Loading...
1998-05-07City of Southlake, Texas Drug and Alcohol Awareness Committee May 7, 1998 Minutes Members Present: Doug Strickland, Jacky Brooks -Lawrence, Vic Awtry, Courtney Smiter Members Absent: Wayne Moffat, Bret Boren, Joe Monfort, Erin Anderson, Justin Willingham, Roxane Matela-Berenbeim Ex-Officio Members Absent: Nancy Moffat, Brad Bradley Staff Support Present: Shelli Siemer, Sean Leonard, Elizabeth Rowland, Betty Sullivan, Jeff Marler Guests Present: Brad Bartholomew, Margaret Melton Agenda Items Agenda Item No. 1. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 6:05 p.m. by Chairperson Jacky Brooks -Lawrence. Agenda Item No. 2. Invocation An invocation was given by Jacky -Brooks Lawrence. Agenda Item No. 3. Roll Call Jacky -Brooks -Lawrence reviewed the attendance list. ALYenda Item No. 4. Presentation: Ms. Barbara Hopkins. Tarrant Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Barbara Hopkins distributed a number of different handouts to the committee members and guests. Ms. Hopkins talked to the committee about drug and alcohol addiction indicating that addiction is hereditary. She stated that most of the problems tie back to the family unit. The key is educating parents. The reason people turn to drugs is to make them feel better and to forget about their problems. The most abused drug among teens is alcohol. Kids believe that marijuana is the least harmful drug and that it is not addictive. What they don't know is that the marijuana today is 20% more potent that it was in the 1960's. Marijuana is a dangerous drug. It affects a woman's reproductive system, it affects vision, and it is addictive. Cigarettes are now the gateway drug and teenage smoking is up 25 % . Heroin is the newest drug of choice for kids and it is extremely dangerous. The committee asked Barbara about programs that are effective. She stated that basic parenting programs are effective. Parents need to know their child's friends and the parents of their child's friends. Parents need to know the signs and symptoms of drug use and should talk truthfully to their kids about drugs. The symptoms of early drug abuse can get confused with the symptoms of adolescence: 1. Lack of accountability - teens lying or avoiding parents about their whereabouts and activities. 2. Marked difference in the child's mood without a specific event causing the mood change. 3. Paraphernalia- suspicious items in the child's room or car which may indicate drug abuse. Parents need to familiarize themselves with paraphernalia and slang terms in order to be educated about the signs of drug abuse. This education can keep parents connected with their kids. The committee asked Barbara about how the committee should communicate to parents. Barbara strongly recommends visibility with fliers, anti -drug posters, pamphlets, resources with phone numbers and contacts, etc. Most parents do not believe their child has a problem. Educating the parents in the community will be a slow process and should not be considered an event. The committee asked Barbara whether she has experience with schools who are enforcing mandatory drug testing. She supports mandatory drug testing in schools. It encourages kids to modify their behavior because there will be consequences if they test positive. Legally the schools can test the kids involved in extra -curricular activities. Barbara suggested that the committee raise awareness levels in adults to increase the level of support for drug testing in the schools. Agenda Item No. 5. Approval of Minutes from the April 2, 1998 meeting Vic Awtry made the motion to approve the minutes from the 4/2/98 meeting. Doug Strickland seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Agenda Item No. 6. Administrative Comments Elizabeth Rowland reported that there is a meeting on May 11th at 10:00 a. in. at the Irving City Council Chambers. Agenda No 7 Sub -Committee A Report: Survey Community Youth to Define Problems. During the sub -committee meeting on April 16th the survey committee discussed the survey for parents. The sub -committee reviewed options of surveying the parents of 5th - 12th graders in addition to surveying the other residents of the City of Southlake. Due to time constraints, the sub -committee recommends surveying the parents of 5th - 12th graders. In the future, the survey may be included in the City of Southlake newsletter to obtain input from the remaining residents of the city. Sean Leonard will get at least 10 teen court volunteers and Jacky will recruit 10 adult volunteers to prepare the surveys for bulk mailing. They will meet on May 13 at 5:00p.m. Doug Strickland made the motion to have the committee distribute the survey to CISD parents of 5th-12th graders with volunteers helping with the mailing. Vic Awtry seconded the motion. The committee unanimously approved the motion. Agenda No. 8. Sub -Committee B Report: Research Existing Successful Programs. Brad Bartholomew reported on the programs they have found which may be successful in Southlake. There is an excellent resource book which clearly identifies the various drug prevention programs by displaying the success rates, costs associated with implementation, etc. Elizabeth Rowland also gave Brad a resource book which compiles all the drug prevention programs. The sub -committee interviewed the city's DARE officers to find out more about the DARE program. Brad stated that he was very impressed with the program and that the DARE officers have the passion to educate kids about drug prevention. Elizabeth Rowland stated that the survey of the kids included a needs assessment section and the results should be combined with the program recommendations. Agenda No. 9. Sub -Committee C Report: Parental Peer Pressure - Educating Parents. The sub -committee is working on their recommendations to the full committee and has many great ideas to educate parents. Barbara's presentation reiterated the importance of focusing on parents. The committee discussed at great length the possibility of providing alternative activities to provide for the youth of the community. The committee also discussed the pros and cons of mandatory drug testing students at the school. Agenda Item No. 10. Meeting Adjourned The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:00 p.m. Submitted Secretary Approved Jacky rooks -Lawrence, Chairperson