows the more parents and community members become involved with
their children, the less likely the youth are to be influenced by
drugs and alcohol. |
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Adults
can resolve to never provide alcohol to youth. Drinking alcohol under
age 21 is against the law. Plus, studies show that the longer a person
delays first use of alcohol, the less likely he or she is to face
life-long alcohol problems. |
Despite the gloom-and-doom reports surrounding the millennium, things are
better than they were. A recent survey commissioned by the Partnership for
a Drug-Free America shows that across-the-board drug use is leveling off
among teen-agers, and marijuana use is declining.
Drug use overall among Americans is falling, according to the Office of
National Drug Control Policy. Thirteen million Americans are currently illegal
drug users, compared to 20 million in 1980.
Healthy, drug-free communities can exist. We can resolve to create communities
where kids pass love notes instead of nickel bags. In the new millennium,
children will fall asleep in class because they stayed, up late – studying.
Students will have lockers again because there are no more drugs. Adults
will talk with and listen to children about drugs and alcohol – and lead
by example.
Let's start the new millennium with a resolution to advance community norms,
values and standards to the point where substance abuse is just not an option.
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