The top threat to eighth grade students in the Snowflake School District is alcohol, with 45 percent hav-ing had a drink, nine percent higher than the 36 percent county average.
The students participated in a 2010 youth survey and some of those results were given at a town hall held March 29. The event was organized by Greg Cardita, Navajo County Medical Examiner forensic death in-vestigator, who serves on the Navajo County Drug Project committee.
One out of six students, or 17 percent, have used prescription drugs, and nearly one out of 10 have used an inhalant to get high, Shelly Mowrey of Partnership for a Drug Free Arizona reported.
“Don’t be afraid of the talk,” Mowrey encouraged parents in attendance. To assist them, she showed a brief video on how to talk to your kids about substance abuses.
Some of the statistics she shared showed that in nearly every category, Arizona’s average was above the national average.
From 2002 to 2010, the state showed an eight percent decrease in lifetime illegal use of any drug, but comparing 2008 results to those from 2010 showed a four percent increase.
Lifetime marijuana use was down 23 percent in the state, but showed a nine percent increase from 2008 to 2010, and Mowrey expressed concern regarding the recent passage of the medical marijuana law. “Mari-juana use is set to rise,” she stated, noting that statistics show that marijuana use increased in California when medical marijuana became legal there, and they have seen a huge increase in people driving under the influence of marijuana and in marijuana use.
She said that marijuana use is set to rise due to medical marijuana use going into effect this spring, be-cause the perception of danger of marijuana use is already lessening and children can get a medical mari-juana card if they have parental permission and the approval of two doctors. “There is a greater exposure of kids to marijuana,” said Mowrey.
The statistics she provided also showed that illegal use of any drug the past 30 days was down 22 percent from 2002 to 2010, but there was a two percent increase from 2008 to 2010. Marijuana use within the previ-ous 30 days was down 28 percent from 2002 to 2010, with an increase of 18 percent from 2008 to 2010.
The average age of first use of alcohol in Navajo County in 2006 was just under 13, but increased in 2008 and 2010 to just over 13 years. The average age for first use of marijuana was 13.75, which moved to 13.5 in 2010. The average age for first use of meth was just over 14.5 years in 2006, 14.5 years in 2008 and close to 15 years in 2010.
Snowflake-Taylor Police Officer Derick Ortiz shared information regarding problems with underage drinking, underage driving and underage drug use in the community.
“DUI (driving under the influence) is the most horrible crime that somebody can commit,” said Officer Ortiz, explaining that over the legal limit would be a blood alcohol content of .08 percent. “The problem is limit, it isn’t .08.” He recalled that he came across two 12 year olds who were completely drunk. They found a bottle under the bleachers and didn’t even know what it was, but drank it. “Youth have so little experience with what they are doing that they cannot function with that in their system,” he said.
STPD Lt. Joseph Baca had prepared local statistics for underage DUI that showed in 2008 there were five such arrests, in 2009 there were seven and in 2010 that number more than doubled with 15. There were 57 underage consumption/open container violations in 2008, 38 in 2009 and 90 in 2010. “We don’t take this lightly,” said Officer Ortiz.
Two members of the community shared their experience with substance abuse and how they were able to overcome their addictions.
Cardita also made a presentation. He noted that the medical examiner’s office deals with motor vehicle accidents, homicides, suicides, drug related deaths, alcohol related deaths and unexplained deaths.
Out of 100 cases for the calendar year, one-third are alcohol or drug related, such as overdoses, chronic abusers, or drinking and driving accidents. In Cardita’s more than two years on the job, he has dealt with 57 drug related deaths. Of those, all but three were prescription drug related, two were meth overdoses where people were being apprehended and swallowed a packet of meth that opened inside of them, and one was a suicide.
Cardita gave a slide presentation that showed a very blurred picture, which is how it would look if you were under the influence, followed by slides of alcohol related accidents.
“You don’t get a second chance, when we have to deal with you it’s over,” said Cardita, who encouraged youth to “use your brain,” noting “any death that we deal with is preventable. If you need help, get the help you need.”
Debe Campbell of the Navajo County Drug Project gave Christopher Frazier of LDS Family Services an opportunity to tell a little about available programs.
Frazier said that they provide support for addiction or abuse, or for friends or family of addicts or abus-ers. There are 23 recovery groups in northern Arizona, including a group that meets three times a week in Snowflake. Anyone is invited to participate in the program, which follows the 12-step program of Alcohol-ics Anonymous.
Carlton Timms talked briefly about Community Bridges, an organization that helps stabilize those with meth addiction. Facilities are available in Holbrook and Winslow.
Information was available from a variety of sources, including the STPD, the Navajo County Probation Department, counseling and treatment professionals, and the medical examiner’s office.
