CRIME PREVENTION

By Edward T. O’Leary, Chief of Police

Teen drug and alcohol abuse is a continuing problem in our community. On Founders’ Day we saw first hand the deadly combination of alcohol and poor decision-making. Since that time, the police department has been working with the liquor license holders to implement strategies to reduce youth access to alcohol. All too many parents don’t want to face the issue, hoping that it will go away. Many parents believe that drug and alcohol abuse by teens is a “city thing” and won’t happen here. Unfortunately, we do have a problem and it is time for parents to deal with it.

Suniya Luther, a psychologist from Columbia University recently released her study of the economic factors of drug and alcohol abuse. Contrary to popular belief, drug and alcohol abuse is significantly higher among suburban youth than those from the urban city areas. In her study she finds “early and excessive substance abuse among well-to-do adolescents” that is triggered by isolation and pressure. Luther goes on to state that teens find alcohol and drugs as a way to comfort themselves from stresses of life.

Although we often perceive drug abuse and drinking a “guy thing”, Luther found that 1/3 of girls in the suburbs used an illicit substance in the past year, twice the rate of their urban counterparts. Boys that were seen as drinkers were perceived as having a higher social standing than non-drinkers.

There is no escaping the fact that our children are under pressure. MCAS, college admissions, sports obligations, parent expectations and fitting in with peers can become a pressure cooker for kids. At the same time, our children see more advertising for liquor ads in their magazines than we do as adults. Georgetown University found that our children see 45% more beer ads than we do as adults. At the same time, teens often think their drinking is “OK” and “under control” because they think their friends are drinking more. We all know how easy we can rationalize our own behavior when we see someone do something worse.

It is important that all of us work together on this issue. The Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) has shown that family communication can reduce the risk of you child experimenting with alcohol and drugs.

Ellen Ross, a director at CASA has said “Parents think that their kids don’t want them involved in their lives but that is not the case. Kids want boundaries and they want to hear what is acceptable and what’s not.

On Tuesday, October 22^nd, Kevin Murphy of the school department has arranged to bring in a nationally known speaker on substance abuse issues. During the day, Jim Dedera will be meeting with peer leader groups from across the country; while on Wednesday the 23^rd, he will talk with students at the Ahern School. I am inviting every parent to come to the Ahern School at 7:00 PM and participate with us in forming a community and individual strategy that can help us protect all the children in Foxboro. In fact, Jim Dedera’s presentation kicks off National Red Ribbon Week, where parents and their children have an ideal situation to talk about substance abuse.