‘You Can Make the Difference’

Reported by Laura Olney, McCASA member

The safety of our youth is the subject of a community survey being launched by the Mountain Communities Coalition Against Substance Abuse (McCASA). It is motivated in part by a recent report by Kern County Sheriff’s Deputy David Stephens, who has joined McCASA’s efforts.

Stephens was assigned to patrol in Frazier Park in August, after serving four months in Lamont. His assessment of the Frazier Mountain communities: “I am seeing a surprisingly large number of juveniles in possession of marijuana or some form of paraphernalia—more so than I have seen in Bakersfield and Lamont. Another concern for law enforcement up here is juveniles in possession of prescription medications that do not belong to them. In some cases, they are selling these prescription drugs to other juveniles.”

Recognizing the increased numbers of youth gaining access to alcohol, marijuana, and other illegal substances, McCASA was formed in 2005 through small grants to the Mountain Communities Family Resource Center.

Concerned residents, business owners, representatives from our schools and law enforcement agencies are working with professionals from the Bakersfield and Los Angeles areas to make our community a safer and healthier place to raise children.

Recently, board members from our Mountain Memories Association have expressed an interest in supporting McCASA’s work to make community events such as Fiesta Days, where alcohol is publicly sold and consumed, as safe as possible so underage youth do not have access to alcohol.

These exciting changes reflect a growing support for McCASA’s efforts to educate the public about the dangers of underage drinking and substance abuse. Our goal is to energize the adults in our communities to make the kinds of social change that will promote healthier living.

The community survey will help us in these efforts. Please participate. The survey takes about two minutes to complete and is confidential— no names are requested. Forms are available at the Family Resource Center on Mt. Pinos Way, Traffic Zone on Montery Trail, at The Mountain Enterprise office (across from Ace Hardware), and some weekends at the local post office.

Interested individuals and groups are invited to contact the Family Resource Center for more information (245-4303). Volunteers continue to seek ways to promote healthy living on the mountain and to secure grants to support positive youth programs in our schools and community.

Please attend our next public meeting, Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Frazier Park School teachers’ lounge (3419 San Carlos Trail).

This is part of the December 05, 2008 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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