Solutions Sought as Local Teen Alcohol & Drug Use Rises

by Melany Gray

(March 4, 2009) “It’s the problem that won’t go away,” suggested Hommocks principal Seth Weitzman at last week’s Community Leader Forum. Dr. Weitzman was referring to the results of the 2008 Communities that Care Teen Survey, which questioned 1028 Mamaroneck School District middle and high school students about drug and alcohol use. Although the forum did not focus on the results, the statistics show that, once again, many of the teen alcohol and drug use rates in our community are on the rise and exceed national averages. Binge drinking rates among 10th and 12th graders (44% and 55%, respectively) are more than twice the national average for high school students.

Local Teens' Marijuana Use in Past 30 Days: 2002-2008

Mamaroneck teens' marijuana use in the past 30 days is up except in 10th grade. Other data show alcohol use is down in some grades, but up to 80.2% in 12th grade.

The forum and the survey both were sponsored by Larchmont-Mamaroneck RADAR, Inc. (Responsible Action: A Drug and Alcohol Resource) a community coalition committed to reducing drug and alcohol use by youth.

More than 80 people representing many sectors of the community attended the February 26 forum to discuss risk factors and local conditions that give rise to underage drinking and drug use. Local officials, religious leaders, and parents came out, as did representatives from law enforcement, prevention agencies, civic organizations and local businesses (including a liquor store). More than a dozen leaders attended from the Mamaroneck, Rye Brook and French American schools.

Over 80 community leaders attended the RADAR forum. Photo by Rocky Cipriano.

RADAR president Janet Buchbinder noted that “this kind of turnout is a testament to the willingness and readiness of our community to tackle such a serious issue head on.”

The group spent several hours discussing risk factors identified by Larch-Mamaroneck teens in the survey. Using hand-held wireless “clickers” resembling calculators to record their answers to various questions, participants indicted which factors they considered to be most relevant to this community and identified conditions they felt to be responsible. Results were displayed almost instantly in the form of a bar graph projected on a screen for all to see. “We heard every voice because of the technology,” Ms. Buchbinder explained.

Parents & Peers as Risk Factors

The group focused on three key risk factors: lack of parental supervision and discipline; parental attitudes towards drugs and alcohol; and the use of drugs and alcohol by friends.

Much of the discussion centered on the need to get parents to take responsibility for their teens. One participant relayed a community member’s frustration with parents who claim “Pilates changed my life,” suggesting that parental self-absorption adds to this community’s high statistics. A major challenge, some offered, is to educate parents, both to change their attitudes and to offer them the necessary skill sets to affect change in their teens’ behavior.

According to Superintendent Paul Fried, “this community forum yielded some very targeted and meaningful conversations that can translate into real action plans for helping our youth make wise decisions about drugs and alcohol. There’s much more work to be done, but bringing leaders together from all sectors of the community is critical, as we all have a role to play.“ Dr. Fried concluded that “the school district continues to explore new ways to assist parents in effectively keeping the lines of communication open with their children, including providing workshops and other opportunities for parents.”

Getting More Concrete?

Asked after the meeting about next steps, Ms. Buchbinder conceded that the group did not have a full opportunity to discuss activities that might impact the identified risk factors. She noted that the “action plan” was to be a second step and that the group needs to think more about “our community” – what we need to do here rather than somewhere else. She suggested that the group needed to “take it deeper,” perhaps creating a survey or focus group with kids to explore local risk factors more fully.

A complete report on the Community Forum soon will be posted on RADAR’s new website, www.LMRADAR.org. The website offers a variety of resources aligned with RADAR’s mission of reducing underage drinking and drug use and helping to keep teens safe.

Ms. Buchbinder and RADAR invite the community to a comprehensive presentation of the survey results at 7 pm on March 25th in the Hommocks Auditorium. The evening will include a discussion of parents’ concerns, as well as a presentation by national drug and alcohol education expert Mike Nerney.