Image 1 of 5
Jessica Zuniga, Jerry Menchaca and Crystal Adams—members of the McCASA team—are excited about helping to put together Parents' Call to Action program on April 30 6-8:30 p.m. at Frazier Mountain High School's multimedia meeting area.
Image 2 of 5
Heather Conover is helping to produce a lively, factual program April 30.
Image 3 of 5
William ’Billy’ Penn and Bob Anderson are part of the McCASA outreach team.
Image 4 of 5
Lily Alvarez, who is an administrator with the Kern County Mental Health Department will speak about the developing teenage brain.
Image 5 of 5
Lisa Walter is sending out postcards to families to invite them to the event. Community merchants are working together to provide prizes, refreshments and childcare for the event.
A “Call to Action for Parents” invites all parents, with children of all ages, to a fast-paced program rich with surprising facts about their kids on Saturday, April 30 (6-8:30 p.m. at Frazier Mountain High School). The event is being produced by the Mountain Communities Coalition Against Substance Abuse (McCASA). “The goal is to arm parents with vital facts that can help them keep their kids safe,” Drug Free Communities grant coordinator Lisa Walter said at a planning meeting April 14. Refreshments and childcare will be provided.
By Patric Hedlund
In the last four years, alcohol and prescription drug overdoses have resulted in ambulances at our local high school, in kids being taken from parties close to death and in the tragic loss of the lives of youths who grew up here.
Easy access to alcohol and drugs is a threat that underage youngsters and the community know about, but few talk about in public. Those forgotten little bottles stashed in the back corner of drawers and medicine cabinets have become a threat to children. Several deaths of youths who grew up in the Frazier Mountain Communities have been attributed to overdosing on other people’s prescription medications.
“Pharming parties,” in which prescription drugs are gobbled like M&M candies by kids with no understanding of their dangers are a new kind of Russian roulette game being played throughout the country—including here.
“Alcohol is the major threshold drug” to the abuse of dangerous illicit drugs and pills by the mountain’s children, Lisa Walter (a coordinator for the local Drug-Free Communities grant) said recently. In the California Healthy Kids survey of local middle school and high school youth, some said they began drinking as early as 10 years old. Too often, parents are taken completely by surprise.
A “Call to Action for Parents” is being held on Saturday, April 30 (6-8:30 p.m. at Frazier Mountain High School) by the Mountain Communities Coalition Against Substance Abuse (McCASA).
Parents with children of all ages are invited to a fact-rich program that will explain major risks confronting the health and future of our children. Research and information about tools for parents to use to “teen proof” their homes will be offered.
McCASA received the fiveyear, $600,000 Drug-Free Communities grant in August 2009 to advance community efforts to fight drug and alcohol abuse among youth.
The April 30 Call to Action is a fast-paced event with speakers, film clips, demonstrations and displays to inform and assist parents. Lisa Walter of the McCASA staff said program segments include a look at the way alcohol affects development of the teenage brain “and facts on what we can all do to change the cultural environment that creates high risk for kids.”
The “social host” ordinances in Kern and Ventura Counties will be explained. Parents are now liable if children obtain alcohol from their homes, whether parents are there or not. Locking cabinets for liquor and medications will be shown.
McCASA also offers prescription drug “take back” days, urging families, elders, even those with expired or unused veterinary drugs, to dispose of them safely. Flushing down a toilet is a bad idea. It deposits dangerous chemicals into the water table. As a safe alternative, McCASA’s takeback days last year collected over 56 pounds—23,000—prescription and over-the-counter drugs, many gallons of liquids and numerous drug paraphernalia items for safe disposal.
A new National Drug Take Back Day is on April 30. A local opportunity for disposal of your family’s old drug products is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Frazier Park Market.
That same evening, McCASA invites all parents and community members to come to the Call to Action presentation.
Childcare will be provided. Refreshments will also be served.
What: Call to Action
When: April 30, 6-8:30 p.m.
Where: Frazier Mountain High School in Lebec, on Falcon Way off of Peace Valley Road (turn south at Peace Valley Rd. at the four-way stop at the corner of Flying J on Frazier Mountain Park Road).
Also: Drug take back 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Frazier Park Market on April 30.
This is part of the April 22, 2011 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
Have an opinion on this matter? We'd like to hear from you.
