Online survey seeks comments on teen drug, alcohol use

By Pat Kumpan

Early responses to a poll about local teen drug and alcohol use suggest a crackdown on “party buses” that transport teens to proms, random drug testing of athletes, and better communication about drug offenses on campus.

Organizers of a Jan. 19 Town Hall meeting in Poway are collecting feedback about such issues via an online poll, which can be accessed at www.powaytownhall.com, according to Steve Vaus, who initiated the community forum.

By Tuesday this week, 134 people had responded to the poll with strong reaction to at least four topics. They had a choice of answering: absolutely, possibly, undecided, doubtful or no way!, along with adding comments.

An estimated 90 percent of survey takers were inclined to favor random drug testing of athletes, 67 percent said “absolutely” and 23 percent said “possibly.”

About 86 percent of the responders said they wanted to hear about drug or alcohol offenses on campus, 75 percent answered “absolutely” and 11 percent said “possibly.”

Of those comments, one person said, “when kids get caught, don’t sweep it under the rug,” while another added, “withhold names, but publish everything about arrests and anything/everything that has to do with substance abuse. No one thinks about it until we lose a child and another one, and another one. Next time, it could be your child.”

Roughly 82 percent said they favored banning party buses, suggesting that such vehicles should be stopped to check that drugs or liquor are not on board.

One adult said, “How about parents stop letting their kids use their credit cards to reserve party buses. Parents, step up and get tough.”

After the poll results are tabulated, Vaus said he and others will have a better understanding of what steps to take regarding future forums and ways that parents and teens can discuss drug and alcohol use — and who to turn to for help.

“The Town Hall meeting started a dialogue which I thought needed to happen,” Vaus added. “There will be tangible results from the poll.”

The forum was prompted in large part by a series of deaths during the past three years in Poway, such as the death of Luke Lipscomb, a Poway High teen who was shot while partying with two friends on Nov. 4 at a Poway home.

He was reportedly hallucinating while using marijuana laced with some type of hallucinogen, according to the San Diego Sheriff’s Department.

He died 10 days later. The Sheriff’s Department is conducting the investigation, which is not yet complete, according to Lt. Larry Nesbit.

While the forum was held in Poway, it was not limited Poway residents, Vaus said.

Parents with students at other Poway Unified School District schools were there, speaking freely about their concerns, he added.

Vaus said he heard a common theme throughout the two-hour discussion, “Let’s get more connected.”

One mother said that if she was noticed about incidents of head lice at her child’s school, then why not drug problems, keeping a student’s name anonymous.

She and others said letting parents know the type of drugs and details about how many students were transferred, or expelled, was important to them.

Sherrie Rubin, who along with her son, Aaron Rubin, a Poway High alumnus who survived an overdose of drugs in 2005, said last week’s meeting was “a step in the right direction.”

During the Town Hall meeting, she held up a poster of San Diego County victims who have died because of drugs or alcohol. Many were from Poway and neighboring communities, she said.

Meanwhile, Poway Unified School District has banned the possession and use of synthetic drugs, such as Spice, K2 and bath salts, now popular with teens.

In an effort to educate parents and teens, the district will be providing information about synthetic drugs during two upcoming forums:

• 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1 at Del Norte High School, 16601 Nighthawk Lane, 4S Ranch.

• 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15 at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Road, in partnership with Poway High School PTSA.

Short URL: http://www.pomeradonews.com/?p=20808

Posted by patkumpan on Jan 24 2012. Filed under Local News, Poway. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry