In the News

Panel on teens and substance abuse
October 3, 2007

Panel on teens and substances offers important information to both teens and adults in the community

The Performing Arts Center was nearly packed full on Wednesday, October 3, as parents and teens turned out to hear a panel discussion on drugs, alcohol, and teens—and the legal and health ramifications for all involved.

District Attorney Janet DiFiore was joined by Rye Police Commissioner William Connors, pediatrician Dr. Jeffrey Brown, Scott Moore, EMS Administrator, Rye Brook/Port Chester EMS and David Pease, founder of Get a GRIP Connecticut, an anti drinking and substance abuse organization, who gave a powerful keynote address.

This was a first-of-its kind effort by the Rye Youth Council—an attempt to corner the community’s attention about an issue that is ongoing here in Rye, and across the nation. The idea of bringing parents and children together to talk about substance abuse—and what it can cost you—grew out of an ongoing discussion among board members of how to best educate the public about the problems surrounding this issue. Executive Director Judy Secon and Board co-President Lorraine Levinson attended a similar panel in Rye Brook about a year ago, and thought it provocative and powerful. And they decided to try to replicate it in Rye.

Many parents reported having honest and productive conversations with their children after watching the program. “If it starts such conversations, then we’ve done something very good,” says RYC co-President Andrea Hessekiel.

The things we learned from the october 3 panel

From District Attorney Janet DiFiore:

* She would never prosecute someone who does the right thing: This means that anytime a teen passes out or otherwise seriously injures herself from an overuse of drugs or alcohol, her peers should call 911 and get help, rather than trying to avoid “getting in trouble” by either ignoring the issue or trying to get the sick person to the hospital themselves.
“Always do the right thing,” DiFiore counsels. “We are not interested in punishing children who engage in underage drinking. We are interested in assisting children in distress. The most important thing is to get help for your friend.”
* Parents who know that there are children drinking in their home (or if they got the alcohol for their kids) can be charged with the misdemeanor crimes of unlawful dealing with a child and endangering the welfare of a minor. What civil claims might stem from those crimes are not clear—though it’s likely civil claims could result.
* If parents are truly unaware – because they were out and had no knowledge – of a party, it’s unlikely they’ll be prosecuted.
* If a child 16 and under is caught in possession of alcohol or illegal drugs, the case will be handled in juvenile court, which has a rehabilitative mission. If the child is 16 or older, it will be handled in criminal court, which is punitive and where “in the eyes of the law, you’re an adult.” The same is true for marijuana or other drugs.
* There is little tolerance for Driving While Under the Influence of Alcohol (DWI.) “We treat DWI as a very serious crime. We treat it as a serious crime whether you’re 16 years old or whether you’re 50 years old. We have ratched up our work around DWI crimes because of our view of how it affects the public safety of everyone in the county…and the instances in which will allow a plea bargain have gone way down.”

From Police Chief William Connors:

* ”The big thing to keep in mind is that you can suffer awfully significant civil liability from a party at your house—whether or not you know about it. It’s your house, and if someone consumes alcohol in your house, (the ultimate disposition of the case) is subject to the lawyering skills involved. But the criminal charges are minor compared with the prospect of losing a major part of your savings or maybe even your house.”
* He agreed with DiFiore about helping a friend—even if it does result in some kind of discipline by the police. “Never forget that the memory of a trip to the police station will fade in time; the memory of a friend who died will not.”
* If your kids are in a car with someone who is using drugs and the drugs are in the glove compartment or on the console, or even on the floor of the car, your child can be arrested on drug charges, even if he or she is not using any at the time.
*If your child is at a party where such substances are being used, he or she may be rounded up in an arrest, even if not using at the time.
* Cops have a much lower tolerance for drunk driving than every before. In a drunk driving case, you are literally dealing with a weapon that can cause unspeakable harm to an innocent person. I cannot say enough how important it is to never get in a car when you’re drunk—or with a driver who is drunk. Very seldom is it the driver who gets hurt or killed. It’s the sober person who dies.”
* An adult in New York state is considered drunk with a blood alcohol level of .08 percent. For a teen, all it takes to be considered drunk is .02 percent. “All you need is a whiff of alcohol, and you risk getting locked up.”

From Dr. Jeffrey Brown:

* The consequences of substance abuse to a teen are high. A teen’s ability to make good decisions is impaired. A fight is more likely to break out. A teen is more likely to fall and get hurt, have sex with someone they’d never choose to have anything to do with, risk getting a sexually transmitted disease, an unwanted pregnancy, and a crushing blow to his self esteem.  Basically, you are at the mercy of your most stupid friend.
* Alcohol is really a poison that works on your brain and depresses the respiratory and breathing centers of your body. If you drink enough fast enough, you could stop breathing. Alcohol can lower your blood sugar and could cause seizures.
* A teen who seeks treatment from a doctor for a sexually transmitted disease, an unwanted pregnancy, or other injuries sustained due to alcohol or substance abuse can do so without having to tell his or her parents.
* Most people who suffer no ill consequences from drinking or drug use “are just lucky.”
* There is evidence that a teen’s growing brain is more likely to become addicted to substances than the brain of a fully grown adult.
* The more often you use drugs or alcohol in your teen years, the more likely you are to damage your brain or other organs in your growing body.
* Mixing alcohol with other drugs (such as allergy medications, medications for ADHD, or antibiotics) is likely to intensify the negative side effects of the alcohol and the medications and lessen the benefits of any of them.

From Scott Moore, EMS Administrator,
Rye Brook/Port Chester EMS:

* Teens don’t have the life experiences and abilities to evaluate consequences, especially when they’ve been drinking or using drugs.
* Never believe that you can take someone to the hospital yourself. Call 911 because EMTs have training and equipment to save lives. You do not.
* If someone you’re with passes out, you won’t know if it’s from alcohol, drugs, or some other cause. An EMT might be able to save that person’s life.
* He estimates there is at least one drunk driving accident per week in the Rye-Port Chester-Rye Brook area in which someone is injured.
* Your body can only process one drink per hour. If you drink faster than that, the alcohol will stay in your body, affecting your vision, heart rate, blood pressure, and more, and you could lose consciousness or even die.

From David Pease, founder of GET a GRIP Connecticut:

* The toughest job in the country is being a parent.
* Many teens will decide whether they want to smoke, drink, try drugs, or have sex with little input from their parents on any of those topics.
* We should not be afraid to have “active personal involvement” in the life of our teens.
* We should make every attempt to recognize a drug or alcohol problem in one of our children as soon as possible, and not live with “a cloak of denial.”
* We should understand that once a child enters middle school the force of societal and peer pressure doubles. “A couple of conversations on this topic with your kid won’t balance that force, much less offset it.” The message: Discuss these topics often and openly.
* Follow the ABCs: Ask about your child’s involvement in these issues, Balance the peer pressure with your own values, and Communicate regularly about it.
* A teen who has been drinking heavily will have less oxygen going to his or her brain, which makes it more difficult to make decisions and to access information.