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Parents get inside look at drugs
Parents get inside look at drugs
Published Saturday, September 20, 2008
The average age students began experimenting with drugs in Minnesota is 12-years-old. That’s according to state-wide surveys taken anonymously each year by students attending public schools.
To give parents an inside look into the drug culture their children may be exposed to, Detective Kevin Sonstebo, the Fergus Falls School Resource Officer, will be hosting the presentation, “Drug Use in Teen Culture” at 7 p.m. Monday September 22 at the Fergus Falls YMCA on Friberg Avenue.
“It will touch on what we’re seeing in the community and what we’re seeing in the schools,” Sonstebo said.
Most common within schools are alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs, Sonstebo said.
In terms of prescription medications, the concept of “pill popping parties” will be addressed — a term given to get-togethers where prescription pills from childrens’ homes or elsewhere are gathered and are taken by party-goers in either pill form or snorted in powder form.
Sonstebo will also touch on drug-related issues within the community, such as the recent trend of fruit flavored meth.
On top of clueing parents in on the realities their children face, the presentation will also focus on shedding light as to why students may turn to drug-use in the first place.
Self-medication is one common scenario. The drug-use, Sonstebo said, can start out slow, becoming habitual and eventually leading to dependency.
There will also be a number of visuals which will help parents identify paraphernalia and various warning signs that could be indications their children are at risk or are using drugs.
The presentation may be helpful for all parents, as Sonstebo says children will, at some point, be confronted with the issue.
Free childcare and refreshments will be provided by the Fergus Falls Jaycees.
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Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by whostruth (anonymous) on September 20, 2008 at 1:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I remember 25 years ago they had these kind of meetings, so called and It ended up being a witch hunt, where as to keep the focus of theirseleves, [the real dealers}, folks blamed an inocent person as the big dealer ,so called and spend alot of money and time getting this person, resulting in nothing, execpt ruining an inocent persons life and her family,by being mean ect...and in the mean time lots of drugs were filtering to kids.So if you haven't noticed it could be the buissness man next door our your freind at church.
I hope this community learned something by that and as far as I am concernerd what comes around goes around and the big guy in the sky will will give the rath needed, Shame on those who were a part of that.I am not saying this is what this one is about definetly not,,I support the knowledge and good it can do.Do it right this time Fergus.
Posted by Sumwun (anonymous) on September 20, 2008 at 11:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Uhhh...wow. Back off on the coffee.
Posted by justme (anonymous) on September 20, 2008 at 11:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
In all reality, many of the drug problems we are seeing start right in the home, either due to parents' carelesness with their own prescription drugs, or use of illegal ones. The parents you really need to reach are not the type who are going to show up at a meeting at the risk of being attacked by a drug-sniffing police dog. Sorry if you were ratted out or something, whostruth, but if this community doesn't start taking its drug problem seriously, it's not going to be a pleasant place to live anymore.
Posted by metasonics (anonymous) on September 21, 2008 at 12:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
this problem is vastly bigger than most people in this community realize, and those involved are in positions most refuse to believe. look at Sumwun's post as evidence.
do you really believe a handful of drugged out freaks are so sophisticated our police can't get catch them?
Posted by whostruth (anonymous) on September 21, 2008 at 2 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Justme, I wasn,t ratted out,I was not doing anything to be ratted on, Those who were part of it know who they are,as a matter of fact they are ruthless liers, and I do not feel sorry for anyone of of them,This has nt been a pleasent place to live for many years Justme,where have you been , I have seen so many sad issues,Seriously the last meetiong 25 years ago the type you wouldn,t think would ,showed up and look at the lies believed, so what is the result ,this community ignores the people in power, who for what ever reason protect the low live friends and family of theirs to avoid embarressment , and someone needs to be the scape goat. nothings ever gonna change if we do'nt talk about the truth.
Posted by justme (anonymous) on September 21, 2008 at 7:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry, whostruth, you're right. I don't know of the situation you speak of. I was merely stating my opinion of the drug problem as a whole. You can only educate those who choose to be educated. It's the parents and those in authority who choose to remain in denial who area a huge part of the problem.
Posted by Sumwun (anonymous) on September 22, 2008 at 12:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey..look..Cooper's gotta chime in about something else. Must have a lot going on these days. It obviously doesnt include campaiging. Havent seen a single 'Cooper' sign in anyones yard around town....and explain how the police "can't get catch them?"
Posted by almanza_navywife28 (anonymous) on September 22, 2008 at 10:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Trust me it's not just marijuana and prescription drugs when I lived there the biggest thing was meth and crack among teens I'm sure it's gotten worse. Going to bonfires is a big thing I remember one time going to a bonfire with some friends and some guy almost fell into the fire due to meth usage. These meetings won't do a thing!
Posted by concerned08 (anonymous) on September 22, 2008 at 11:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Education is the best first defense on this issue. This meeting is a good idea and I applaud officer Sonstebo for putting it on.
Posted by oh_its_you (anonymous) on September 22, 2008 at 12:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree that they aren't going to get to the kids whose parents aren't attending meetings like this one, but they will be arming parents with knowledge and that will help some of our students. Hopefully it will be a trickle down kind of a thing and once some parents catch on, some students will stop, or even better yet, not even start to use drugs. I think that the more education we can provide parents the better.
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