Cop says drug abuse among teens would drop if
parents were more involved
By Sharon Makokian
Acorn Staff Writer

LISA ADAMS/The Acorn STAR KIDS HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE--Dep. Dave Bates from Lost Hills Sheriff's Station discusses Success Through Awareness And Resistance (STAR) during parent education night at Sumac Elementary School. The evening's topic was drugs and children. Bates told about drug paraphernalia and street names for drugs. For more information on parent education discussions such as this one, please call Principal Karen Hansen at (818) 991-4940.

Being nosey in your child’s life isn’t bad and good parenting could keep your children off drugs, according to Dep. David Bates of the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station.

Bates, a full-time drug awareness teacher in Las Virgenes Unified School District as part of the sheriff’s STAR program (Success Through Awareness And Resistance), spoke to a small group of parents about drugs at Sumac Elementary School last week.

Although drugs aren’t a problem at Sumac, fourth and fifth grades are the right time to begin teaching children strategies for decision-making and refusing drugs, said Principal Karen Hansen.

"It’s a must that we teach them at this age to give them a head start," said Bates, who teaches 2,600 children each month in the district’s elementary and middle schools.

Bates started the lecture by teaching parents various terms that kids use in references to drugs and their origins.

"When I talk to parents, nine times out of 10 they didn’t know what the words were. I want you guys to be hip to the lingo," he said.

For example, brew, sixer and kegger are nicknames for beer and alcohol is the No. 1 abused drug with local teenagers, Bates said, citing accessibility and acceptability as reasons for the popularity of alcoholic beverages.

"Alcohol tends to be in most homes. It’s socially acceptable," he said.

However, Bates believes that it’s "perfectly okay" for adults over 21 to have alcohol, as long as they don’t abuse it, and he tells his students the same thing.

While alcohol is the most abused drug, tobacco is the most addictive, he said. He blames the media’s glamorization of cigarettes for contributing to kids smoking.

"Be the one who shapes you child’s character, not the media, Internet, video games, TV or Hollywood," he told the parents.

Among other drugs, heroin, which was popular in the 1960s and 70s, "has raised it ugly head again and (usage) is on the rise," said Bates. One reason for its newfound popularity is that it can now be smoked, taking away the fear of using needles, according to Bates.

Other dangerous drugs include cocaine and methamphetamines, which are sometimes referred to as "K-Mart coke" because they give a cocaine-like high for less money.

Bates also discussed the dangers of inhalants, which are commonly found in household products that are delivered in aerosol cans.

"Kids spray it into a bag, put the bag over their mouth and inhale. The fumes go directly to the brain in seconds and kills brain cells," he said.

Bates gave parents several tips for keeping their children drug-free.

He told them to be involved in their children’s lives, even to the point of nosiness. He advised them to keep tabs on their children, knowing the names, addresses and phone numbers of their friends.

He also urged parents to get involved in their kid’s schools, know and support their teachers and school discipline policies.

"Keep the lines of communication open with your child. As soon as it stops, so does the listening," Bates said, adding that research has shown that talking to children about drugs actually does prevent abuse.