In The NewsPolice Did Their Job; Parents Must Do Theirs
Originally printed in The Westerly Sun
Tuesday, July 22, 2008The Westerly Substance Abuse Task Force applauds the Westerly Police Department and Westerly Police Department detectives in particular for the fine work done over the past weeks that ended with eight people arrested for dealing drugs. Good riddance.
There's no place in this or any other town for drug dealers. But what was clear was that they came from all corners of this town. That's something we should all be paying attention to. Illegal drug use and abuse can be found in any neighborhood.
No family is immune. We're also not naive enough to think that this is it, done, cleaned up. No, we believe it's the tip of the iceberg.
The Westerly Substance Abuse Task Force is committed to helping educate parents so that they can teach their children to make good choices. It sounds easy. It's not.
Not easy especially when we're talking about a parent, rather than parents in about a quarter of our households. It's tough to raise kids let alone keep constant tabs. But that's what has to be done. There's no getting around it. Remember that TV commercial. "It's 10 p.m. Do you know where your children are?" That's what we have to be saying: 'where are my kids?' Who are they with? What are they doing? It's okay - you're the parent, not your daughter or son's friend.
But it's not just drugs that pose a serious problem for our youth. Underage drinking is a problem we can't ignore. All you have to do is read The Westerly Sun to see that the Westerly Police Department regularly makes arrests for underage drinking.
Some of those arrests are made on the beach, but others have occurred at parties where kids are consuming alcohol illegally. In some cases, with either the approval or knowledge of parents - in violation of the state Social Host laws.
Through a recent Strategic Prevention Framework grant, The Westerly Substance Abuse Task Force has partnered with the Westerly Police Department to conduct underage drinking "Party Patrols" and Compliance Checks.
The task force will soon again partner with Westerly Public Schools to help educate parents and kids on the dangers associated with underage drinking. Statistics show that often, when teens consume alcohol, they don't have just one.
They often drink to excess, and serious intoxication can lead to all kinds of very unhealthy (dangerous and possibly deadly) behaviors.
The Westerly Substance Abuse Task Force is committed to working with the community - schools, police, our churches and most especially parents and caregivers to keep kids safe, healthy and making good choices. But that's going to take a commitment from all of us.
We're in. Are you?
Mary Lou Serra Westerly Substance Abuse Task Force Coordinator