Nativity holds drug, alcohol awareness presentation

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
April 27, 2006

The issue of drug and alcohol abuse by teenagers was addressed during a presentation on April 19 in the Nativity Parish Center in Sioux City.

Trooper Stu Christians, who has been with the Iowa State Patrol for 18 years, used a PowerPoint presentation and several examples - personal and professional - to get his points across.

Students in sixth grade through juniors in high school along with parents attended the presentation to learn about spotting and helping prevent the abuse of drugs and alcohol.

"I think things went really well," said Mary Sam Hacker, director of youth minister for Nativity and Immaculate Conception Parishes in Sioux City. "The reason I decided to go ahead and present this program to the kids is that I had heard over last few months that Sioux City had quite a high rating throughout the nation on the use of methamphetamines."

She had heard that Sioux City was ranked 14th in the nation for the size of the city. During the presentation, Christians informed those gathered that Sioux City is sixth in the nation for the size of the city.

"This message needs to get out to kids," said Hacker. "I know parents do talk to them, but I think when they can actually see a presentation of what someone looks like and how it affects the brain, it drives home an even stronger point."

The trooper discussed several things during his presentation including the impact of alcohol - what it can do to those under the influence, how it affects the students' lives if they are picked up and the impact of a continuous alcohol problem.

Christians asked for two volunteers to put on special goggles that would allow them to get a feel for what it is like to be "over the limit." The two students tried to walk a straight line and shoot a basketball while wearing the googles.

After talking about alcohol and its affects, Christians talked to the attendees about marijuana and methamphetamines (meth). He told them about the affects of each.

He also told them some of the ingredients in meth - battery acid, cold medicine, drain cleaner, kitty litter, etc. - and the different forms in which it can be taken into the body - pill, powder, pipe, injection, etc.

"If I had to say that something is the maximus, the greatest, the most severe product out there, without a doubt, it is methamphetamine," said Christians. "When you look at what goes into methamphetamine, you tell me what product on this list that you'd want to consume. I don't see any."

Christians pointed out that over 90 percent of people that try methamphetamine one time are now addicted.

"The first time somebody tries meth, they climb the mountain," said Christians. "That is the best high they are ever going to get. Everything after that is a matter of trying to get more and more, so they can get close."

The officer showed pictures of the gradual affects that meth can take on a persons body and brain.

The presentation ended with the students and parents asking questions of the state trooper. Christians commented that the students were attentive and had good questions to ask.

"Afterwards when I was still around, several of the kids stopped to visit with the state trooper," said Hacker. "They asked to try the goggles to see how it would feel on them. They told him how shocked they were with what methamphetamine could do to them, their friends or anyone they know. It not only affected them outwardly looks wise, but what it did to the brain."

She noted that the students were really in shock when they learned all of the affects of drugs and alcohol.

"I think that is the thing we need to drive home to these kids," said Hacker. "It is not game. It is not a toy. It is not something you experiment with once because it is going to affect you the rest of your life."

Hacker hopes that the students will learn to actually talk to one another and not to let peer pressure drive them to drugs and alcohol.

"We need to make them understand that they need to stand up and say, 'No, I don't want to do that. This is what could happen to me and this is what could happen to you,'" said Hacker. "I hope they have enough strength to go to another adult and say, 'My friend needs help.'"

She wants the students to be able reach out to one another and feel free to talk to an adult or parent and discuss the situations they encounter.