As school starts parents need to be on alert

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The beginning of the school year brings many challenges; new teachers, bus routes, school supplies and a host of other new experiences. Unfortunately, part of those new experiences can often be an introduction to alcohol, tobacco and other dangerous drugs.

“As children get older we know they are more likely to be confronted with, and possibly experiment with illegal substances.” Says Sean Byrne, Executive Director of PreventionWorkz, the Regional Prevention Resource Center serving Grant, Garfield ,Kingfisher, Logan, Major and Alfalfa counties.

“In younger grades inhalant use is the most prevalent, but as children get older data shows higher rates of experimenting with methamphetamine and prescription drugs.” reports Byrne. “Obviously alcohol is the most prevalent, and most dangerous substance young people experiment with. Alcohol is responsible for more young people dying then all the other drugs combined.”

Parents are encouraged to monitor their child’s environment, including being aware of social interactions to determine any unwanted influences on their behaviors. Parents should also be aware of dangers in the home including unsecured prescription medications and easy access to alcohol.

Youth drinking and driving rates have been falling since 2008 according to Sean Byrne, Executive Director of PreventionWorkz the drug and alcohol prevention center for Northwest Oklahoma. “In 2008 we had about 28 percent of 12th graders who reported drinking and driving.” said Byrne. “In 2014 that number has fallen to 12 percent.”

The data also shows that while Garfield County is in the lower one-third of counties in the nation for alcohol related fatalities, surrounding counties are all in the upper one-third. Byrne believes this is due in part to lack of funding for enforcement and education in the rural areas of the state. “All of our prevention strategies are research-based.” Said Byrne “The data pretty much tells us who, where, and when the drunk driving is happening. We also know what laws, education and interventions work and which ones don’t. The biggest problem is getting people to recognize it’s a problem that needs to be taken seriously.”

The Logan County Partnership Coalition works to address the issue of drunk driving, along with prescription drug abuse and other substance abuse related issues. The coalition meets the third Thursday of every month. Anyone interested in being involved is encouraged to attend or can get more information by calling 580-234-1046 or emailing sean.byrne@preventionworkz.org. PreventionWorkz is funded through the Oklahoma Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.