'CRANKTOWN'
METH HAS AFFECTED 8 OUT OF 10 PEOPLE IN THIS RURAL COMMUNITY No one can tell you exactly where Beulah starts and where it ends.
In the northeast corner of Lee County, its tangled roads stretch from west of Beulah High School to the backwaters of Lake Harding.
Many of its citizens work in Opelika, Auburn, Columbus and Valley, Ala.
They live on farms and in lake cabins. Some people have lived here all their lives. Others have recently moved here to take advantage of Beulah's rolling meadows and hidden sloughs.
Unless you looked at the 2000 U.S. Census Bureau statistics, you wouldn't know that nearly 50,000 people live within 10 miles of the high school. The average working person makes slightly less than $20,000. The average household income is slightly less than $40,000, according to 2003 census estimates. Nearly 29 percent of the people 25 years old and older do not have a high school diploma.
But beneath the placid surface of this rural community lies a dark secret.
For the past seven years, a growing drug problem has made this the unofficial methamphetamine capital of the Chattahoochee Valley.
Welcome to "Cranktown, USA."
The drug --- often called crank, among other things --- has been the target of intense investigation by a number of law enforcement agencies, including the Lee County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
By one man's count, nearly 60 residents from this area have gone to prison on methamphetamine charges. Last year, the Lee County Sheriff's Office made 104 methamphetamine cases ranging from possession to manufacturing. About 40 percent of those cases were in Beulah, estimates Lee County Sheriff's Capt. Van Jackson. (In 1999 when Lee County law enforcement was beginning the meth fight, methamphetamine arrest and case figures were not kept.)
Bill Bryan, the pastor of The Bridge Assembly of God church, has been there 14 years. He calls meth "a weapon in the enemy's hand."
"It has economically ruined families," Bryan said. "It has created distrust within families. They don't know who they can trust within their own families."
The Ledger-Enquirer interviewed more than a dozen people --- including law enforcement officials, methamphetamine users and family members impacted by the drug.
A sobering reality emerged: The drug has touched eight out of 10 people living here. It has destroyed users, wrecked families and sapped the spirit of this community.
Huge impact
Delinda Nelson is a 48-year-old grandmother. She is raising two kids because their mothers chose meth over family.
Nelson's 31-year-old daughter has served time in an Alabama prison for a meth-related conviction. Her daughter is out of prison now, living in Beulah. But Nelson has had custody of her 10-year-old granddaughter for eight years. Two months ago she took in a 4-year-old girl from one of her friends when the child was faced with being put in foster care because the young girl's mother was involved with a man using methamphetamine.
Nelson owns Anna's Way, the largest convenience store in Beulah. She sells food and gas.
Two of her brothers have broken into her store and stolen cash to support their meth habits, Nelson said.
Nelson bought her store in 1999. By 2000 she started seeing a change in the community and her customers. She called the Lee County Sheriff's Office when she found a portable meth lab in the trash beside her business.
"It was weird," Nelson said. "It had tubes sticking out and looked like part of an aquarium. I called the detectives. It went from there to an every night thing. It was like it was at my front door all the time."
She began selling a lot of cold tablets containing pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in cooking meth.
She didn't know it was being used to make illegal drugs.
"I thought everybody in East Alabama had a cold," she said.
Today Nelson, who no longer sells pseudoephedrine products, can point out the people who are using the drug.
"They have an unusual skin color," Nelson said. "It looks almost like they were embalmed --- washed out, flushed out. They smell like mayonnaise. Their hands age --- almost like arthritis. They have cracked teeth. They start crumbling apart like chalk."
But it is the attitude that sticks out.
It's " 'To hell with the world,' " Nelson said.
Others have seen the personality changes, too.
Dennis Wilson is 44 and has lived in Beulah all his life. He and his wife are raising his stepdaughter's 4-year-old girl and 1-year-old boy. The children's mother has a methamphetamine problem.
"It alters the mind," Wilson said. "There is no doubt in my mind, my stepdaughter loves her children. But she knows that her mother and I won't let the children go without. We have offered her rehab. She comes up with a thousand different reasons not to. You can't make someone go through it."
People here often wonder why the methamphetamine problem reaches so deep into the social fabric of the community.
"I have heard it called Cranktown," Bryan said. "Why is it here? I don't know. It could be because of the lack of anything to do. Maybe the church has not offered enough to do as an alternative. At some point, the church has to become effective enough that there is no need for drug dealers to be in the area."
Destroying lives
Capt. Jackson has worked methamphetamine cases in Beulah for the better part of a decade.
He said you can't underestimate the damage the drug has done to the community.
"Anytime you have an area where using and abusing drugs becomes commonplace, it affects the attitude of those not involved," Jackson said. "It is not as safe. You have the perception that the bad people are running the community. The drug infestation leads to other crimes. It has destroyed a lot of people's lives that would have been strong pillars of the community."
Some meth users and abusers are easily identifiable.
"The biggest impact of this to me is people lose their ambition," said 35-year-old Mechelle Mouriski, a lifelong Beulah resident. "They have no care or drive. They live for the moment with no vision for the future. They can't keep a job. Drive down through here on a Friday night, you'll see the chickenheads."
The Beulah methamphetamine problem hits people of all ages.
Talk to Nelson's 10-year-old granddaughter, Chelsea. The little girl's sweet smile quickly fades when she's asked about her mother.
With Nelson --- a woman she calls "Nanna" --- at her side, Chelsea talked recently about her mother's drug problem.
The following is an exchange between Chelsea and a reporter:
Why do you live with your grandmother?
"Because my mom is on drugs. She doesn't know I know. She thinks it's a secret."
What are drugs?
"She is taking medicine when she is not sick."
How do you know?
"A bunch of times she will go into the bathroom with a piece of aluminium and a straw."
Chelsea has a younger sister who is being raised by the girls' father.
Nelson took her grandchildren to see their mother in prison. The kids were strip-searched before they could go in.
"Now, you want your heart ripped out and thrown on the floor, you go through that," Nelson said.
Nelson sees her daughter almost daily when she comes into the store for food. She knows her daughter, now 31, hasn't beaten meth.
She almost wishes she would get caught.
"I had rather see her in prison than see her out here killing herself," Nelson said.
The lasting impact
Like many of those in Beulah who have been hurt by this, Nelson can tell when someone is struggling.
"When someone comes in here and says, 'I need a hug,' I know it is real," Nelson said. "I am in it, too."
Wilson and others say you can feel the effects of meth on Beulah daily despite the fact that the problem has gotten better in recent years.
"You can pick up the (Opelika-Auburn News) and see the list of police articles --- burglaries and thefts," Wilson said. "They are rampant in this area. The addict will do anything to be able to buy it. The people who make it would do anything to get the necessary ingredients to make it."
Everything from lawn trimmers to boat motors have come up missing. Though it is not easy to directly connect the thefts, Jackson, the Lee County detective, said it is not a stretch to do so.
"Logic says they are doing it to support a habit and get the items to produce the drug," Jackson said. "They would take the items to get the pills, the gas or whatever."
People here have reason to hope: The methamphetamine problem is not as severe as it was five years ago.
"It is still a problem, but not as prevalent," Jackson said.
Nelson, too, believes the problem is getting a little better.
"On a scale of 1 to 10, we're at a 6 right now," she said. "In 1999, we were at a 10."
The progress has been made through stricter law enforcement and more awareness of the problem.
But Jackson knows some of the problem just relocated when his office and the federal agents began making cases.
"They fled," Jackson said. "They went over to Chambers County. They went to different areas of Lee County or into Columbus or LaGrange."
Contact Chuck Williams
at (706) 320-4485 or
chwilliams@ledger-enquirer.com
EDITOR'S NOTE
This week is Red Ribbon Week, a time when communities try to heighten awareness of the dangers of drug use. The Ledger-
Enquirer is presenting a series of stories about methamphetamine, a powerful drug that is gaining a hold on the Valley.
Through corporate sponsorships, we're putting the stories in the hands of middle and high school students in Muscogee, Harris, Taylor, Talbot, Schley, Chattahoochee, Marion, Meriwether, Sumter, Stewart and Quitman counties in Georgia; Russell and Lee counties in Alabama and Fort Benning.
"There is no doubt in my mind, my stepdaughter loves her children. But she knows that her mother and I won't let the children go without. We have offered her rehab. She comes up with a thousand different reasons not to. You can't make someone go through it."
TIPS FOR PARENTS
As a parent, you are much more powerful than you think. Upsetting their parents is the No. 1 reason why kids do not use drugs, and kids who learn about the risks of drugs from parents are only half as likely to start using.
Get and stay closely involved with your kids' lives as they head through middle school and into high school. You won't connect well with your kids about serious health issues if you haven't been interested in the day-to-day events of interest to them.
Begin the dialogue when your kids are young. Set a "no-use" expectation, including for alcohol, and make it explicit.
Monitor your kids. Kids whose parents supervise them closely are only half as likely to develop a drug problem.
Be the parent, not just the pal. Your kids already have friends, but they need parenting.
Don't wait --- know the warning signs and act early. If you suspect your child has a drug or alcohol problem, you are probably right, and need to learn more about the problem and steps for helping: Intervene early, find the right type of help, and be persistent. Warning signs include sudden changes (which are otherwise unexplained) in personality, irritability and mood swings, habits and friends, excessive secrecy, and finding drug paraphernalia.
Dennis Wilson, 44, who has lived in Beulah his entire life
"Why is it here? I don't know. It could be because of the lack of anything to do. Maybe the church has not offered enough to do as an alternative."
Bill Bryan, pastor of The Bridge Assembly of God church in Beulah
Source: www.drugfree.org
Illustration: Photos by Robin Trimarchi
Date: 10/27/2005 Edition: LEDGER-ENQUIRER Page: A1 Source: CHUCK WILLIAMS, AND KAFFIE SLEDGE Staff Writers
SHATTERED BY METH
METHAMPHETAMINE HITS FAMILIES HARDER, FASTER THAN OTHER DRUGS Turn to John 10:10 in the Bible "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy . . . " the verse starts.
Jerry Sanders, a 51-year-old Lee County man, knows the Scripture well, but he doesn't wait for the end of the verse to be read.
He finishes it this way:
"I have seen all three of those."
Yes, he has.
The thief? Methamphetamine.
The illegal drug all but destroyed Sanders' family. One of his two sons, Jonathan Darryle Sanders, 28, is serving an 11-year sentence in federal prison in Jesup, Ga., for manufacturing methamphetamine.
After his son "made a bad connection" in the late 1990s, his twin daughters followed their big brother into the meth culture. They dropped out of high school and became uncontrollable. Today, one of those daughters is alive and off the drug, and the other is dead. She was killed in an automobile accident while going to see a friend jailed in north Alabama on methamphetamine charges.
Sanders and his wife are raising that daughter's 5-year-old girl.
To understand what the drug did to his family, let Sanders tell you about them before meth.
"We were living a fairy tale," Sanders said. "We had four children and they were all honor students. They were in the band. Darryle was the only boy in his class to make the superintendent's scholastic honors list."
Sanders said he had never heard of the drug before it hit his family.
"Before my son got involved, I didn't even know meth existed," Sanders said.
But he knows what it did to his family.
"The way I describe it, meth happens so suddenly," Sanders said. "It was like someone flew over my house and dropped a bomb."
It destroys
Jim Vaughns, director of New Horizons' Intensive Substance Abuse Day Treatment program in Columbus, has heard stories like Sanders' before.
"The child becomes distant from the family," Vaughns said. "The family doesn't know what is going on."
That leads to bigger problems.
"The meth user throws off the harmony --- the balance --- in the family," Vaughns said. "The family is then thrown into turmoil and everybody has concerns about what's going on."
Some parents do know the child is on something, but don't know what to do or say.
That's what happened to Sanders.
He suspected something was going on in the shop behind his home, but he couldn't figure it out.
"I had my suspicion," Sanders said. "I would set the alarm for 2 and 3 in the morning. I would try and catch him doing something. I would stand outside the shop. All I heard was tales of hunting and fishing. He was very crafty."
After years of retrospection, Sanders still can't come up with the moment he discovered his son was on meth.
"There was never a clear, defining moment where I could say my son was on drugs," Sanders said. "I am analytical by nature. He's always been high energy. He's like a bottle rocket, whichever direction he is aimed when you light his fuse, that is the direction he would go just as fast as he can."
Darryle Sanders was aimed for trouble.
"This is the time the parents need to get involved in programs --- such as New Horizons has to offer --- to help them work through these issues," he said. "Not only the child who has the problem, but also the family members who have problems --- because it is very destructive."
Darryle Sanders' drug problem quickly infiltrated the rest of the family.
"He was their hero," Jerry Sanders said of his son's relationship with the twin sisters. "When Darryle made a bad connection, unfortunately his sisters followed suit."
Hard to treat
Addicts and those trying to help them agree that people hooked on meth can't be helped until they reach the bottom.
That is what happened to Brenda Tapley, 25, of Valley.
At times, her mother had tried to force her into rehab and she resisted. Once, she walked out of St. Francis Hospital after telling those trying to help her that "they were stupid" to think she was on drugs.
When she hit bottom, her mother --- Kathy McClellan, 45, of Valley, Ala. --- was there to help, even after Brenda had stolen from her parents to support her habit.
Tapley said meth alters your perspective of right and wrong.
"It is me and mine and I am going to get mine, even if I have to take yours," Tapley said. "It didn't matter --- you would rob your best friend."
With the help of her mother and her church, The Bridge Assembly of God in Beulah, Ala., Tapley was ushered into a faith-based 90-day treatment program, which she recently completed.
Lt. Heath Taylor, a veteran narcotics officer with the Russell County Sheriff's Department, says it is a myth that people can't beat meth.
"I have seen people get off meth," he said. "It is not a drug that can't be beat."
But it isn't easy.
"Once you get hooked, it is very difficult to overcome," said Phenix City criminal defense attorney Jeremy Armstrong. "I have had clients who just can't overcome it. If they have been using for a significant time, they are going to have to have in-house treatment. It is not something you can do in a 28-day treatment period."
Suzi Kahler is clinical director for House of T.I.M.E., a Columbus residential drug-treatment program for women.
"Meth abusers have been described by some treatment providers as the hardest to treat of all drug users," Kahler said. "Some people never recover and remain dissatisfied with life due to permanent brain damage."
Kahler said that the meth addict needs help to come clean.
"Willpower alone will not prevent relapse in meth addiction," Kahler said.
She has noticed a scary trend.
Some of the women at the House of T.I.M.E are addicted to alcohol or crack, but their children are using meth.
Why?
"It's cheap," Kahler said. "It's easy to make."
Family impact
Andrea Amerson, community marketing representative for Bradford Health Services, leads community programs on meth education.
She said the thing that touches her the most is watching the impact methamphetamine has on the entire family.
"In my opinion, the reason that meth is different from other drugs is the way it attacks the family --- not only the person who is addicted to methamphetamine, but the entire family suffers pretty much immediately," Amerson said. "Meth turns your life inside out; it turns the person inside out. You're not going to want to be around your family."
Meth's impact on a family is different from that of other drugs.
"Alcohol is very different," Amerson said. "You want to be with your family, you want to be social, even with crack cocaine --- because the high does not last as long as with meth. While on crack there is a period when the person still wants to go back to family.
"With meth, you distance yourself from all of that."
You don't have to tell Sanders what methamphetamine can do to a family. He knows all too well.
"I had a secretary where I used to work say, 'Jerry, I know you. If this could happen to you, it could happen to anybody,' " Sanders said.
+/-
Contact Chuck Williams
at (706) 320-4485 or
chwilliams@ledger-enquirer.com
+/-
See METH, Page A3
METH x Former user says meth alters your perspective of right and wrong
From A1
+/-
This week is Red Ribbon Week, a time when communities try to heighten awareness of the dangers of drug use. Through corporate sponsorships, the Ledger-Enquirer is putting this series on methamphetamine in the hands of middle and high school students in Muscogee, Harris, Taylor, Talbot, Schley, Chattahoochee, Marion, Meriwether, Sumter, Stewart and Quitman counties in Georgia; Russell and Lee counties in Alabama and Fort Benning.
We take a look at another drug, steroids.
It's hitting closer to home than you might think.
COMING
SUNDAY
TIPS FOR FAMILIES
"Some people never recover and remain dissatisfied with life due to permanent brain damage."
Suzi Kahler, clinical director for House of T.I.M.E., a Columbus residential drug-treatment program for women
+/-
+/-
Brenda Tapley
DIFFERENT DANGEROUS HIGHS
Brenda Tapley, a former meth user from Valley, Ala., started using drugs when she was 14. She is 25 today and recently completed a faith-based drug rehab program. This is how she describes the highs when she was using:
Marijuana: "You would be dazed. You would sit back and everything was funny. It made you lazy."
Powder cocaine: "You have to get up and do something. It speeds you up. You're not thinking about tomorrow --- just right now."
Crack cocaine: "Bam, it's all over. The high doesn't last five minutes. It's an expensive habit."
Meth: "It lasts for hours. It makes you numb. You clean, draw, write. You just got to be doing something. The highs are extremely high. The lows are extremely low."
+/-
Chuck Williams
HOW TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT DRUGS
> Use blocks of time such as after dinner or driving in the car to talk about drugs and why they're harmful.
> Point out alcohol, tobacco and drug-related situations going on in your own neighborhood.
> Use newspaper headlines or TV news stories as a conversation starter.
> Watch TV with your kids, and ask them what they think. Do shows and advertising make drug use look acceptable and routine? Or do they show its downside? How do they make your child feel about drugs?
> Remember that anti-drug advertising --- such as that from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America --- is a great kickoff to discussion.
Source: www.drugfree.org
HELPING KIDS
SAY NO TO DRUGS
National studies show that the average age when a child first tries alcohol is 11; for marijuana, it's 12. And many kids start becoming curious about these substances even sooner.
> Listen carefully. When parents listen to their children's feelings and concerns, their kids feel comfortable talking with them and are more likely to stay drug-free.
> Role play how to say "no." Role play ways in which your child can refuse to go along with his friends without becoming a social outcast.
> Discuss what makes a good friend. Since peer pressure is so important when it comes to kids' involvement with drugs and alcohol, it makes good sense to talk with your children about what makes a good friend.
> If you suspect a problem, seek help. While kids under age 12 rarely develop a substance problem, it can --- and does --- happen.
> Build self-esteem. Here are some pointers:
> Offer lots of praise for any job well done.
> If you need to criticize your child, talk about the action, not the person.
> Assign do-able chores. A 6-year-old can bring her plate over to the sink after dinner; a 12-year-old can feed and walk the dog after school. Performing such duties and being praised for them helps your child feel good about himself.
> Spend one-on-one time with your youngster. Setting aside at least 15 uninterrupted minutes per child per day to talk, play a game, or take a walk together, lets her know you care.
> Say, "I love you." Nothing will make your child feel better.
Source: www.talkingwithkids.org
How to help your children say no to drugs. A3
A former addict describes how various drugs differ in their highs. A3
MONDAY
"Meth happens so suddenly. It was like someone flew over my house and dropped
a bomb.
Jerry Sanders, right, who has seen three of his children have their lives taken over by meth, including a son in prison and a daughter who was killed in a car wreck
," Sanders said. "
DRUG HITS THE WHOLE FAMILY
Date: 10/29/2005 Edition: LEDGER-ENQUIRER Page: A1
THE HIGH COST OF METH METH
A Ledger-Enquirer Special Report > October 23-29, 2005 TODAY
A big problem
It's a cheap, long-lasting high.
But methamphetamine has a nasty secret:
A hit ultimately carries a steep price.
SUNDAY
MONDAY
Cranktown, USA
Eight in 10 people: That's how many people one man estimates have been affected by meth in his hometown of Beulah, Ala.
TUESDAY
Fighting a war
Local law enforcement officials knew they were in a war on methamphetamine. Four years ago, they walked into a trailer designed to explode.
WEDNESDAY
Everybody pays
The drug may be cheap --- $20 a hit --- but the cost to the medical community, law enforcement and ultimately the user is high.
THURSDAY
A family ordeal
Jerry Sanders had the perfect family --- before meth. Today he's raising a granddaughter, one son is in prison and one daughter is dead.
FRIDAY
Search for solutions
One agent sums up the battle against methamphetamine: "It is a three-legged stool --- education, enforcement and treatment."
TODAY
Students speak up
After learning about the dangers of meth, students share their thoughts. Contact Chuck Williams at 320-4485 or chwilliams@ledger-enquirer.com
Follow the meth series online and find additional content including terminology, tips, photos and answers to questions about meth at www.ledger-enquirer.com
Editor's Note: This week is Red Ribbon Week, a time when communities try to heighten awareness of the dangers of drug use.
For the next seven days, the Ledger-Enquirer presents a series of stories about methamphetamine, a powerful drug that is gaining a hold on the Chattahoochee Valley. Through corporate sponsorships, we're putting the stories in the hands of middle and high school students in Muscogee, Harris, Taylor, Talbot, Schley, Chattahoochee, Marion, Meriwether, Sumter, Stewart and Quitman counties in Georgia; Russell and Lee counties in Alabama and Fort Benning.
If you're a parent of a teen, we encourage you to discuss these stories with your child and to use them as a way to teach about the dangers of drugs.
We take a look at another drug, steroids. It's hitting closer to home than you might think.
Follow the meth series online and find additional content including terminology, tips, photos and answers to questions about meth at www.ledger-enquirer.com.
Date: 10/29/2005 Edition: LEDGER-ENQUIRER Page: A18 Source: CHUCK WILLIAMS, Staff Writer
A BATTLE WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE The last six weeks have been a crash course in methamphetamine for me.
I've learned about the damage and the hurt methamphetamine can cause.
When I started reporting this story, all I knew was that "meth" was a synthetic drug. I knew the police --- especially over in Lee County, Ala. --- were constantly breaking up meth labs, though I had no clue what one looked like.
I now know --- thanks to the top U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent in four states --- that meth is cocaine times 10.
I know our drug cops are fighting a losing battle, one that some of them don't think they can win until society decides this is unacceptable. Meth is different from other drugs they fight to keep off the streets, because not only is it more addictive than other street drugs, it is also easily made. When it's not produced locally in clandestine labs, it's smuggled into the country by sophisticated Mexican drug cartels.
I've met people whose lives were dramatically altered by this drug. Jerry Sanders could be anyone's neighbor. He seems to be a decent, hard-working guy --- one who said meth was a "bomb" dropped on his family, landing a son in federal prison and a daughter in a grave. The pain is etched on his face and in his heart.
I know a lot more about Beulah, Ala., a rural Lee County community. I've learned it's a decent place with decent people.
But I also know Beulah has a problem. For the better part of a decade, meth has worked its evil on too many members of this community.
Does this mean everyone in Beulah is on meth? Of course not.
I've heard from many in Beulah who said this newspaper labeled their community "Cranktown USA." We used that term in a bold headline, but it came from reporting within that community.
When the largest newspaper in the region runs a 118-point headline on the front page calling your community "Cranktown USA" it hurts. Beulah High School Principal Jerry Southwell said it couldn't have hurt worse if we insulted his family on the front page.
The first reaction of many is to fight to discredit the source.
My hope is the good people of the Beulah community --- and there are a lot of them --- spend less time shooting at the messenger and more time working for a solution to the methamphetamine problem.
One step toward such a solution would be to start at a Mothers Against Meth-Amphetamine chapter in Beulah. Dr. Mary Holley, author of "Crystal Meth: They Call It Ice," founded MAMA after her 24-year-old addicted brother committed suicide.
She knows your pain.
The problem is not limited to Beulah or Lee County.
Meth sales take place too routinely in parking lots of north Columbus fast-food restaurants. There are kids out of good homes making terribly destructive decisions.
Too many parents don't know enough about methamphetamine. When parents think about drugs, we think of the marijuana many experimented with 25 years ago.
This ain't marijuana.
Consider this assessment from a 25-year-old Valley, Ala., woman who was hooked on drugs at 14.
With marijuana, she says, "You would be dazed. You would sit back and everything was funny. It made you lazy."
After being introduced to meth at 21, she described its effect this way: "It lasts for hours. It makes you numb. You clean, draw, write. You just got to be doing something. The highs are extremely high; the lows are extremely low."
The first night the drug was given to the East Alabama woman. The next night she spent $50 to get a meth high, then spent four years fighting the demon. She's clean today, but still fighting that demon.
I've seen the progressive pictures of the people hooked on methamphetamine. They go from normal to bad to worse, then to dead. If that doesn't scare you, nothing will.
I've seen people with rotting teeth. You can see the teeth, what you can't see is the rotting brain.
I'm a parent. This series has changed the way I will talk to my teenage daughters about drugs. I'm going to be more proactive.
And I am going to pray that what has already happened to too many families doesn't happen to mine.
TOO MANY PARENTS don't know enough about methamphetamine. When parents think about drugs, we think of the marijuana many experimented with 25 years ago.
This ain't marijuana.
Contact Chuck Williams
at (706) 320-4485 or
chwilliams@ledger-enquirer.com
Date: 10/30/2005 Edition: LEDGER-ENQUIRER Page: A1
HELP YOUR CHILDREN STAY AWAY FROM DRUGS
Last week, students across the Chattahoochee Valley studied about the impact drugs can make on their lives. It was part of Red Ribbon Week, a time when the anti-drug message is taken into the schools.
As part of Red Ribbon Week, the newspaper published a weeklong series about methamphetamine use in Columbus and the region.
Many of the students said they are less likely to do drugs if their parents are involved in their lives.
That involvement includes asking tough questions.
On page A3 you'll find three lists to help parents talk to children about drugs and alcohol.
Read the entire meth series online at www.ledger-enquirer.com
ADVICE FOR PARENTS
1. Substance abuse is a preventable problem. We, as parents, are much more powerful than we think. A desire to not upset us is the number one reason why kids do not use drugs, and kids who learn about drug risks from parents are only half as likely to start using.
2. Get and stay closely involved with your kids' lives as they head through middle school and into high school. You won't connect well with your kids about serious health issues if you haven't been interested in the day-to-day events of interest to them --- know which test caused half the class to flunk, which of their friends got a part in the play, who lied to their parents and went to the city with older kids.
3. Begin the dialogue when your kids are young. Talk early and often. It doesn't have to be a formal "birds and bees" type discussion, but should springboard off "teachable moments" --- like an incident in their town or school, a problem in your extended family, a popular music video or movie, or something on the news. Set a "no-use" expectation, including for alcohol, and make it explicit.
4. Monitor your kids. Kids whose parents supervise them closely are only half as likely to develop a drug problem. Know the "who, what, why, where, when" of their activities, compare notes with other parents, and continue this practice as kids hit middle school, even when you no longer know all their friends, and friends' families.
5. Be the parent, not just the pal. Your kids already have friends, but they need parenting. Consistently enforce boundaries for your family that apply even when kids are in other settings, or with families that have different rules. Teens like to be trusted, and will feel supported by clear and consistent boundaries that are explained in advance and are based on our love and concern for their well-being.
6. Addiction is a health problem. It does not happen because someone is "a bad person," but is an illness that is in fact the number one preventable adolescent health problem, (The American Academy of Pediatrics.) It is not your fault. Stigma and shame due to past ignorance and stereotypes about the problem are unwarranted. A drug disorder can take over your life, and cause you to lie, steal and act badly toward even those you love. However, addiction has a physiological basis; chronic alcohol and other drug use change the brain and body chemistry, making it hard to stop. Thirty years ago, families were told: your son needs to develop will-power to stop using cocaine. Now we know better.
7. There is hope, help and healing available for your family if someone develops a substance abuse problem. There are objective ways to assess the problem, and many new treatments. Millions of people recover their health and turn their whole lives around, even though they tend not to be as visible as the public struggles of celebrities addicted to substances.
8. Don't wait --- know the warning signs and act early. If you suspect your child has a drug or alcohol problem, you are probably right, and need to learn more about the problem and steps for helping: Intervene early, find the right type of help, and be persistent. Warning signs include sudden changes (which are otherwise unexplained) in personality, irritability and mood swings, habits and friends, excessive secrecy, and finding drug paraphernalia. There are objective, short "screener" questionnaires that you can answer to determine the sort of problem you're facing. It's a myth that someone has to hit "rock bottom" before seeking and getting help. Without help, addiction tends to progress and can even, eventually, be fatal. Although earlier intervention is best, it is possible to get help at any stage of addiction, and success rates with quality treatment are comparable to those for other illnesses like diabetes, asthma or hypertension.
9. Help is not just "rehab." Most people recover from addiction without formal, in-patient treatment or "rehab." There are many paths to wellness, including out-patient medical help, and sometimes a combination of treatment and a 12-Step, self-help program, which holds free meetings any time during the week, near enough to get to.
10. Addiction runs in families, similar to illnesses like cancer or heart disease. Kids who have a family pattern are at much higher risk of addiction if they use drugs or alcohol at all; no recreational use can stay safely under control, particularly during the formative years of adolescence. Families with a history of alcoholism or drug addiction should talk about this, so their kids are aware. If there is a problem developing, family involvement and support makes treatment work better. Everyone --- the addicted child and the parents and siblings --- need strong help and mutual support to solve the problem.
11. You are not alone. Substance abuse is common among teens, and drug addiction doesn't discriminate. It cuts across race, gender and economic lines, every region of this country, and every walk of life. Most people now know someone who has struggled with addiction, and one in four teenagers is now living with an addicted parent. Take heart. More than anything, families need confidence that recovery is possible, and encouragement, information and professional support to heal this problem.
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Source: www.drugfree.org
STARTING A CONVERSATION
Starting a conversation about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs with your kids is never easy --- but it's also not as difficult as you may think.
Your teens may be pressing for independence, but the truth is they need to hear from you. Use blocks of time such as after dinner, before bedtime, before school or on the drive to or from school and extracurricular activities to talk about drugs and why they're harmful.
Take advantage of everyday "teachable moments" and, in no time at all, you'll have developed an ongoing dialogue with your child. The phrase "teachable moments" refers to using everyday events in your life to point out things you'd like your child to know about. Use the following "teachable moments" as a starting point, but develop others based on your own life:
> Point out alcohol, tobacco, and drug-related situations going on in your own neighborhood. If you and your child are at the park and see a group of kids drinking or smoking, use the moment to talk about the negative effects of alcohol and tobacco.
> Use newspaper headlines or TV news stories as a conversation starter. The daily news is filled with stories that detail the consequences of alcohol and drug abuse. Talk to your child about the mother who used drugs and was arrested. Who will take care of her baby now? Did she make a good decision when she used drugs?
Watch TV with your kids, and ask them what they think. Do the shows and advertising make drug use look acceptable and routine? Or do they show its downside? Write a letter with your child to companies or TV networks about the messages they put out about drugs. Also remember that anti-drug advertising --- such as that from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America --- is a great kickoff to discussion.
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Source: www.drugfree.org
HELP CHILDREN DISTINGUISH FACT FROM FICTION
The issue of drugs can be very confusing to young children. If drugs are so dangerous, then why is the medicine cabinet full of them? And why do TV, movies, music and advertising often make drug and alcohol use look so cool?
We need to help our kids to distinguish fact from fiction. And it's not too soon to begin. National studies show that the average age when a child first tries alcohol is 11; for marijuana, it's 12. And many kids start becoming curious about these substances even sooner.
> Listen carefully --- Student surveys reveal that when parents listen to their children's feelings and concerns, their kids feel comfortable talking with them and are more likely to stay drug-free.
> Role play how to say "no" --- Role play ways in which your child can refuse to go along with his friends without becoming a social outcast.
> Encourage choice --- Allow your child plenty of opportunity to become a confident decision-maker. An 8-year-old is capable of deciding if she wants to invite lots of friends to her birthday party or just a close pal or two. A 12-year-old can choose whether she wants to go out for chorus or join the school band. As your child becomes more skilled at making all kinds of good choices, both you and she will feel more secure in her ability to make the right decision concerning alcohol and drugs if and when the time arrives.
> Be a good example --- Children will do what you do much more readily than what you say. So try not to reach for a beer the minute you come home after a tough day; it sends the message that drinking is the best way to unwind. Offer dinner guests non-alcoholic drinks in addition to wine and spirits. And take care not to pop pills indiscriminately. Your behavior needs to reflect your beliefs.
> Discuss what makes a good friend --- Since peer pressure is so important when it comes to kids' involvement with drugs and alcohol, it makes good sense to talk with your children about what makes a good friend. To an 8-year-old you might say, "A good friend is someone who enjoys the same games and activities that you do and who is fun to be around"; 11- to 12-year-olds can understand that a friend is someone who shares their values and experiences, respects their decisions and listens to their feelings. Once you've gotten these concepts across, your children will understand that "friends" who pressure them to drink or smoke pot aren't friends at all.
> Build self-esteem --- Kids who feel good about themselves are much less likely than other kids to turn to illegal substances to get high. As parents, we can do many things to enhance our children's self-image. Here are some pointers:
> Offer praise for any job well done.
> If you need to criticize your child, talk about the action, not the person.
> Spend one-on-one time with your youngster. Setting aside at least 15 uninterrupted minutes per child per day to talk, play a game, or take a walk together, lets her know you care.
> Say, "I love you." Nothing will make your child feel better.
> Repeat the message --- Information and lessons about drugs are important enough to repeat frequently. So be sure to answer your children's questions as often as they ask them to initiate conversation.
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Source: www.talkingwithkids.org
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