HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-1999 Drug and Alcohol Use among Ithaca City School District Student Detailed ReportDRUG AND ALCOHOL USE AMONG
ITHACA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENTS
DETAILED REPORT
6th, 8th, 10th and 12th Graders
1998-99
Report Sponsored by:
Ithaca City School District
Report Prepared by:
RMBSI, Inc.
419 Canyon, Suite 316
Fort Collins, CO 80521
1-800-447-6354
The American Drug and Alcohol SurveyTM
Copyright 1990 by RMBSI, Inc.
Dear Colleagues:
We sincerely hope that the data contained in this report will be of great value in your
efforts to improve the lives of young people in your community. Based on our
experience with hundreds of schools we believe that your willingness to take an honest
look at what is happening among your students will be a significant step in creating
effective prevention plans.
It is always best to view the type of information contained in this report in the context of
what has been happening across the country over the past few years. Throughout the 1980s
adolescent drug use was on a course of steady decline. However, in about 1991-92 this trend
reversed. Since then we have seen modest increases each year, especially with marijuana and
certain stimulants.
THE
AMERICAN
DRUG AND
ALCOHOL
SuiwiyTM
Rocky Mountain
Behavioral Science
Institute, Inc.
419 Canyon Avenue
Suite 316
Fort Collins, CO 80521
(970) 221-0602
1-800-447-6354
The most current national data from the Monitoring the Future Project at the University of Michigan
does hold some promise that the increases may have peaked. We are seeing at least a leveling off.
The latest press release (December, 1997) from that project states, "For the first time in six years, the
use of marijuana and a number of other drugs did-notincrease among -eighth grade.students in this
country, and while use of marijuana may still be rising among 10th and 12th graders, their use of a
number of other illicit drugs.: appears_ to:have-tapered-off" It: is important to note that'these trends
have been found in a number of studies.
These trends have important implications for those communities who have chosen.to give The
American Drug and Alcohol Surveyn". Some communities: havegiventhesurvey: more than once.
and are using the. results to see if their drug prevention efforts ° are having an effect. Many of you
who have done this have undoubtedly been displeased to find an increase in drug use among youth in
your community. This finding will take a great deal of consideration before a reasonable conclusion
can be formed. If you have found a modest increase, it is most likely due to the general trend across
the country. If your drug use has remained essentially the same it may be that the trend has not
affected your community, or, that yourefforts have been effective in stemming the tide. A reduction
in drug use, of course, is good news and means that you must maintain your efforts and vigilance in
these changing times.
At this point, it is a bit difficult to tell how much of an increase is significant but the professional staff
at The American Drug and Alcohol Survey would be most willing to discuss your local situation
with you. Please feel free to call 1-800-447-6354 if you wish to discuss your survey results.
The best of luck in your efforts and we look forward to a productive working relationship.
Sincerely,
Fred Beauvais, Ph.D.
Director of Research
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 1
The Survey 1
How Accurate Are the Survey Results? 1
Proportion of Ithaca City School District Students Surveyed 3
Part I: An Overview of Drug Use 5
How Many Students Have Tried Drugs? 5
Current Drug Use 7
Patterns of Drug Use Among Students 9
Description of Adolescent Drug Use Types 13
Levels of Drug Involvement 14
Part II: Experiences and Attitudes Regarding Drugs and Alcohol 19
How Available Are Drugs? 20
Where Students Use Alcohol and Drugs 21
How Harmful Are Drugs? 24
Do Friends Of Drug Users Also Use Drugs? ' 26
Do Friends of Students Ask .Them ..to Use Drugs?. 26
Would. Friends of Students Try to. Stop, Drug ,Use? 27
What Problems Have Students Had Because sof Alcohol or -Drugs? . 28
Age of First Use 30
Intent to Use Drugs, 31
Part III: The Use of Individual Drugs 32
Descriptions of Individual_ Drugs. 37
Alcohol 37
Tobacco 39
Marijuana 40
Cocaine 41
Crack 42
Stimulants 43
Methamphetamines 43
Legal Stimulants 44
Inhalants 45
Nitrites (Amyl, Butyl, or Isopropyl) 46
Downers 46
Tranquilizers 48
Ritalin 48
Hallucinogens 48
PCP 50
Ketamine 50
Heroin 51
Narcotics other than heroin 52
Steroids 52
Conclusion 54
GUIDE TO TABLES AND FIGURES
Table 1 Ever Tried a Drug 6
Table 2 Used Each Drug in the Last 12 Months 7
Table 3 Used Each Drug in the Last Month 8
Table 4 Patterns of Drug Use 10
Table A Percent of 8th, 10th and 12th Graders Across the Country Who
Have Ever Tried a Drug 16
Table B Percent of 8th, 10th and 12th Graders Across the Country Who
Have Used Each Drug in the Last 12 Months 17
Table C Percent of 8th, 10th and 12th Graders Across the Country Who
Have Used Each Drug in the Last Month 18
Table 5 Perceived Availability of Drugs 20
Table 6A Where Students Have Used Alcohol 21
Table 6B Where Students Have Used Drugs 22
Table 7 Percent of Students Who Believe That Using a Substance Once or
Twice Will Lead to a Lot of Harm 24
Table 8 Percent of Students Who Believe That Using a -Substance Regularly
Will Lead to a Lot of Harm 25
Table 9 Percent of Students Who Have Friends Who Use Drugs 26
Table 10 Percent of Students_ Whose. Friends Ask_Them to . Use. Drugs 27
Table 11 Percent: of Students Who' Have Friends Who Would Stop Drug Use 27
Table' 12A ,Admitted Problems: of StudentsFrom Alcohol 28
Table 12BAdmitted Problems of StudentsTrom Drugs 29
Table 13 Age of First Use 30
Table 14 Intent to Use Drugs,. 31
Table 15A_ Use. During the LastMonth:-.6th._Graders_ . 32
Table 15B Use During the Last Month:-' 8tk Graders 33
Table 15C Use During the Last Month 10th Graders 34
Table 15D Use During the Last Month - 12th Graders 35
Table 16 High Risk Behaviors 36
Table 17 Tobacco Use 39
Table 18 Crack Use 42
Table 19 Methamphetamine Use a 44
Table 20 Ritalin Use 48
Table 21 Ketamine Use 50
Table 22 Steroid Use 53
Figure 1 6th Graders' Involvement Groups 11
Figure 2 8th Graders' Involvement Groups 11
Figure 3 10th Graders' Involvement Groups 12
Figure 4 12th Graders' Involvement Groups 12
INTRODUCTION'
Drug use among adolescents has become a serious national problem. Those concerned
about the welfare of the Ithaca City School District students have therefore sponsored The
American Drug and Alcohol SurveyTM. This report presents the results of that survey and should
lead to a better understanding of the local adolescent substance abuse problem.
We encourage those charged with disseminating this information on the local level to study
the entire report carefully. The text and accompanying tables are designed to help the community
place the local youth drug abuse problem in the proper perspective.
THE SURVEY
The survey is a paper and pencil questionnaire given anonymously that takes less than 35
minutes to complete. The survey items ask students about their history of drug and alcohol use and
the frequency and intensity of their current drug and alcohol use. This report summarizes what the
Ithaca City School District students who were surveyed said they were doing; what drugs they
have tried, what they are using now, and how heavily they are involved with drugs.
The survey used has had extensive development. Similar versions have been given to more
than 650,000 students over the last five years.' Sincedrug use changes over time, there have been
periodic revisions to make sure that it asks the right questions. '
HOW ACCURATE ARE THE SURVEY RESULTS?
Experience with this surveyhas shown that students are usually very. cooperative .and give
honest answers about their drug use- when they -know that their names are not on the surveys, and
that no one will ever know how any individual answered the questions. The people who handed
out the surveys were very careful to make sure that this anonymity was preserved; that no one saw
how a student answered the questions, and that surveys were collected in a way that prevented
anyone from knowing who filled out what survey. There are questions on the survey that test
whether the students believe their answers will be anonymous. The responses to those questions
showed that most students believed the survey was anonymous and felt they could be honest.
More information about honesty on adolescent drug surveys and about reliability and validity of
The American Drug and Alcohol SurveyTM is presented in the article, "Adolescent Drug Use:
Findings of National and Local Surveys," in Vol. 58 of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical
Psychology (1990).
A few students in a class may giggle, make jokes, and not treat the survey seriously.
Several safeguards are used throughout the survey and during compilation to detect erroneous or
exaggerated responses. The survey, for example, includes "fake" drugs and other checks to detect
exaggerations. If there were individual surveys that showed signs of exaggeration, they were
removed before the results were compiled. Less than one percent of Ithaca City School District
students showed signs of exaggeration.
A few students may also become confused while taking the survey or have trouble reading
and understanding the questions. These students can also be identified through inconsistent
answers to questions that are purposely repeated on the survey or because they mark answers that
would not be logical, saying, for example, that using alcohol once or twice is more dangerous than
using it regularly. Approximately 40 different consistency checks were made on each survey. If
there were any students who were inconsistent three or more times, their surveys were removed
before the survey results were compiled. Less than one percent of Ithaca City School District
students were classified as "inconsistent responders."
There are also statistical ways of assessing the reliability of tests and surveys. The
reliability coefficients (Cronbach's alpha) for the drug use scales on the survey average around .90.
The following table shows the total number of Ithaca City School District students
surveyed and the percent of total enrollment they represent.
Proportion of Ithaca City School District Students Surveyed
Percent
Number Number of Total
Surveyed Enrolled Enrollment
6th Graders 406 434 94%
8th Graders 450 490 92%
10th Graders 387 496 78%
12th Graders 290 381 76%
Total 1533 1801 85%
Source: TheAmerican Drug and Alcohol Survey
A high enough proportion of students was surveyed to insure that the results would provide
a good estimate of the _drug and alcohol:. useof the: students who are attending school..
No attempt wasmade: to . surveyschool. dropouts or absentees: However, incommunities.
whereabsentees and dropouts: are. surveyed,, their drug; use is usually slightly higher than students
who are in school. Those workingwith ;dropouts .and. chronic absentees in your area will probably
find higher, drug involvement among them than is: found in students who areattending school.
More information about druguse of dropouts 'is presented in an article titled "Mexican -American
and White American. School Dropouts'. Drug Use, Health -Status --and Involvement in Violence" in
Vol. 104 of Public Health Reports (1989).
3
There are three parts to this report: (plus additional materials)
Part I is an overview. It repeats tables from the Executive Summary showing how
many students have used or are using alcohol and other drugs, and discusses those tables in more
detail.
Part II provides additional information about drug use among Ithaca City School District
students: the availability of different drugs; where and with whom drugs are used; and how much
harm these students feel is done by drugs.
Part III lists each drug on the survey and shows how much the regular users among Ithaca
City School District students are using each drug. This section also provides information about
how the different drugs are used and what effects they are likely to have.
There is also a Media Kit at the end of this report. Following the Media Kit, a brief section
on the reliability and validity of the survey is included, along with a sample of the questionnaire
that was used.
PART I
AN OVERVIEW OF DRUG USE
Part I provides a brief, but complete, overview of the results of the survey. The tables and
graphs give an accurate summary of the patterns of drug and alcohol use in Ithaca City School
District. More information about the use of individual drugs is available in Part III of this report.
HOW MANY ITHACA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENTS
HAVE TRIED DRUGS?
The first table presented here lists the percentage of students who have "ever tried" alcohol
or drugs. The "ever tried" statistic is a very general measure, since it includes gn_y amount of a
drug ever taken. A student who had a small glass of wine at a family celebration would be
included as having "ever tried" alcohol -- so would the student who drinks enough to get drunk
every week. That is one of the reasons why the next row lists the percent who have ever been
drunk. While.. alcohol, may. be tried by. children.. in. relatively . innocuous settings, getting drunk
involves excessive. use. and almost - always-..occurs;.among-.=peers. This table would also not
distinguish between the student who .tried_ marijuana, oncez several years ago and one who - is now
using it every: day; both. would . be listed as -having tried marijuana.: -However, Table 3 shows the.
percent who used in the. lasts month;:, an :indication of .current use, and Table 15 shows how often
marijuana was used during that month.
Despite its limitations, the ever tried statistic is useful. - It _shows the total, exposure that a
group has had. to a particular drug.. .It also -shows how: many students were willing to experiment
with a drug.
Furthermore, the "ever tried" measure is highly reliable, and because it is used on most
other surveys, it allows us to make comparisons between Ithaca City School District 12th graders
and other high school 12th graders across the country. Table 1 has a column marked "National
12th Graders." The rates given in that column were obtained from a national sample of over
16,000 seniors who were surveyed in 1995. Although the national data were collected over a year
ago, the comparisons between national rates and Ithaca City School District 12th grade rates are
still informative because the national "ever tried" rates rarely change more than one or two percent
a year.
TABLE 1
Percent of Ithaca City School District Students
and 12th Graders Across the Country Who Have Ever Tried a Drug
(1998-99)
National*
6th 8th 10th 12th 12th
Graders Graders Graders Graders Graders
Alcohol 36% 63% 81% 90% 82%
Been Drunk 3% 17% 44% 62% 64%
Cigarettes 11% 35% 46% 59% 65%
Marijuana 4% 19% 37% 55% 50%
Cocaine 2% 3% 2% 5% 9%
Stimulants**** 1% 3% 3% 6% 17%
Legal Stimulants 1% 4% 7% 8% ***
Inhalants : 7% 13% 6% 3% 16%
Nitrites 1% <1% <1% <1% 2%
Downers** <1% <1% 1% 4% 8%
Quaaludes <1% <1% <1% <1% ***
Tranquilizers** <1% <1% -<1% 1% 8%
Hallucinogens 2% 5% 11% 20% 15%
PCP <1% 1% 2% <1% 4%
Heroin 1% 2% <1% 0% 2%
Narcotics other than heroin 2% 3% 4% 9% 10%
Source: The American Drug and Alcohol SurveyTM
* The national data on 12th graders are from the Monitoring the Future surveys conducted for the
National Institute on Drug Abuse by the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 1997.
** Use of these drugs under a doctor's orders is not included in these figures.
* * * Data not available.
* * * * In 1998 this figure was changed to include methamphetamine use. In prior years, methamphetamine
use was not included in the calculation of stimulant use.
Information about crack methamphetamines, and smokeless tobacco is presented in Part III.
6
CURRENT DRUG USE AMONG
ITHACA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENTS
The "ever tried" figures that were presented in Table 1 showed how many Ithaca City
School District students have experimented with drugs, but do not show how many are using drugs
now. Many young people try a drug for a while, but then stop using it. In a national study, for
example, almost a fourth of the high school seniors who had tried marijuana when they were
younger did not use it during their senior year, and, in the same study, about half of those who had
tried other drugs were not using them at the time of the survey.
Tables 2 and 3 provide estimates of current drug use. Table 2 shows how many students
used each drug during the last 12 months. Table 3 shows how many used drugs during the last
month prior to the survey. Tables 2 and 3 also include data on 12th graders nationwide for
comparison with the local 12th graders.
TABLE 2
Percent of Ithaca City School District Students
and 12th Graders Across the Country Who Have Used Each Drug
in the Last 12 Months
(1998-99)
National*
6th 8th 10th 12th 12th
Graders Graders Graders Graders Graders
Alcohol 24% 49% 75% 81% 75%
Been Drunk 2% 14% 36% 54% 53%
Marijuana 3% 16% 33% 46% 39%
Cocaine <1% 3% <1% 3% 6%
Stimulants**** <1% 2% 2% 3% 10%
Legal Stimulants <1% 3% 6% 8% ***
Inhalants 5% 7% 3% 1% 7%
Nitrites 0% <1% <1% <1% 1%
Downers** <1% <1% 1% 4% 5%
Hallucinogens 1% 4% 7% 11% 10%
PCP <1% <1% 1% 0% 2%
Heroin <1% 2% 0% 0% 1%
Narcotics other than heroin 0% 1% 1% 2% 6%
Source: The American Drug and Alcohol SurveyTM
TABLE 3
Percent of Ithaca City School District Students
and 12th Graders Across the Country Who Have Used Each Drug
in the Last Month
(1998-99)
National*
6th 8th 10th 12th 12th
Graders Graders Graders Graders Graders
Alcohol 8% 22% 46% 58% 53%
Been Drunk <1% 4% 20% 35% 34%
Cigarettes 4% 16% 21% 32% 37%
Smokeless Tobacco 1% 3% 3% 3% 10%
Marijuana 1% 7% 19% 27% 24%
Cocaine 0% <1% 0% <1% 2%
Stimulants**** <1% <1% 1% <1% 5%
Inhalants 3% 2% 1% 0% 3%
Nitrites 0% 0% <1% <1% <1%
Downers** <1% <1% <1% 1% 2%
Hallucinogens <1% 2% 2% 2% 4%
PCP <1% 0% <1% 0% 1%
Heroin 0% <1% 0% 0% <1%
Narcotics other than heroin 0% <1% <1% <1% 2%
Source: The American Drug and Alcohol SurveyTM
* The national data on 12th graders are from the Monitoring the Future surveys conducted for the
National Institute on Drug Abuse by the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 1997.
** Use of these drugs under a doctor's orders is not included in these figures.
**** In 1998 this figure was changed to include methamphetamine use. In prior years, methamphetamine
use was not included in the calculation of stimulant use.
Information about crack methamphetamines, and smokeless tobacco is presented in Part III.
8
PATTERNS OF DRUG USE AMONG
ITHACA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENTS
It is rare for an adolescent who is using drugs to use one drug exclusively. Usually if one
drug is being used, another will also be used, if only occasionally. ' There are also many different
levels and patterns of drug use. One person may use a drug occasionally, and only use small
amounts of that drug. Another may use the same drug, but use it regularly and in large amounts.
A way of classifying young people has been developed that describes their total
involvement with drugs (see Table 4). The classification is determined both by the different drugs
that are being used and by how heavily each of those drugs is being used. Every student surveyed
is classified into one drug use type that briefly describes their total drug use. In order to be placed
in a particular type, the student must meet all of the requirements for that type. Those
requirements are almost entirely based on current use of drugs -- how often they are used, how they
are used, and whether the student sees himself or herself as a drug "user."
A student may meet the requirements for more than one type but is always placed in only
one type. For example, Type 4 consists of Heavy Alcohol Users. These are all youth who use
alcohol heavily, but do not use other substances. There may, therefore, be heavy alcohol users who
are not placed in Type 4. If a youth is a light marijuana user and uses stimulants heavily, that
youth would be placed in the more serious group, Type 2, Stimulant Users.
Similarly even •though a: studentuses °stimulants;Lthey:mightnot' be placed in 'the, Stimulant:
Users group. - It should. be, noted that.analyses:-of:methamphetamine: users=show that most .users of.
methamphetamines (a stimulant). also_..use::.a; variety:. of_ other: drugs.. • .Therefore, many.: students: who
regularly use stimulants are placed. in'the-Multi=Drug. User group. -
The students who are included. in -any. one. group are using: the same kinds ,of drugs. and are,.
using them in just about ,the _same. way... They. are :.also= probably_similar in other aspects • of their
lives. They are likely to be associating :with: other. youth, classified, in ..the .same drug use group.
Within their groups, , students tend, to share values, friends, :and, hold _ a., similar. outlook • on life,
school, and work.
There are nine drug use types, or groups, arranged in descending order of seriousness of
drug use. Table 4 shows the percentage of Ithaca City School District students in each of these
nine drug use types. A description of each of the drug use groups appears after Table 4. It is
important that the reader become familiar with each group in order to fully understand Table 4.
Community
Drug Task Force
Report
April 1998
updated January 1999
Table of Contents
Community Drug Task Force Mission Statement 3
Youth Education Action Team 4
Parent Education Action Team 10
Treatment Action Team 12
Community Action -Action Team 16
School Culture -Environment Action Team 22
School Culture -Policy Action Team 28
Public Outreach Action Team 32
Government Initiatives (& Environmental Factors) Action Team 35
Justice System Action Team 39
Survey Action Team 46
Appendix 47
The Community Drug Task Force recognizes that the sale and use of illegal
drugs and the misuse of legal drugs are having a serious, destructive impact on our
community, particularly our youth. Successful efforts to address this problem will
require open communication, a sustained community effort in the future and an
effective working relationship amongst many individuals and organizations,
including neighborhoods, schools, and government.
Community Drug Task Force Mission Statement
We are committed to forging an alliance between our schools, government
and neighborhoods, and together developing strategies to reduce alcohol and other
substance abuse in Ithaca and Tompkins County by:
1) Involving families, schools, and the community in a constructive dialogue
about alcohol and other substance abuse;
2) Developing initiatives designed to teach young people about the risks of
using illegal drugs and abusing legal drugs, including alcohol and cigarettes, and
providing positive activities for youth;
3) Ensuring that people who need substance abuse treatment can get effective
help when they need it;
4) Empowering citizen initiatives and actions, including encouraging further
organization of neighborhood associations and neighborhood watch groups;
5) Supporting enhanced enforcement of existing laws and passage of new
legislation to combat drug abuse; and
6) Working with area school districts and universities to develop and enforce
campus -wide and district -wide substance abuse policies.
Youth Education Action Team
For the past several months, the members of the Youth Education Action
Team have been meeting regularly to discuss how they can most effectively
improve the education of young people about the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco,
and illegal drugs (which, for the purposes of this report, will be referred to
collectively as "drugs"). The Action Team has undertaken the task to educate itself,
first, on the prevalence and kinds of drugs being used in the community, as well as
what types and frequency of education are already offered by and through the public
schools. The Action Team has been fortunate in having many of the members who
are directly involved in providing drug education to students. The Action Team
has also called upon other community residents who help the classroom teachers to
educate our students (i.e. DARE officers and BOCES PREP/SAS personnel).
While the Action Team initially considered the possibility of writing a new
drug curriculum for the school district, or choosing one from those available for
purchase, the Action Team became convinced that Ithaca's schools already have a
great many knowledgeable and creative teachers and programs, and the community
has some excellent resources. The Action Team decided to look at the programming
that other districts are using at a later date, and for now focus on the resources that
already exist in our district. What is lacking is a forum for the sharing of those
resources and ideas, so that educators are sensitized to the issues and energized by
their collaborative efforts.
The community must also train and support the teachers so they can feel
confident in their role. The community must also not rely on teaching merely
factual information about the dangers of drug use, which has consistently been
shown to be ineffective, but rather on the "life skills" necessary to make informed
decisions and healthy choices.
Furthermore, the community must not put the entire burden of educating
students on the teachers; we must collaborate with all the people who are involved
with mentoring young people, such as business people involved in the School -to -
Work program and people at GIAC, Southside, Northside, and the Youth Bureau
who run after-school and teen programs.
The community's message to young people should be consistent: "We love
you, we believe in you, we will teach you what you need to know in order to make
good, healthy, life -affirming choices and decisions, and we will give you the
resources you need to solve the problems that come with being a young person in
today's society." Students with these skills, and the self-esteem and self-confidence
that come with them, will be much less likely to use and abuse drugs.
To this end, the Youth Education Action Team has several specific proposals
for the Community Drug Task Force:
(1) Development of an educational/resource booklet for Middle School
students. Modeled after the Youth Bureau's "Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice," the
booklet would be age-appropriate in terms of language, concepts, consequences, facts,
and design. The Action Team would contact local agencies, including law
enforcement, for information and suggestions, and details about them -- address,
phone number, the type of services they provide -- would be contained in the
booklet. Rather than imposing a "Just Say No" attitude, the Action Team hopes to
present the information in such a way that readers will understand that substance
abuse begins and ends with choices and decisions made by the individuals
themselves. Following this decision-making concept, the Youth Education Action
Team would design the booklet so that readers can use it as both an educational tool
and as a valuable resource, should they or someone they know ever need guidance
or assistance. Funding for this project will be sought from community resources.
(2) Survey students and teachers to gather current, community-based data on
local conditions and trends. (NYS surveys are not specific to Ithaca.) These would
also be used to create a baseline from which to assess the success of new educational
efforts. A new action team was formed to work on this project (see Survey Action
Team report).
(3) Improved drug education in the ICSD. The health/Life Skills/DARE drug
prevention education, particularly in middle school and high school, need to be
augmented in order to meet the New York State mandates, and to improve the
quality and availability of substance abuse education being taught in our schools.
The New York State Health Education Mandates pertinent to drug education are as
follows:
a. Health Education regarding alcohol, drugs, and tobacco abuse is
required for all students by section 804 of the education law.
b. The coverage for grades K-6 is annual and sequential and must
include, but is not limited to, instruction concerning the misuse of alcohol, tobacco,
and other drugs.
c. Students in grades 7-12 are mandated to pass a one-half year course
in both junior and senior high that must include, but is not limited to, instruction
concerning the misuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Additionally, the
middle schools are mandated to have a health coordinator to oversee and help
implement the health program; these coordinators in turn work together to ensure
consistent delivery of the curriculum in all the middle schools. In high school the
Health Department chairperson is responsible for the mandated drug curriculum.
The Youth Education Action Team makes the following proposals for the delivery
of drug education at the various age levels:
Elementary School
The health education program will be taught sequentially to grade levels K=5
following the Ithaca City School District health curriculum. BOCES Prevention
Resources Sr Education Program (PREP) will be utilized to provide training,
materials, and instruction. The classroom teachers,' who are responsible for
facilitating this instruction, will be held accountable by the building -level
administrator. Fifth graders will receive the DARE
Program taught by local law enforcement officers. Middle School BOCES
Student Assistant Services (SAS) will be utilized to provide training, materials, and
instruction. In addition, we propose the following grade -specific changes:
Sixth Grade
All 6th -grade students will receive Life Skills Curriculum in regularly scheduled
Physical Education and / or Home and Career Skills classes, taught by trained. Life
Skills Educators. The health coordinator will ensure delivery of this curriculum.
Seventh Grade
Since it has been proven that risk behaviors begin early, it is essential that health be
taught consistently at seventh grade, which will include, but not be limited to, drug
education. Health should be taught on consecutive days for one-half year to
improve student -teacher interaction and consistency of curriculum.
Eighth Grade
It is recommended that a drug education component utilizing either DARE or the
Life Skills Booster Curriculum be required of all 8th -grade students. This could be
offered in a variety of ways, such as during Physical Education or Home and Career
Skills classes.
High School
It is recommended that students continue to take the required 0.5 credit course in
their sophomore year. It is also recommended that a 12th -grade class be offered that
would reinforce decision making, refusal skills, and wellness activities.
Additionally, there should be school -wide forums, which could take many forms, to
continue to educate students concerning issues surrounding drug and alcohol use
and abuse.
(4) Improve training and support for teachers. Because our classroom
teachers are the front-line educators on the issues of drug use and abuse, they need
to receive adequate training and support for this challenging task. There are two
ways, in particular, that we would like to see this accomplished:
a. Send more teachers for Life Skills training at BOCES. In the ICSD,
there are currently only 3 teachers that we know of trained in the Life Skills
curriculum (offered only at Boynton M.S.). Life Skills training is considered to be
one of the most effective for dealing with drug issues because of its holistic approach
to the individual and those issues.
b. Provide forums for sharing information, strategies, and energy.
This might be done, for teachers within the district, by organizing a
Superintendent's Conference Day around the issues of drug use and abuse.
Workshops organized to educate all teachers could provide opportunities for
emphasizing the importance of integrating drug education (and those necessary "life
skills," which help kids to resist drugs) into all subjects, for brainstorming on how
this could be done, and for networking with teachers already involved in drug
education who could be resources for those who are not. By raising everyone's
awareness that this is not just the job of the health teachers, and by providing all
teachers with innovative models for integrating discussions on the drug culture
into their classrooms, perhaps we can change the prevailing atmosphere of
hopelessness among those currently responsible for confronting these topics.
(5) Coordination and collaboration �f public school teachers with other
community-based educators. In order to expedite the presentation of the most
thorough drug education to our students, we propose that those people responsible
for teaching drug education at .the various grade -levels share their knowledge and
resources. Those involved, in addition to the dassroom teachers, are the DARE
educators from the Ithaca City Police Department, the Cayuga Heights Police
Department, the Sheriff's Office, the BOCES drug educator, and PREP/SAS
elementary drug educators. All have expressed interest in learning more about
what the others do, so that they can give a more informed and consistent
presentation to the students. Additionally, there are many people at the various
community centers in the City who interact with our youngsters and deal with the
issues of drug abuse every day. There needs to be collaboration with these youth
workers so that educators can be more fully informed about the realities of drug
abuse in our city, and cooperate with these community resources to improve the
guidance and support we can offer our children.Among the groups that should be
involved in this collaboration are the Greater Ithaca Activities Center, Southside
Community Center, Northside Community Center, and the Youth Bureau.
(6) Inclusion of drug education in the School -to -Work program. The goal of
this program, which is state -mandated and for which the Ithaca City School District
has already received funding to develop, is to join into partnership employers,
human service agencies, unions, municipalities, colleges, and individuals in order
to provide "opportunities for all students (Pre -K through 12) to develop, attain and
demonstrate a mastery of the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to succeed as
productive citizens and workers." An essential part of School -to -Work is the
development of personal qualities such as responsibility, self-esteem, sociability,
self-management, and integrity. These are, of course, directly related to the
prevention of drug abuse. The deleterious effects of drug abuse on success in the
workplace and in life should be included in the School -to -Work curricula that
involve the collaboration of employers, labor and community agencies. This broad-
based inclusion and pervasive message will be more effective than any single "drug
education" program.
Parent Education Action Team
This Action Team's main focus has been to educate, and provide support for
parents in the Ithaca City School District and throughout Tompkins County about
drug and alcohol use among children and teenagers. This support includes
information about how to talk to young people about alcohol and drugs before they
become a problem. The Parent Education Action Team has been able to focus on
three main initiatives:
1) The Team's first focus was the establishment of a parent support group
which began meeting in September. This group is comprised of parents interested
in sharing their experiences with, and feelings, concerns, and experiences about
drugs and alcohol with other parents. The group meets the second Wednesday of
each month in the second floor conference room at City Hall, at 7 PM. The group
sponsored presentations at some of the meetings, which induded- the Circle of
Recovery (a local downtown Ithaca group of recovering alcoholics and addicts who
seek out and mentor youth in trouble with, or at risk of drug and alcohol abuse),
Candle House (an adult women rehabilitation program that spreads their
experiences with addiction to interested parties in the area), and the Tompkins
County Alcoholism Council (within the council there is a discussion group
exclusively for teenagers).
The Action Team has appealed to the site base council at Ithaca High school to
incorporate the parent support group meetings as part of the high school's offerings.
A meeting with the Principal has been arranged to discuss this possibility.
•
2) The Team's second focus was on providing information to parents through
the Ithaca City School District. This was accomplished by a number of methods.
a) A Parenting for Prevention workshop was provided for parents at
each school's open house at the beginning of the school year (from fifth grade to
middle school, eighth grade to high school).
b) A parent hot line was developed, involving parents who
volunteered their phone numbers so other parents could call for support,
information, and advice about drug and alcohol issues.
c) All information about the Community Drug Task Force and the
Parent Education Action Team was made available in the packet of school
information mailed to ICSD parents.
d) Two members of the Parent Education team appeared on Public
Access television's Finger Lakes Forum to speak about parenting concerning drugs
and alcohol, and members traveled to Groton to appear at a parents program on
substance abuse at Groton High School.
The Team is exploring other possibilities for communicating with Tompkins
County parents to help them understand and cope with issues of drugsand alcohol
use and abuse. Two possibilities are 1) appealing to the Ithaca City School District
PTA for an opportunity to speak about the Parent Education Action Team's
activities at PTA meetings, and 2) hiring the Cayuga Role Players for a presentation
at the junior high/high school involving parents and students on drug and alcohol
issues.
Treatment Action Team
The Treatment Action Team's goal is to increase and improve outpatient
services for youth. The primary target group is youth under the age of 18 in the
Ithaca City School District. The secondary target group is anyone under the age of 22
in Tompkins County.
During the eight months that the Treatment Action team has met, several
tasks were accomplished. First, the Action Team collected information on identified
out-patient services specifically for adolescents with regard to alcohol and other
substance abuse treatment within Tompkins County is limited. The community
does have access to acute detoxification emergency and referral services through
Cayuga Medical Center. Outpatient counseling services in the Ithaca area that serve
youth under the age of 21 are; the Alpha House, Alcoholism Council, Ithaca College,
Cornell University, Family and Children's Services. Individual therapists
specializing in substance abuse treatment are also an option. One of the Action
Team's members is compiling an inventory of these services for publication and
distribution to school and human service workers. The Treatment Action Team
has also estimated the number of youth who need varying levels of drug treatment
within the Ithaca City School District, based on research by NY State and national
experts. We still need to gather current, community-based data on local conditions
and trends, and await the results from the work of the Survey Action Team.
The Treatment Action Team's activities over the past months included a
review of proposals from the School Culture -Policy Action Team to add two new
school employees to the secondary school, for the purposes of drug education and
counseling. The Treatment Action Team suggests that these professionals hold a
Master's Degree with a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor
(CASAC). The Team suggests that these professionals have a solid understanding of
youth who struggle with Mental Health problems and struggle with Cross Addiction
(MICA) issues. Further, the Treatment Action Team prepared an analysis
comparing 1) the current available services, 2) the services offered with the two
proposed positions, and 3) an alternative Student Assistance Program plan (SAP) in
which additional services could be offered by a service external to the school. The
Action Team's members discussed their recommendations with school officials and
with the School Culture -Policy Action Team. The Recommendations of the
Treatment Action Team are discussed below.
1) The first recommendation and accomplishment will be the community
conference on drug issues with youth to be presented by Michael Nearey. The
County Youth Bureau, Alcoholism Council, and others will co-sponsor the event
which is scheduled for October 7th and 8th, 1998. The theme will be on the
intervention strategies and how the community adults (including school
professionals and others) can help motivate and support youth who are in
treatment or who should be in treatment.
2) The Team recommends that the training, education, counseling and
treatment services in the community should all include the concepts of family and
culture. Training, education counseling, and treatment must include attention to
the youth's family as a system, as a support network, and as a force of intervention.
Training and education must enable professionals to work effectively in cross-
cultural situations. Counseling, referral, treatment, and residential services must be
responsive to diverse populations.
3) Our third recommendation stresses the importance of advocating to the
community's political and religious leaders their responsibility for alcohol and drug
related treatments for youth. These leaders must be informed that services need to
be improved with the goal of serving youth more effectively. The political and
religious leaders (Pastoral Counselors) would benefit from the future community
conference.
4) The Treatment Action Team recommends the establishment of a syringe
exchange program. Exchange programs are the first step in a harm reduction
program for intraveneous drug users (idu's) that engages them into long term
treatment for their addiction. Harm reduction programs for idu's also provide
needed psychological and social services, public health information on a risk
reduction and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. The goal is to help them
be successful in drug treatment and to support their recovery as they become non-
users while reducing their risk of contracting a disease in the interim.
5) We recommend the establishment of a youth list serve for youth who are
at various stages of drug treatment/rehabilitation. They would be referred to the list
serve when they engage the treatment system.
Our youth have a powerful influence on one another. By linking up youth
that are in recovery, they can share experiences withpeers who they might feel will
understand what they are saying. They can help teach one another how to cope and
get through the difficulties of reintegration.
A list serve is an email list that allows the participants on the list to post
messages to everyone else on the list. It is much like a chat room concept, but not in
real time. This lack of real time allows for more thoughtful responses of the
participants by eliminating the time pressures of an immediate response in a real
time conversation. Participation on a list serve can be completely confidential for
any participant, and participants can simply read the conversation without feeling
like they have to participate.
Note: A similar list serve to network treatment and other service providers to
youth would also be beneficial. It would facilitate the exchange of ideas, and could
allow services providers to confidentially brainstorm on individual cases.
6) The Team recommendsthe establishment of neighborhood based support,
prevention and intervention resources. This would be done by educating
community leaders about assessments, intervention strategies etc.
By bringing awareness and education into neighborhoods, community
leaders, clergy and others who interact with families on a regular basis can be better
equipped to recognize and act on substance abuse problems. In order to do so, they
will have to overcome the obstacles of shame, family pride and insular thinking.
Because of their stature, these individuals will often have the best chance of
reaching out to and engaging family members in efforts to address a substance abuse
problem of another family member.
7) The most important recommendation made by the Treatment Action
Team is the need for a treatment model which includes a residential treatment
option. There is currently no residential treatment option (i.e. halfway house)
within Tompkins County. The Treatment Action Team recommends that a
subcommittee be appointed to pursue research on the feasibility of establishing a
supportive residence within the community which is closely aligned with intensive
outpatient (IOP) services in order to ease reintegration issues (relapse prevention)
for adolescents receiving substance abuse treatment.
The Treatment Action Team reviewed current treatment trends (which
emphasize maintenance of the adolescent within the community while undergoing
Intensive Outpatient Treatment Services/IOP) and cost efficiency (payer no longer
reimbursing inpatient treatment options). The current and future trends of the
Behavioral Managed Care (BMC) and Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)
industry are driving all treatment options. Children, adolescents and young adults
are often short changed when payers (BMC, HMO) review treatment options. The
Treahnent Action Team strongly recommends that a subcommittee be formed to
assess this current human service industry trend.
For some 65 years the Twelve -Step Recovery Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) support groups have been operating in this
community. The Treatment Action Team stresses that these support groups are
essential for long-term recovering and relapse prevention in the community.
Community Action -Action Team
Since the inception of the Community Drug Task Force, the Community
Action -Action Team has been meeting in both large and small group settings. All of
the members have been part of the issue discussions and offered solutions to the
drug problem in Ithaca. The entire Action Team shares the same commitment and
vision to strengthen Ithaca's neighborhoods.
The three major focus areas of the Community Action -Action Team are: (1)
Work to empower all community residents; (2) Foster the networking between
residents, neighborhoods, social, religious and cultural centers; (3) Identify and
strengthen neighborhood organizations and assist other residents in joining existing
associations or forming their own. Upon examining each of these focus areas in
depth, the Action Team made the following observations and recommendations.
1) Creation of a Neighborhood Council - Over the past year and a half there
have been a number of initiatives brought forward by a variety of groups that
include neighborhoods. Between the Community Action -Action Team, the
Community Drug Task Force, Drug House Task Force, and I.N.H.S. Neighborhood
Initiatives, residents have become tired and confused with all of the red -tape
bureaucracy. While all agree that the work each group does is valuable, it has also
been confusing trying to follow each group and is impossible to make the time to
keep up with each separate meeting.
Many areas of the City are already represented by a watch group, civic group,
block association, or neighborhood association. This Action Team recommends that
there be some way to establish one neighborhood council or consortium to which
smaller neighborhood groups may have representatives. In this way energy can be
focused more efficiently and results seen sooner.
The council would meet on a regular basis with organizational assistance
from the City. The council would have one or two representatives from each
neighborhood association as members. Common problems and/or neighborhood
specific issues could be brought to the table as could information about problem
properties or current event issues. Another function of the proposed neighborhood
council could be assisting those residents that are looking to create their own watch
group or association. 'Using seed money from the neighborhood incentive fund,
associations could get assistance with neighborhood clean ups, area events, meetings
and block parties. Whether city, town or village, the neighborhood council could
hold seminars on how others are organizing and running their own associations.
2) Publishing of Neighborhood Association Directory - The Action Team
recommends the creation of a directory of the active neighborhood associations and
watch groups. Contact names, numbers and e-mail addresses. The directory could
contain information submitted by the active groups regarding neighborhood specific
information or promotional literature. Also contained in the directory should be a
map that shows areas of the city each neighborhood association covers. This
directory should be created, maintained and updated by the City of Ithaca
Neighborhood Planner. Utilizing the world wide web and software that identifies
property owners in the City would help to connect people better and allow the flow
of thoughts, ideas, problems, solutions etc.
3) Improving the Relationship between Neighborhood Associations and the
Landlord Association - This recommendation for the inviting and encouraging of
landlords or their representatives to be involved in the neighborhoods they own or
manage property in. Currently there is no networking of the renters, landlords and
homeowners. If all Ithacans have an interest in the neighborhood, the community
should be communicating to each other in some positive way. Information about
rental properties available could be shared with the neighborhood. Residents would
want to refer their friends, family or new comers to landlords that work to promote
healthy neighborhood values.
4) Publishing of a Citizens Handbook on How to Fight Drugs - This Action
Team recommends an informational booklet be published that would give
community residents assistance in fighting drugs in their neighborhoods.
Information in the booklet would include:
a) How to recognize a drug house.
b) Who to call if there is suspicion of illegal activity in a home or rental
property.
c) How to deal with landlords and property managers that rent to
people who use or sell drugs out of the property.
d) What to do if one witnesses illegal street activity.
e) A progress report from the Drug House Task Force.
f) Information on community police officers.
5) Reporting Tools of Suspected Drug Activity
The IPD Dispatcher - Currently citizens have a number of ways to report
suspicious activity to police. Calling the IPD dispatcher at 272-3245 is one way of
filing a concern. However, it has come to the attention of the Action Team that
there have been inconsistencies in the way the dispatcher has taken calls and as a
result some residents have reported it is not a comfortable way to alert officials of a
problem. The Community Action Action Team recommends the dispatchers be
trained in communication skills and sensitized to the needs of some residents to
remain anonymous. A more streamlined phone reporting system should be
developed so phone reporting can be accomplished more easily.
Neighborhood training - The Action Team also recommends local seminars
at the neighborhood level on "how to report a crime". This could be taught by
community police officers and would serve to introduce the officer to residents,
promote good will, and increase the good working relationship between city
government and residents.
Hot Spot Cards for the Community - The Hot Spot Card provides a safe, easy
way for neighborhood residents to anonymously report to the police any specific
information they may have about a drug-related incident. Although Hot Spot Cards
are available, many residents have never heard of them, and others find them too
complicated. The Action Team believes that if residents know more about the cards
(i.e. where to pick them up and drop them off), and the easier they are to use, the
more effective the cards will be as a reporting tool.
The Action Team proposes that the card be streamlined, and a marketing
campaign be conducted that is supported by city officials, neighborhood associations
and the media to promote this tool. Publishing the card in the newspaper, or
inserting a "How to Use the Hot Spot Card" guidance piece in bulk mail would be
very effective ways to make it more feasible. Sending a packet of cards to each
neighborhood association would also increase card use and provide additional
information to officials.
Hot Spot Cards for the Schools - Residents believe and understand that it is
very difficult for a student to share information regarding possible drug use in the
high school or junior high schools. If there was an anonymous and safe way for a
student to report illegal activity like drugs or weapons in the schools, it would
become a desirable tool for students. Possible questions on the student cards could
be; Do you know anyone dealing drugs in school? Their name, grade, kind of drug,
when, and where. The locked drop-off boxes could be located in the library, medical
office, cafeteria, and locker rooms. These tips would be handled by the police
department and not by school officials.
Section 8 Hot Spot Card - Section 8 Housing Programs at Tompkins County
EOC have put together a card that residents can fill out to report suspicious activity
in a Section ` 8 subsidized housing unit. The Action Team recommends that the
Ithaca Housing Authority be encouraged to also provide these cards to their Section
8 subsidized housing residents.
6) Increased Community/Police Interactions
Building Neighborhood -Police Relationships - The community and
neighborhoods have welcomed community policing in Ithaca. Seeing an officer
standing on the corner by Conway Park talking to children or listening to a
community police officer at the West End Breakfast Club serves to strengthen the
police -community bond. All existing neighborhood associations are encouraged to
set up a gathering of residents to welcome and meet with their community police
officer as soon as possible. Community Police information should be published and
included in the Neighborhood Directory
IPD Satellites in. City Neighborhoods - The Action Team recommends
establishing more IPD satellites in city neighborhoods. Many residents see an
increased physical police presence as a very effective deterrent to crime. It also
greatly increases the perception of safety in areas that have a drug sale or use
problem. Establishing more satellites in the community will send a very strong
message to those contemplating illegal activity.
Mobile Police Satellite - The Action Team recommends IPD investigate using
a mobile police satellite, perhaps acquiring a mobile home for this purpose. It could
be transported to different locations, increasing visibility and reducing costs by not
having to maintain a physical structure like a store front.
7)Police Canine Unit - The Action Team recommends IPD maintain a canine
unit. The Action Team realises that training a dog and officer will take some time
before they are out in the street. Why not use the existing state canine unit at
known drug entry points like the bus station now?
8)Improved Lighting - The Action Team recommends that neighbors survey
their blocks to identify dark areas or areas where lighting is less abundant and have
them contact DPW to request the installation of additional lights.
9) Creation of a Community Watch Program - New York State Electric & Gas
(NYSEG) has a program where their employees who are out and about in
neighborhoods everyday are trained to report anything out of the ordinary to the
local police department. Because of this training and the on -board communications
of two-way radios and cell phones, NYSEG employees can promptly report unusual,
unsafe or suspicious activities. The Community Action -Action Team recommends
the City of Ithaca incorporate a similar program with the employees of the
Department of Public Works. The addition of more eyes and ears able to report
potential problems would serve to increase the quality of life in our communities
while potentially decreasing criminal activity.
10) Eviction Ordinance, Nuisance Laws and NS Real Property Law 715 - New
York's Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law Section 715 enables residents as
well as others to bring action to evict against tenants who engage in illegal activities.
This existing law requires proof of drug activity and basically requires physical proof
that is very often difficult to obtain. A county drug eviction ordinance has .been
drafted by members of the Community Drug Task Force - Governments Initiatives
Action Team that fills the gap in existing landlord -tenant law by authorizing
eviction if illegal drugs are also being used or possessed on the premises. This
Action Team strongly supports an ordinance that serves to empower local residents,
landlords and municipal authorities to evict tenants who use or posses illegal drugs
in rented properties.
The Community Action -Action Team recommends this proposal be given
top priority. Many of the existing neighborhood associations have been waiting for
this kind of legal tool and await its adoption.
School Culture -Environment Action Team
All members of the Action Team agree that the single most important issue
regarding the use of, and the selling of drugs or alcohol in our schools is the issue of
safety. Therefore, this issue has been the basis for all of the Action Team's research,
deliberations and recommendations.
1) The Action Team recommends the installation of an Ithaca High School
(IHS) parking lot gate to monitor student arrivals and departures to and from
campus and to prohibit unauthorized access to the IHS parking lot. The goal of this
is to ensure student safety and accountability for student's whereabouts during
school day to limit, A) non -student access: anyone who might be using, distributing
drugs, alcohol or weapons, B) student access to vehicles to smoke, drink or use drugs
during the school day, C) students' ability to leave campus to secure drugs or
alcohol for use or distribution on campus.
Interviews with current and former IHS students suggest the above activities
occur with regularity. Calls were made by team members to surrounding school
districts of similar size. The Action Team suggests controlling motor vehicle access
is important to limiting drug use and distribution on the IHS campus. The Action
Team hopes to establish one point of entry into the parking lot that is monitored by
staff and install automatic gates at all exits to prevent entry at those points.
2) The Action Team recommends a closed campus, where all students enter
campus and remain for the period of their academic engagement and then leave for
the day. The goal is to ensure student safety and accountability of students'
whereabouts and help students manage their time productively by, A) reducing
students' access to off campus sources of drugs or alcohol, B) reducing students'
nonacademic time which encourages drug use during the school day, C) reducing
students' time on campus to engage in illicit pursuits, D) students having each
period supervised by staff that take attendance, with consequences for
nonattendance, E) encouraging efficient use of time for students who have
legitimate off campus responsibilities such as jobs, educational pursuits, religious
organizations, volunteer work or family needs.
Interviews with current and past IHS students indicate that unsupervised free
periods provide opportunity for drug and alcohol use and distribution. Students
have also indicated that current scheduling practices include as many as three .to
five study halls during the school day. When these are scheduled back to back
students are more likely to engage in drug use out of boredom and peer pressure.
Interviews have also shown that students have classes on and off throughout the
day rather than having a free afternoon to engage in positive off campus activities.
Review of current IHS schedules indicates that many students do not have
classes scheduled to provide uninterrupted academic dasses. The students that have
full schedules, some without a lunch period, indicated they see little or no drug
activity because "We don't have time for drugs." The Action Team recommends
that schedules should be arranged to provide an uninterrupted academic course
load. If students have free time they should receive counseling about electives or off
campus work or volunteer pursuits. All study halls during the day should be
assigned periods with mandatory attendance with consequences for nonattendance.
When possible, students without a full course load, should have their course load
arranged as to allow free afternoons to engage in productive off campus activities.
Students should not be allowed to return to campus without approval.
3) The Action Team recommends that students sign agreements to abstain
from use of drugs, tobacco or alcohol in order to be involved in all sports, dubs and
other activities.(student government etc.). The goal of this is to foster a proactive
non -drug use atmosphere by targeting students in high visibility groups which
represent the school in the hopes of having all students eventually sign the same
agreement. The same type of pledge should be specifically used for special events
like the prom.
This document will promote positive choices by having highly visible
students choosing to demonstrate a non-use lifestyle, promote self-determination in
students in regard to drug, alcohol non-use and healthy lifestyle and help to
reinforce school drug policies.
ICSD already has such a document. However, students interviewed report a
callous attitude toward signing the document, rather than true commitment, due to
a lack of enforcement even when violations were known to have occurred. The
Action Team wants to require any student who represents ICSD to commit, in
writing, to a non-use lifestyle. Ithaca should empower coaches and staff to facilitate
enforcement of this document by demonstrating a clear non -tolerance for
violations. Provide class time when teachers will review the document and its
importance. Also require coaches to devote a time period to discuss what this
means to each team member. Use this educational period to provide students with
information and support for a non-use lifestyle.
4)The Action Team recommends an. increase in funds and support for
intramural sports and after school activities. The goal is to promote positive
student participation in before and after school activities by, A) provide staff to
supervise intramural sports before school because some buses arrive as early as 7:15
a.m. Similar situations are present at elementary and middle schools, B) provide
more after school alternatives to sports, and C) find creative ideasto encourage.
active and voluntary staff participation to support these activities.
Students attending meetings of this ,.Action Team have cited a lack of
activities in the morning provides the opportunity for students to use drugs or
alcohol prior to the start of the school day.
There currently exists very little funding for supplies for clubs. Many
students are interested in these clubs but are not able to participate because of
financial hardship. Future initiatives should increase funding for after school clubs
to buy supplies for students who can not otherwise buy them on their own in order
to actively participate in the activity.
5) The Action team recommends working with the school district to provide
a later after-school bus route schedule, or work with Tompkins Consolidated Area
Transit (TCAT) to provide discount or free youth passes to facilitate access of after-
school activities by more students,
Students have said that the late bus departs too soon at the end of the day to
make participation in after school programs feasible. Furthermore, late buses have
more limited drop points that are sometimes too far from their homes to make
walking safe, especially in the winter months when it's dark and the weather is
inclement. Students who live closer to the school and typically walk home also face
this problem in the winter months.
The school district should move the departure time of the late bus to 4:00 or
4:15 p.m. to allow more time to engage in activities. The district should also look
into expanding the number of late bus drop-off points that are within a reasonable
safe walking distance of students' homes.
An alternative to this would be free or subsidized youth passes on-TCAT.
TCAT's routes cover all the municipalities in the school district, and operate well
into the evening hours. This would also work well for students who live closer and
typically walk to school.
6) The Action Team believes that a no open container rule should go into
effect. This would prevent students from getting drunk or getting other students
drunk on campus while school is in session or during school related activities (i.e.
football games, sports events). Past experiences show that students bring alcohol
into school and pour it into everyday non-alcoholic beverage containers and get
drunk. Making a rule . that prohibits open containers on campus may help to reduce
the risk of other students' academic programs being disturbed by students who are
intoxicated.
The Action Team leader has contacted other area schools to find out what
policies, if any, they had concerning open containers. It was found that Groton and
Cortland do not allow open containers. Binghamton "discourages" open
containers. Lansing, Homer, and Dryden schools allow open containers but the
beverage must be consumed in the cafeteria area. Trumansburg schools have no
policy and Newfield says water bottles are okay. This policy needs to define open
containers and areas of consumption.
7) The Action Team recommends the use of drug dogs to inspect student
lockers. This recommendation results from a dialogue with students, parents and
Action Team members. Our research has indicated that the use of dogs in other
school settings has been very successful. The Action Team has contacted a local
person, who works with 21 area schools with his dogs. Hisservices would be
available more than 20 times during the school year. He seems to have a working
knowledge of the legal ramifications of search and seizure, and is willing to work
within these guidelines as well as the policy set up by the school. The Action Team
will be receiving a Search and Seizure Guidelines from the law office of a
Binghamton firm that addresses these issues in the school setting. It is possible that
the school system will receive a free demonstration as well as an inspection of the
school to determine risk factors.
8) The Action Team recommends an increase of staff intervention of students
suspected of being impaired by alcohol or drugs. Several parents sat at our table and
expressed anguish regarding this topic. They indicated that students were sent
home impaired with little or no school staff intervention. We have come to the
conclusion that the lack of response by the staff is due to fear, lack of knowledge and
experience and perhaps ignorance of signs and symptoms of impairment. The
Action Team recommends that all staff review standing policies and procedures.
The team further recommends that additional training be made available for
staff. Our research has revealed that there is an excellent program provided by the
NYS Troopers regarding field assessment of impairment. At the Action Team's
request a training session was arranged. This training session occurred on
November 24th, with a NYS Trooper. The trooper, a drug recognition expert,
advised the Action Team that further instruction is necessary and he took
suggestions from all present and will advise about further training sessions. The
Action Team will attempt to research further resources for other training.
Another way to address the need for intervention is covered by the
recommendation of the School Culture -Policy Action Team to hire substance abuse
prevention counselors. We strongly support this recommendation.
9) One other very specific recommendation developed from the Action
Team's research is that there is strong indication that drug trafficking takes place in
school rest rooms and in the cafeteria. Staff responsible for the supervision of these
areas should be made aware of this situation and heightened supervision should be
established. One very simple measure would be to inform staff responsible for hall
monitoring to position themselves near restrooms and to periodically inspect these
areas.
10) The Action Team recommends that a reintegration program should be
established for students returning to school after drug rehabilitation. This program
might also address similar issues of other students who are receiving services and
counseling but who continue to attend school. Again this need was. identified by
parents who "are there" or who "have been there". The Action Team is aware that
there are reintegration programs that already exist and there is a need to do further
research into these programs. The second step would be considering implementing
such a program in the schools. Once again, the hiring of substance abuse prevention
counselors will assist in this effort.
The Action Team also believes there is the need to devote some additional
time and research regarding the unique problems that might exist at the elementary
level. The Action Team will be addressing these issues in upcoming meetings.
School Culture -Policy Action Team
This Action Team has focused on District policy covering alcohol and other
drugs in the schools and on procedures to implement the policy. Members read
policy and procedural statements from ICSD and other districts and talked with
administrators, students, teachers, parents, and other community members. The
Action Team did not believe that reviewing programs to further policy objectives
was part of its charge. Nevertheless, it does believe that programs that
counsel/ educate students and train/ educate staff are an integral part of the task of
reducing substance abuse in the schools. Although District policy covers all schools,
the Action Team inquiries concerned only the secondary schools.
Dealing with substance abuse in the schools must be part of a general project
of reducing disorderly and disrespectful behaviors in general. As with the task of
reducing substance abuse, four elements are essential to this broader goal of
improving the general climate of order and respect within the schools: clear and
known policies, established and publicized procedures, consistently and equally
applied consequences, and support and participation by District and community.
The Action Team understands that administrators and teachers share this
viewpoint and have been working together on the problem. Clarified expectations
of conduct and explanations of consequences and processes have been published in
District and school handbooks that were distributed to students and parents. The.
Action Team has not attempted to monitor the process of working toward change in
the schools, but it recommends that the School Board do so.
1) The Action Team feels that a clear policy regarding the use of alcohol and
other drugs in the schools is the necessary starting point for action and change.
Change will occur only if the policy and its related regulations are known and
understood by staff, students and parents, and only if enforcement is consistent. The
Action Team agreed with the administration's opinion that the policy being
presented to the Board of Education was clear and sufficient to allow effective action.
in dealing with substance abuse in the schools and chose to propose only the
modification of adding tobacco to the list of prohibited drugs. The Board adopted
the policy with that change; it forbids possession, use, sale, or distribution of tobacco,
alcohol, and other drugs on school property or at school -sponsored events and
denies the right to be in school or at school events to persons who are under the
influence of drugs like alcohol.
2) Failures of administrative support, the absence of clear procedures, and
erratic enforcement have all been reported to us as common in past years, especially
in Ithaca High School. The Action Team supports the current efforts of both the
superintendent and the high school principal to bring clarity to school policies and
to consistently enforce those policies. The Action Team emphasizes the need for all
staff, students, and parents to understand the policies, and the consequences of
violating them. This will require regular and repeated promulgation and
discussion in the schools and among parents and central administrators. The
Action Team also emphasizes the need for consistent enforcement, because it is
clear that occasional or selective enforcement amounts to a public announcement
that the policy is a sham. This will require the participation and support of central -
office and building administrators, teachers, other staff, parents, and School Board
members.
Most people have heard that in adult society "ignorance of the law is no • ;
excuse." In the schools, ignorance has been an effective excuse for failures to curb
drug abuse, as has uncertainty. Administrators and teachers who are ignorant .of the
symptoms of drug use do not remove students who are under the influence from
school events. Teachers whoare uncertain that administrators will support .their
actions in removing a student who is under the influence from a classroom will not
enforce the policy. Staff members who are ignorant of established procedures for
removing students from dass for a drug -assessment cannot enforce policy properly,
resulting in erratic enforcement. Procedures that are cumbersome or impossible to
follow in some situations have the same effect. This Action Team emphasizes that .
it sees failures to enforce policy not as failures to punish students but as failures to
help them, both those who use and those who suffer the effects of a school drug
culture.
The Action Team reiterates that workable procedures for implementing and
enforcing policy are essential. The Superintendent circulated draft working papers
on procedures to implement drug policy. Action Team members asked questions
and made suggestions regarding clarity, purpose, and process. A version of the
procedures shown to the Action Team in August 1997 reflected Action Team
suggestions and appeared to be potentially effective. As with the policy itself,
procedures must be known, understood, supported, and consistently used by all
teachers, administrators, and other staff members. Recent observations from IHS
suggest that desirable levels of consistency or workability have not yet been
achieved.
The consequences of violating the policy must both deter violations and
promote alternative behaviors. In other words, consequences cannot be limited to
punishments like suspension, but must offer help like counseling, group
discussion, and mentoring. After discussions with administrators, the Action Team
concluded that the process of refining consequences is on the right track. It has
neither proposed specific consequences nor monitored further action.
The effectiveness of procedures and of consequences depends on consistent
and equal application in terms of both situations and individuals. All
administrators express support for this principle and the intention to act
accordingly, although as noted earlier, reports from previous years indicate
inconsistency and inequality are common. Students will not take the policy or its
promulgators seriously if, for example, athletes escape from application of the
policy, or if one ethnic group is treated with more flexibility than another, or if a
persuasive parent manages to modify consequences meted out to his or her child.
This Team believes it is essential that all teachers, administrators, other staff, and
School Board members support and participate in this effort consistently and
equitably.
3) The Action Team recommends the establishment of a Drug Free School
Zone, which extends District policing authority beyond the boundaries of its
property up to a certain distance, but the Superintendent pointed out that federal
regulations on Drug Free Zones apply only to policies covering drugs other than
tobacco. This prevented adoption in the manner proposed at that time. The Action
Team will reintroduce this proposal after further study, and will explore with the
appropriate municipalities other ways to include tobacco to the district's oversight
authority.
4) Students must be helped with assessment, support, and counseling relative
to substance abuse issues .through well designed programs, knowledgeable
personnel, and adequate staffing. Such programs provide the alternatives to
punishments mentioned earlier, as well as offering services to those who have not
been convicted of violating policy. Secondary administrators expressed the desire to
increase staffing and improve program delivery regarding substance abuse. The
Team strongly recommends that at least two substance abuse prevention counselors
be hired by -the district to work in the secondary schools. The Action Team has
publicized this interest and presented it to the School Board.
The Action Team drafted a statement whose purpose was to inform the
public of the conclusions of the Action Team and the actions of the District and
schools as noted above, in hopes of increasing community awareness and support
for these efforts. After consultation with the larger Task Force, the statement was
published as an opinion piece in the Ithaca Journal of October 17, 1997.
The Action Team voted to express its conclusions and its active support of the
ICSD School Board. The Action Team drafted a memorandum to the Board
outlining its conclusions, presenting the request for counseling staff, and stating
team members' ready support of Board actions in pursuit of effective action in the
task of curbing the abuse of alcohol and other drugs in the schools. This was
circulated to Board members in October. This report adds the .following to that
statement: Action Team members believe that the Board could and should express
interest in and support of change in the area of substance abuse by routine and
informed inquiry into the conduct and progress of policy enforcement and program
delivery, perhaps through regular, meaningful reports from the Superintendent.
The Action Team is now exploring with District administrators further useful
actions with regard to drug policy and its implementation, as well as looking at
other ways of achieving our goals --for example, the inclusion of trained peer
educators in the program delivery team mentioned in paragraph E above. This
Action Team finds the recommendations that are being made by the Action Team
on School Culture/Environment in their section of the report of the Community
Drug Task Force consistent with the points made above and concurs in their
recommendations.
Public Outreach Action Team
The Public Outreach Action Team's focus to date has been on bringing
visibility to the efforts of the Community Drug Task Force and to raise awareness in
our community regarding drug use and abuse, and ongoing drug prevention efforts.
The team worked with other Action Teams, interviewing members and soliciting
information to include in press releases.
1) An informative cable access program was organized by the Public Outreach
Action Team, which featured members of other Community Drug Task Force
Action Teams talking about the problems our community faces and the work of
their respective teams.
2) The team hopes to organize a Drug Awareness Street Fair focused on
downtown, involving college and high school students, GIAC and area businesses
and individuals. On an ongoing basis, awareness raising at all area festivals and
fairs can be accomplished by setting up a booth that distributes information on area
services and is staffed by individuals knowledgeable about those services.
3) The Action Team recommends the development of a local media/public
relations campaign designed to increase awareness of the issues of substance abuse,
to educate youth and adults about the dangers of substance abuse, to inform drug
users of the services available to help them and to inform the loved ones of
substance abusers about the support services available to them.
Awareness raising is important to raise public consciousness about the -issues
of substance abuse. For example,parents who are aware that drug activity occurs in
our community are in denial when they contend that their own children are not or
could not be involved. Parents should know that the possibility of their own child
being involved with drugs is very real. They should be equipped with the skills to
talk with their child about substance abuse and be prepared to help their child if they
are already involved with drugs.
While there are already nationally prominent campaigns designed to
discourage drug use, they are counterbalanced by both advertising campaigns for
nicotine and alcohol products, and by some programming presented by the
entertainment industry. In television shows, movies and advertisements, popular
media and sports personalities are seen either promoting the use of nicotine and/or
alcohol products, or actually using these and other substances.
The team recognizes the mixed messages that community members,
particularly our youth, receive from the media. The need exists to develop a clear,
coherent message for our community, and most likely tailor that message for the
different constituencies in our community, particularly our youth.
The development of social norms for our youth would be beneficial in raising
their awareness about the numbers of their peers that do not engage in substance
abuse activities. Nationally renowned expert Alan Berkowitz, who resides in Ithaca,
has found in his research that youth tend to greatly overestimate the amount of
alcohol and other drug use that is going on amongst their peers. By communicating
the facts and accentuating the positive (eg 90% of sixth graders do not smoke
cigarettes) rather than the negative (eg 10% of sixth graders smoke cigarettes), youth
will take notice. Berkowitz has: found that youth will conform their behavior to the
more moderate, actual norm if they know what it is.
National and state public relations campaigns will be evaluated for their
applicability to our community. The opportunity also exists to collaborate with a
college level advertising and public relations course to help develop a message and a
comprehensive advertising and public relations campaign. This campaign will
most likely cover print, radio and television, in addition to other targeted :efforts
like direct mail.
4) Another team focus is in the area of advocacy. The task force report
contains a number of recommendations that need to be implemented. This will
require speaking before legislative bodies, the Board of Education and community
organizations. There is a need to develop spokespersons who can serve as
advocates. They will make presentations before these various entities to secure the
passage of policies and legislation designed to enhance drug prevention efforts
throughout our community.
They will also work to raise community awareness of substance abuse issues
and of the service providers who are addressing the problem. For example, there is
no established' community presence of drug treatment providers. While the
Alcoholism Council and Alpha House both provide critically needed services to our
community, their work is practically invisible. Consequently, not only the problems
they are dealing with but the successes they are achieving are relatively unknown to
the general public.
5) The team also recommends that task force advocates meet with the
editorial board of the Ithaca Journal. The Journal is a good vehicle to maintain
ongoing awareness raising through the publication of stories on substance abuse
issues. Educating the Journal staff on substance abuse issues and establishing a
relationship with the newspaper will be important to maintaining a sustained
awareness raising effort.
Government Initiatives (& Environmental Factors) Action Team
The purpose and goal of this Action Team is to propose ordinances, laws, and
programs at any level of government to help further the mission of the Drug Task
Force and to reduce substance abuse and drug trafficking in the Ithaca area. The
Action Team's particular emphases have been on ordinances at the local level (City
of Ithaca), and on improvements in the local environment which would improve
local quality of life and would in turn affect the environment for substance abuse.
The work to date has primarily been focused on drafting new or modified
ordinances for consideration by the City of Ithaca (Mayor's office and Common
Council). The Action Team has also given some consideration to proposing new
local programs to be funded through government grants, and to develop initiatives
for higher government levels (state or federal). Practical resource limits however
have required the Action Team to concentrate on local ordinances first. The Action
Team is investigating issues such as anti -noise laws, anti -loitering laws, drug-free
zones, forfeiture laws, eviction laws, curfew laws, truancy laws, improved lighting
laws, anti -graffiti laws, anti -litter laws, possession of nicotine by minors, drug-
related activities, public health laws, emancipation & parental responsibility.
1) An anti -noise proposal has been prepared and is ready to be passed on to
the Common Council. The Action Team feels that there are clear and specific
penalties, but a question remains as to whether a police officer can act as the
complainant.
2) An anti -loitering proposal is also ready to be passed on to the Common
Council. Some Action Team members have expressed concern about the anti -
loitering law, arguing that it invites misuse by police.
3) A .drug-free zone proposals are still under active Action Team
consideration. The main issues are whether to establish drug-free zones in Ithaca
beyond those established by federal law (around schools, playgrounds, and youth
centers), and whether to post signs in drtig-free areas as a preventive measure
against drug traffic. A law in Portland, OR, that expands drug-free zones is
being considered as a possible model. The County D.A. has meanwhile been
presenting ideas for "targeted drug zones" to neighborhood associations, and has
pointed out that his office can get court orders to declare specific areas of the city off-
limits to specific people as a condition of probation. One Action Team member
proposed that the downtown area be designated as a drug-free zone.
4) A proposal for a new forfeiture law was rejected by the Action Team, and
an improved version is expected at a later date.
5) The County District Attorney sent his proposed Eviction Ordinance with
our endorsement to the County Board and the Common Council. This law is an
expansion of the provisions of section 715 of the New York State Real Property Law,
which provides a mechanism to evict tenants who are involved in the sale of illicit
substances. The D.A. explains that his version is a "proposed local, ordinance that
fills the gap in existing landlord -tenant law by authorizing eviction of tenants if
illegal drugs are being used or possessed on the premises." Common Council
recently passed the law, and the County Board is expected to review it soon.
6) The Action Team has spent a great deal of time investigating curfews and
truancy laws. The facts on effectiveness of curfews are being researched by the
Action Team. Curfews may be imposed for people on probation and can only apply
to youth ages 16 and under. Curfew law effectiveness is controversial with many
advocates on both sides of the issue. A recent proposal was rejected by the Action
Team.
The main issues in truancy laws are in the hands of the school board and
school administrations, establishing an environment in which current truancy laws
can be effectively enforced. The open campus of Ithaca High School significantly
impacts enforcement. In the meantime, the Action Team is researching what
additional laws and methods may have proven effective in other municipalities.
The possibility of strengthening truancy laws on a local level is being investigated.
7) The Action Team has found no relevant city or state laws found dealing
with improved lighting. The building code has requirements for lighting at exits for
new residential buildings, but their ability to enforce them is limited. The Action
Team is researching what kind of lighting ordinances could help deter drug activity.
8) The Action team is looking at other municipal ordinances that require
private property owners to remove graffiti in a timely fashion. Questions
remaining include the role of the municipality in cleaning graffiti for private
property owners and the imposition on private property owners of fines for
noncompliance. The Mayor will bring the work done to date to the City Attorney's
office to facilitate the drafting of a local ordinance.
9) The required research assignments on anti -litter and public health laws
have not yet been assigned to Action Team members. It has been suggested that
public health laws might be applied to drug abuse as a type of epidemic.
10) Possession of nicotine by minors is another issue that concerns the Action
Team. The development of a local ordinance seems possible as it does not appear
that state law supersedes in this particular area.The school board has discussed a
possible ban on possession of cigarettes by minors.
The questions the Action Team has is what kind of punishment would be
involved for those founding breaking the rules, and what if any search and seizure
issues might arise. It is recommended that search and seizure be .precluded as part of
any local ordinance. The main suggested remediation for first time offenders is
required education on the dangers of smoking (similar to that of community service
work hours assigned by a judge). Alaska has a statute stating that possession of
tobacco by a minor is a violation (AS 11.76.105), but punishments are not specified.
The question of punishments led to the discussion of parental responsibility.
The availability of emancipation for 16 -year olds in New York undermines the
ability of parents to be fully responsible for their 16- and 17 -year old children.
However, since local ordinances cannot supersede state law, it appears that little can
be done at the local level, and a change at the state level would be necessary to rectify
the situation.
11) The Action Team drafted a proposal for an ordinance to limit drug-related
activities based on a model from Portland, OR. However, this proposal was shelved
by the Action Team. Several Action Team members did not support the ordinance.
They argued that it made too many "normal" activities illegal, and would make
virtually all citizens into criminals. They pointed out that its main purpose would
be to allow police to detain drug dealers based on suspicious actions, which is a
power already permissible under current law. For example, the police can arrest
someone who swallows something that an officer has demanded to see, or who has
passed something to another person and refuses to show what it is.
j ustice system Accton 1 eam
1 ne justice System Action Team is composed of representatives from the
Ithaca City Police Department, Ithaca City Court, Ithaca City Prosecutor's Office,
Tompkins County District Attorney's Office, the local defense bar and a number of
community members. During its initial meetings, the Action Team reviewed the
list of concerns generated by the Community Drug Task Force as a whole. From that
list, three topics were selected: (1) Youth Court; (2) Support for Community Groups;
(3) Analysis of Judicial System Resources Targeting Drug Abuse.
Note: A number of people wanted the Drug Task Force to address a concern
that local judges were 'soft' on drug dealers, and thus contributing to the drug
problem. This topic was passed on to the Judicial System Action Team for
consideration. The Judicial System Team discussed the issue and several ideas were
generated. Team members were in favor of citizens expressing their concerns to
judges directly, by letter or in community. forums. They also favored making it
easier for people to find out the status of a particular case as it made its
way through the court system. Finally, team members noted that judges are elected
officials, thus ultimately could be held accountable for their actions through
elections.
1) At its essence, a Youth Court or a Teen Court involves teenagers handling
all aspects of judicial proceedings involving teenagers who have committed minor
crimes. Many Youth Courts are successfully operating around the country. In fact,
Ithaca .had such a Court a number of years ago. Through research, the Action Team
was able to locate and obtain a newly published guide to establishing a Youth Court
prepared by the Probation and Parole Association. This comprehensive guide
provides a step-by-step process for establishing such an initiative. The
guide also contains a listing of New York State Youth Courts. Subsequently, three of
the New York State Courts that exist in similarly sized communities were contacted
for information about their programs and experiences. An invitation was also
received to attend at least one of these Courts.
2) The Justice System Action Team has communicated with and worked with
the Community Action Action Team to avoid duplication of efforts. Both share a
common goal of supporting neighborhood groups and strengthening programs such
as neighborhood watches. The specific proposal developed by the Justice System
Action Team involves organizing a series of neighborhood forums. Participating in
these forums would be the District Attorney, City Judge, Police Chief, Mayor, and
City Prosecutor. These individuals have agreed to make themselves available for
neighborhood discussions specifically related to alcohol and drug abuse and the
enforcement of laws related to those issues. The plan involves having an open
dialogue with individual neighborhood groups with questions or concerns of this
nature.
A decision was made by the Action Team to convey the willingnessof these
officials to meet with neighborhood groups via a City wide meeting of
neighborhood groups organized by the City Planning Office, and the Mayor. That
meeting was held in October at City Hall. After a general discussion about the goals
of such a forum, the idea was generally endorsed by the participants at the meeting.
The representatives' then agreed to take the invitation back to their respective
groups and to contact the Action Team if they were interested in hosting such a
dialogue in their neighborhood.
3) The Justice System Action Team consulted with a number of local offices
and agencies in an effort to assess their current ability to address issues related to
drug enforcement and to identify additional resources that may be needed.
Ithaca Police Department - Members of the Justice System Action Team met
with the police department to assess their resources for drug investigation. The
discussion covered these areas: 1) personnel, 2) equipment, 3) training, 4)
leadership, 5) arenas for citizen participation, and 6) new ideas.
The police department's most important resource is personnel, and there are
too few at the present (only 2 persons dedicated to drug investigations). Two
additional drug investigators will be hired in the near future. Due to this lack of
resources, the department is more reactive than proactive, as it would like to be.
The limited number of available undercover officers greatly hampers
investigations. Suggested possible solutions: 1) trading time with other
departments in the area on a quid pro quo basis (would require some Ithaca officers
to be absent, thereby reducing their effectiveness); 2) a. civilian core of specially
trained drug buyers.
The quantity and quality of IPD's equipment is adequate (the only need
appears to be a canine unit). However, training programs could enable more
effective collaboration among units of the justice system (i.e. investigators, ,patrol
officers, the D.A.'s office). It's hoped that new leadership will set dear priorities for
the department and lead to greater collaboration among investigators and patrol
officers. The new police chief has expressed his very positive commitment to
community policing. It was mentioned that the priorities of the department seem at
times to be Cornell Collegetown parties, public urination, and fireworks rather than
drug investigations. All agreed on the need to reconsider and focus priorities in the
city.
The Action Team learned that there are several arenas for citizen
participation, such possibilities include a civilian core of specially trained drug
buyers and home videotapes of illegal activity. Currently, there is a phone number
for citizen reporting, but is questionable if it is useful or effective. Landlords can
participate in the fight against drugs by evicting tenants for drug use. Of course,
there is always a need for citizens to speak out (i.e. letters to the editor).
New ideas for IPD are needed and are very welcome. The following concepts
were brought up in discussion with IPD: (1) Collaboration with the schools needs to
be strengthened, (2) Jail overcrowding drives many justice system decisions, and(3)
What is Ithaca's drug problem, and is it any worse than anyone else's?
Speaking from a long-term perspective, the investigators pointed out that the
most serious ' problem at present is crack cocaine. It's new, . has increased a great deal
in the last couple of years, and brings with it .other kinds of crime, . often violent:
robberies, fights, turf wars,prostitution, serious littering, etc..
County Probation Department - The probation department role begins after
conviction: 1) pre -sentencing evaluation, looking at the whole picture to weigh a
person's needs against history, then 2) make a recommendation to the judge, for
restitution, counseling, or other aspects of probation, and 3) If a sentence of
probation is given, the department supervises.
After careful analysis of the Probation Department's resources, the following
conclusions were reached: (1) With regard to training, there is not a lot of good
training dealing with substance abuse.(2) Case loads are often too heavy. At any
given time, each probation officer handles 55-60 cases + 4-5 investigations.
Probation cases are assigned "geographically," rather than to specialists in
particular issues or crimes. The idea of the drug court initiative has raised hopes to
lift some of the case loads (the City has just gotten a $300,000 government grant to
get started).
The Probation Department sees several trends affecting youth: (1) away from
cocaine and towards heroin use; (2) being offered and becoming involved with
drugs and alcohol at an earlier age; (3) weapons at the high school.
County Attorney - In continuing assessment of justice system resources
available for drug issues, the Action Team in November met with representatives
from the County Attorney's Office. The Action Team learned that gangs or cliques
exist at the high school, which powerfully influence the student body behavior. The
Attorney's Office claims that approximately 70% of the cases they see are
drug/alcohol-related. The County Attorney would like to refer kids to something
that helps free themselves from drug-related activities, but they aren't sure what
that might be.
Cornell University - In November the Action Team met with the Cornell
University Judicial Administrator to discuss problems, procedures, and resources in
dealing with alcohol/drug-related cases. The Action Team learned that at Cornell,
alcohol is a significant issue. The percentage of alcohol-related cases has dropped
this year (from 25% to 17%), which may or may not accurately reflect the degree of
alcohol abuse. The JA's office only reviews those cases referred to them, and
residence hall activities are almost certainly under reported. The JA's office worries
about enabling destructive student behavior, and in no way denies the scale of the
problem.
The Action Team discussed a number of frequently asked questions,
beginning with: Do students suffer any consequences? Yes, they suffer
consequences similar in degree to those imposed by the City Prosecutor. Particularly
effective is referral to a 10 -hour alcohol education course, run by the Alcoholism
Council. Other consequences include community service and in many cases a
disciplinary record which remains until a student graduates. Last year, 11,000 hours
of community service were imposed.
What cases should be kept on campus? The courts have limited resources,
and shouldn't use them dealing with minor cases. The decisions to send cases
"downtown" or refer them to the JA are made by the Cornell Police.
What else could be done? Cornell would like to see the Alcoholism Council
(or a similar agency) funded to provide further education programs, so that they
might be more broadly-based, and include first-time. offenders,
Other questions, probably unanswerable but often raised: Should the
drinking age be 18? What can be done about fake ID's? Police officers make the
decision about whether to write them up as felonies, violations, or misdemeanors.
The Cornell Police have 40 officers --not enough personnel to shut down an event
such as Slope Day.
The Center. for Science in the Public Interest will collaborate with Cornell and
the University of North Carolina on amulti-year project about binge drinking,
which, it is hoped, will lead to effective tools for persuading students to alter
behavior.
4) Next steps - At this point, the Justice System Action Team is working to
arrange neighborhood forums. The next step in the process is to send letters to all of
the neighborhood groups describing the forums.
The Youth Court project is also starting to "gear up." A letter has gone out to
a number of local agencies whoprovide services to Youths informing them of the
project and seeking their input. The next step will be to form a small working group
in advance of the formation of an advisory board, should the decision be made togo
forward with the project.
The Action Team has also begun discussing a new initiative somewhat
related to the Teen Court concept. With the help of a Drug Awareness Resistance
Education (DARE) Officer, the Action Team is exploring the possibility of adding
some additional components to the current D.A.R.E. curriculum. These might
include the participation of judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys in classroom
discussions regarding the legal system.
Justice System Action Team Recommendations:
(1) Support programs that teach students about the legal system.
a) Supplementing the DARE program by having judges and lawyers
speaking to classes about their roles.
b) Continue exploring the formation of a Youth Court Program in
which youth ages 10-15 would be "sentenced" (e.g., given community service work)
by their peers for minor offenses.
c) Develop a school district wide program that would teach children
more about the legal/judicial system as well as providing them with information
about the work of the people in the system. For example, lawyers and judges could
speak in classes in connection with constitutional law discussions, and could
culminate in a mock trial program with mock trials in real courtrooms.
d) The Action Team supports the recently announced goal of
expanding DARE into the middle schools.
(2) Increase the opportunities for the public to learn the outcome of drug cases
specifically and drug enforcement policies generally.
a) Encourage the District Attorney and City Prosecutor to develop a
formal process by which concerned citizens could receive updates regarding
prosecutions.
b) Periodically hold neighborhood meetings at which community
leaders would answer questions regarding drug enforcement policies.
c) Support efforts to have the public support suspicious activities to the
police.
d) Support continued expansion of neighborhood groups including
neighborhood watch.
(3) Support efforts to increase funding for drug enforcement.
a) The Action Team recommends that the community give priority to
increasing law enforcement budgets to combat drug trafficking.
b) The Action Team supports ongoing assessment of new law
enforcement tools in this area.
(4) Support increased training for professionals working with alcohol and
drug addicted clients.
a) The Team recommends that expanded training be considered for
probation officers and DSS caseworkers.
b) Continue support for the Ithaca City Drug Court Team.
Survey Action Team
This team's goal is to produce a survey of drug usage and attitudes towards
drugs amongst our youth that is credible to and supported by all interested parties.
The survey is meant to serve multiple complementary purposes. The team that has
been assembled includes at least one person from each of the following groups:
students, parents, teachers, principals, District administration, BOCES, the City of
Ithaca, and the Board of Education.
Detailed minutes are being kept expressly so that anyone joining our group
can come up to speed quickly, and so that in future years people can avoid covering
the same ground we are covering. We are hoping to avoid a long drawn out process
both now and for future teams that may address the various issues.
The team has agreed that we have multiple goals for the survey. One is to get
a baseline on behavior with our: kids so we can decide how to proceed and to
measure future progress against this baseline. We recognize that some trends that
might be "uncovered" by future comparison surveys might not be a result of what
actions we're taking, but the information will be useful nonetheless.
A second goal is to provide information thatmight guide curriculum
development and to help target scarce resources where they will do the most good.
Out of the survey we are hoping to gather what the problems are "out there", how
serious the problems are, the nature of the problems, and to highlight suggested
starting points for our future efforts.
The team has decided to 'focus on a national survey due to the self -
consistency, internal validity checks, and more sophisticated analyses that can be
done for us by a professionally designed instrument compared to a locally generated
survey. The merits of a locally designed survey include the ability to tune the
vocabulary used and the questions asked to what is important in our local
community. However, it is felt that this benefit is outweighed by the advantages of
a national survey. Current action items are focussed around obtaining national
surveys to evaluate and contacting other schools in the region using National or
State of NY surveys.
Community Drug Task Force
Agenda 5/ 12/ 97
Opening remarks
Vision and mission of CDTF
Group breakout discussions
Stakeholders (who should be at the table)
Individual visions (what should be done)
Assets & obstacles analysis
Draft blueprint for action
Next meeting
Possible focus areas
Environmental factors -lighting, grafitti, garbage, noise, loitering, facilities (rec and
school)
Socio-economic factors -poverty (access to resources), health care, living conditions,
nutrition, support structures (youth & family services), economic development
Education/advocacy-curriculum (K-12), DARE, Life Skills, Head Start, Success by Six,
truancy, pre-school, parent education, outreach (PSA's), visibility
•
Treatment -mental health & medical services, availability (treatment &
professionals), insurance, drug court, pre -natal, alcohol & other drugs
Enforcement -legislative initiatives (local, state & federal), neighborhood watches,
AS, police presence in schools, IPD
Community Drug Task Force
Agenda 5/19/97
`To holistically examine drug use and abuse in our community, and
develop a strategic action plan to address the issues'
1) Welcome, who's here stand-up, table intros
2) Review handouts -assets, obstacles, stakeholders, what needs to be done,. action
teams
3) Break out into action team(s) of choice, select facilitator, discuss topics in depth,
select and prioritize 'what needs to be done' items to action teams, identify what
resources/research are needed for team's work, turn in one copy of team results
4) Next meeting -Monday, June 2, 7pm, IHS cafeteria
Community Drug Task Force
`To holistically examine drug use and abuse in our community, and
develop a strategic action plan to address the issues'
ASSETS
Diversity/multicultural community (5)
Cops on bikes
Low unemployment (3)
Nutrition
Environment at school
Well educated community/intellect(3)
Monday night 7 p.m. .Southside NA for youth
Tuesday night, First Presbyterian Church, 7:30 Ala -Teen (2)
We have a whole range of youth services, agencies and resources (5).
Small enough community to make a difference.
Some substance abuse counselors providing pro bono.
Community organizations(3)
Service clubs (Rotary, Kiwanis) (3)
Philanthropic organizations
Ability of our community to organize /work together
Community involvement/adult volunteers/Strong tradition of volunteerism/activism(4)
Community awareness
Social service talent/Diverse service agencies.
Intergenerational interest
Natural resources (2)
Student assistance team
Available resources/expertise (5)
Ithaca is a college town/Cornell/Ithaca College/TC3 (9)
DARE (2)
BOCES
Cooperative Extension
Middle School Honor Society
Our youth/students(lots of great kids)(4)
This task force/one hundred people at this first meeting (3)
Concerned school staff (3) •
Alternative activities
Drama Productions, Athletics, Music Performances, etc.
GIAC
12 -Step Program (2)
Concerned Parents (2)
Neighborhood Groups
ACT: Area Congregations Together
Hot Spot Card
Active recovering community reaching out in the high school
The majority of young people act responsibly/ peer role models
Abundance of recreational facilities
Lots of concern for the problem (5)
Most (not all) university/college students are good role models
Treatment programs and their clients as educators
Community policing (2)
West End Breakfast Club
Media
Neighborhood Watch
RIBS - Recycle Ithaca Bikes
Free Community Workshop (510 W. Clinton St.)
Bob Leathers Vision
Cornell Coalition for the Homeless
Neighborhood Kids
Willard Drug Treatment Program
People willing to make changes and willing to take consequences whether good or bad
Changes in the School Board and District/New administration committed
Alternative activities plentiful
Well-to-do community (2)
Reasonably safe community / schools (2)
Kids want to be in school (not suspended)
Good therapists
Teen Center
Strong AA and drug addictions (2)
Skate park with sober events
Straight Edge Group
Excellent Music (2)
Spiritual avenues
Commons
Geographically isolated/location
Good health care
Compassionate law enforcement
Elementary and two years middle school
Opportunities for younger children
Teen Center as a model. Need money /leadership.
Good school system
Strong religious community/houses of worship(4)
OBSTACLES
Problem Landlords (2)
Lip service by politicians /Elected officials accountability(2)
Recidivism
Weapons
Youth resources need coordination, a joint strategy
A lot of money for recreational drug use (2)
Need more services/treatment facilities for substance abuse issues (5)
We do not hire within city /community to provide services
Human Service Providers
Law enforcementis overwhelmed
Money / economy / poverty (3)
Cornell - Ithaca College (3)
Lack of Family Time
Past History
Courts. /Criminal Justice System (Too lenient, misdirected):(11)
Geographical makeup of District
Lack of school spirit and pride
Poor school reputation
Not enough health education - starting at kindergarten
Teacher - student distance
,Not enough outrage!
No re-entry process
Overall attitude about drugs
Misinformation and lack of information
Drugs/Dealing is big business (2)
Being high feels better than harsh reality(3)
Disconnected organizations
Reinventing the wheel
Lack of training of volunteers
Fear of confrontation, retaliation 2
Cleanliness of city
Treatment vs. Consequences
Lack of coordination of services/Duplication of services
Turf issues (2)
Confusion between consequences and punishment
Quick decisions - no one willing to take a risk
Glamorize alcohol and drug use (athletes, models etc)
No drug-free hangout place that is safe (2)
DEEBS
Funding - including insurance restrictions.
No halfway house
Little group support for youth
Lack of identity of developmental problems
Lack of consensus/knowledge of what to do
Lack of established expectations (what is acceptable in Ithaca?)
Collegetown, Slope Day, number of bars
Number of bars that serve minors - fake IDs.
Lack of proper realistic drug education - not D.A.R.E. and Drug Free America
Religious groups barred from school
External influences.
Size of IHS (3)
Some laws restrict enforcement, discipline
Lack of dear school policies and procedures
Stress in students lives
Lack of financial resources to direct at problem(3)
School failure for students, dropout rate.
Teachers
Turnover of administrators ICSD/IHS
Lack of results for effort
Complacency / malaise
Teen needs and culture - belong, boundary testing (2)
Cornell University wages are substandard
Outreach centers for outside Ithaca areas
Focus on individual rights to a point that is too permissive
Access to substances easy (e.g. fraternity parties) (4)
Indecisiveness
Lack school rules on cell phones, pagers, etc.
Police afraid/constrained from enforcing laws (e.g. truancy, loitering, possession)(4)
Families who abuse. themselves
Lack of mission statement that emphasizes school's purpose rather than rights
Small percentage of students requires high percentage of teacher resources
Limitations on some tools (e.g. drug sniffing dogs)
Too much tolerance for drug and alcohol use (4)
Open campus (6)
YMCA is not community accessible - too expensive
The Haunt - cultural environment that accepts and expects drug use
blaming others, school blames home; home blames school; schools blame each other
Lack of education for school staff re: symptoms and signs of drug use
Lack of information within the school - including all staff/parents/children.
No safety valve for families/schools - to address problems before explosive
Guest speakers not age-related (school systems)
Enabling laws (sixteen year olds can be out all night) curfews (2)
Race bias/stereotyping
Unsupervised social activities
Self-interest
Title laws
Lack of access to the community centers
Difficulties making social connections
Drug awareness program not available during orientation
Poor role models
Diversity
DARE Program - based on fear and unrealistic stereotypes
Unclear messages from adults
Commons
Heterogeneity
We say all drugs are bad, then see alcohol/pot smoking at home.
Loss of budget money for youth programs
Working partnership between school/community cut off due to money/ turf issues
Lack of decent jobs, service opportunities for teenagers
Money - many kids have more money than they need
The schools themselves (physical layout, inept security guards, inaction of school board)( )3
Population (college, transient, immigrant): 4
Parents (inaction/acceptance/sanctioning of behaviors, unwillingness to talk):(7)
Lack of parental supervision (6)
Media/cultural acceptance (coolness of drugs)(6)
Apathy/ tolerance/ denial(16)
Law enforcement (Lack of serious effort/dedication of resources by IPD, Sheriff):(5)
Lack of volunteerism
Low self-esteem among youth
WHO NEEDS TO BE HERE
Journalists/ media(4)
College educators/college students(14)
More youth/at-risk youth/high school & middle school students/Youth who are involved
in drugs/youthwho hang out on the Commons(18)
Board of Education (5)
Labor/Unions
Reflect diversity of community(race, ethnic, socio-econ, geography(rural &urban)(8)
Parents/grandparents/blended families/foster care parents (11)
Service providers(those working with teens)/ teen therapists/child activists (4)
Police officers/community police officers/DARE /IPD/ State Police/Sheriff/IC/ CU(13)
Politicians /legislators /policy makers /Common Council / TC Board of Reps(7)
Family development specialists
More teachers/teacher's union reps(6)
People who are in recovery /Rehab vets (3)
People who are in economic, emotional pain/low-income community
Neighborhood Watch groups/neighborhood organizations(4)
Recreation dept./City and County Youth Bureau(10)
Planning Board /Zoning Board /Building Dept
Clergy/youth workers in religious institutions (11)
Bar owners /club owners /liquor shops /Restaurant and Tavern Owners Association (7)
Landlords(3)
Inner city folks - Southside
Mental Health (2)
Senior Citizens(3)
Someone to explain what is in use now to deter and / or punish drug use
Area businesses (downtown(BID), mall, collegetown), Chamber of Commerce, Realtors(14)
Treatment (includes recovering addicts; drug abuse counselors, psychologists, al anon, al a
teen, narc anon, treatment center reps, ex -offenders, drug/health educators)(10)
DSS, FOC, Child Protective Services, IHA, Family & Children's Services)(10)
Agencies (Suicide Prevention, OAR, INHS, CDRC, Homes,YAP & L Web. S Army)(7)
Youth Centers. (includes GIAC, South Side, YMCA, Teen Center, La Forza)
Legal (lawyers, judges, law guardian's office, prosecutors, .probation, city attorney)(8)
Service organizations (Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, Elks, Masons(4)
Youth Coaches/Athletic Booster Clubs(3)
Medical Community (includes physicians, hospital,managed care representatives)(5)
Advertisers (tobacco & alcohol)
Advocacy groups (including NORML at CU, THINK at IC), civil libertarians
.ding George Junior, Lansing School for Girls)
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE
Parents/caretakers must set examples - expectations
Increase education for parents (e.g. Step program)(3)
Peer intervention (hot line, self-analysis programs, forum for clean & sober kids to connect)
Drug programs at middle and high schools, not just elementary/start them earlier(7)
Educate kids about morals
Life Skills Program/independentliviing skills programs(5)
Increased involvement, accountability and consequences for parents, educators(8)
Close campus/Keep non -students off school grounds/improve security around school (14)
Increase after-school activities
Special tax, use to focus on' task force issues
Exit interviews for all students/parents
Money for early identification of high-risk students
Stop use of entry level drugs - nicotine, alcohol
More structure in high school
Use 'lice' procedures for medical health programs
We need to define what has been done
Expand hours, increase volunteers
Publicity to increase visibility (free if possible)
Transportation - free, school buses, Cornell buses, Gadabouts, church vans
To make it safe for young people to participate (not just police - willing, loving concerned
adults, neighbors)
Beef up: neighborhood watch programs(3)
Identify why young people use drugs
We lie to our kids, we should be educating them to differences in destructiveness of drugs
Mentors/ kids need positive role models, teaching and modeling personal responsibility(14)
Provide work related training
More adult involvement in teens' lives
Reallocation of money; from incarceration to preventive education
Affordable family activities
Treat cigarettes as drug/smoking elimination(2)
Promote more peer education/get more youth involved(5)
Provide incentives to promote families, establish environment for 1 parent to stay home
Jail programs for youth
Provide musical education
More youth centers/more youth & teen programs(3)
Clinics, colleges (Ithaca, Cornell) active in the community drug problem
Improve living standards of parents who work at Cornell
Strict rules(school), consistent rules, drug enforcement policy
Communication with users, and dealers
Mandated drug programs (treatment/community services.)
Approach with more truthful discussions/ do not sugar coat it
Offer to help others.
Consistency /zero tolerance
Use dogs in school (2)
Urine tests legal
Agency collaboration and roles known - mentoring/supportive relationships in IHS
Parent-teacher support
ICSD policies to empower teachers
Prevention - end, alienating environment, too impersonal, big
Hear more from students and what they're facing; pervasiveness and level of threat to
them/ environment ;,
Change in climate and severe consequences
See what other communities are doing - successes elsewhere?
Staff development for those working with kids
DARE-like programs or better programs; more information/ less propaganda
Education--messages that kids can hear and be involved with, personal testimonies(2)
Take a look at the values of the family
Make time for kids
Look at what other countries are doing, (i.e. Youth Corp., giving back to their community)
Looking at making the dealing less profitable
Flyers handed out; individuals personalize the outreach.
Look at living conditions--homeless, directionless young people
Develop stronger structure of behavioral expectations and consequences in schools
Do not try to address the entire world of social problems, (At least in this task force)
Teachers to receive more information on known problem students
Examine some way of having administrative punishment for possession - either school or
via court/law enforcement agencies.
Beef up treatment programs (Alcoholism Council does not treat kids)
A kind of support system - teachers, families, friends
Pressure colleges to control/monitor campus activities
Pressure fraternities/sororities to be more strict about high school students at parties
No more silent parents about drugs to kids
Better communication between parents and children, youth and community
Ways to make IHS & ACS campus drug free and safe
Support for kids who are or choose to be drug free
Disciplinary committee - We need more severe consequences; holistic program (2)
Change Senior Week
Media coverage-more visibility, realistic about drug use, truth about deaths, accidents
Inner school (interschool) drug incidents, Sharing - no sweeping under the rug - within
school - promotes blame and shame
Program for kids (rehab returnees) to meet and reconnect when coming. home. Sober room,
SAFE houses for kids.
Make a building a pullout school for those who are kicked out - intensive rehabilitation in
place they grew up and live in.
Mandatory meeting - weekly/bi-monthly with at risk kids. Kids and facilitator
Boundaries! Adult enforced
After 11 p.m. better responsiveness from police, et al; no fear of reprisals
No returns to seven years but reduce demand
Condemn drug usage, criticize/public condemnation/moral judgement, stigmatic
Task force needs to establish power/need organization to continue
Rents
Facilitate communication between youth, parents, recovering addicts(2)
Run a column by addicts to tell about their tragedy/addiction
Get together with one another and communicate(4)
Unified front against parents who condone/ tolerate drug use(3)
Educate yourself about drugs and signs of drug use and the consequences(2) .
Invite speakers to talk to youth about their experiences with addiction/ recovery/ tragedy(5)
Cut-off access /supply of drugs to schools & community(4)
Community service initiatives(4)
Investigate alternatives to DARE (Life Skills), what works?(2)
Identify use/sale areas near the school(5)
Positive alternatives to drugs (generate a sense of ownership among youth, parents, other
thru community service initiative, buildself-esteem, teen center)(13)
Curfew(3)
Local drug rehab center/ treatment options for youth/ addiction agencies(3)
Ongoing communication between all parties/work together/establish network(7)
Make IPD aware of drug use/sale areas(5)
Educate self/Peer groups to change coolness of drugs(4)
Alternatives to jail (community service)(3)
Drug hotline(3)
Better communication between IPD & communities regarding what's going on(4)
Get tougher/increase arrests(4)
Pass new laws to address the problems(5)
Community service as alternative to jail(3)
Recognize that 'Just say No' does not work(3)
No blame(2)
Regional approach (not isolated to the City of Ithaca)(2)
Survey of use in our community necessary
Reduce truancy
Community Drug Task Force
`To holistically examine drug use and abuse in our community, and
develop a strategic action plan to address the issues'
Updated draft blueprint (based on task force input to date 5/19/97)
Youth education -comprehensive curriculum (PK -12), DARE, Life Skills, others to be explored
School culture -policies, truancy, open campus, interdiction, teacher support Sr education
Treatment -medical services & mental health, availability of (programs Sr professionals)
Community action -neighborhood watches, drug houses, drug hotline
Justice system -courts, prosecution, probation, alternatives to incarceration, IPD agenda &
methodology
Support structures(for families, individuals), Safe Homes, Safe Havens, peer
programs(education, & intervention), services Sr programs
Public outreach -media; p.r., 'advocacy, community involvement & culture
„Parent education -awareness, knowledge, communication, support
College influences -fraternities Sr sororities, Slope Day, college bars
Government initiatives -local, state Sr federal, what other communities are doing legislatively
and programmatically
Environmental factors -quality of life issues/lighting, grafitti, garbage, noise, loitering
Socio-economic factors(access to resources) -health care, living conditions, nutrition -
individual components to be addressed by working groups and another task force
Alternative activities -youth programs & services -to be covered by another task force
Community Drug Task Force
'To holistically examine drug use and abuse in our community, and
develop a strategic action plan to address the issues'
Action Team Priorities 5/19/97
College Influences:
1. Strict rules (school), consistent rules, drug enforcement policy.
2. Clinics, colleges, (Ithaca, Cornell) active in the community drug problem.
3. Mentors --kids need positive role models, teaching and modeling personal
responsibility.
Parent Education -did not order their priorities but chose the following:
•Parents/caretakers must set examples --expectations
•Increase education for parents. -
•Educate kids about morals.
•Increased involvement, accountability and consequences for parents, educators.
•Close campus. Keep non -students off school grounds/improve security around
school.
•We need to define what has been done:
•To make it .safe for young people to participate (not just police --willing, loving,
concerned adults, neighbors.
•Identify why young people use drugs.
•We lie to our kids. We should be educating them to differences in
destructiveness of drugs.
•Mentors --kids need positive role models, teaching and modeling personal
responsibility. `
•More adult involvement in teens' lives.
•Affordable family activities.
•Provide incentives to promote families, establish environment for 1 parent to
stay home.
•Strict rules (school), consistent rules, drug enforcement policy.
•Communication with users and dealers.
Approach with more truthful discussions / do not sugar coat it.
•Offer to help others.
Public Outreach:
1. Publicity to increase visibility (free if possible, i.e., reporters to newspapers,
media coordination with other groups.
2. Approach with more truthful discussions/do not sugar coat it either in paper
or in person.
3. Communication with users and dealers.
Support Structures -not ordered by preference:
•Increase education for parents (e.g., Step program).
•Peer intervention (hot line, self-analysis programs, forum for clean Sr sober kids
to connect).
•Increased involvement, accountability and consequences for parents, educators.
*Increase after-school activities.
•Use 'lice' procedures for medical health programs.
• We need to define what has been done.
•To make it safe for young people to participate (not just police --willing, loving;
concerned adults & neighbors).
•Identify why young people use drugs.
• Mentors / kids need positive role models, teaching and modeling personal
responsibility.
;;.•Reallocation of money; from incarceration to preventive education.
•Affordable family activities. Drugs are cheap, not much else is cheap in winter.
•Approach with more truthful discussions/do not sugar coat it.
*Offer to help others:
Treatment -not ordered by preference: ,
•Increase education for parents, e.g. Step Program.
• Peer intervention (hot line, : self-analysis programs, forum for clean and sober
kids to connect...
•Drug programs at middle and high schools, not just elementary/start .them
earlier.
•Money for early identification of high-risk students.
•Stop use of entry-level drugs --nicotine, alcohol, marijuana.
•Transportation--free--school buses, Cornell buses, Gadabouts, church vans.
•Identify why young people use drugs.
•We lie to our kids. We should be educating them to differences in
destructiveness of drugs.
•Provide work-related training.
•More adult involvement in teens' lives.
• Reallocation of . money --from incarceration to preventive education.
•Jail programs for youth.
•More youth centers /more youth & teen programs with peer counselors.
•Mandated drug programs (treatment/community services).
•Offer to help others.
Youth Education -not ordered by priority:
•Parents, caretakers must set examples.
• Peer intervention (hot line, self-analysis programs, forum for clean & sober kids
to connect).
•Drug programs at middle and high schools, not just elementary --start there
earlier.
•Educate kids about morals.
• Life Skills Program /independent living skills program.
•Increase after-school activities.
•Stop use of entry-level drugs, nicotine, alcohol.
•More structure in high school.
•To make it safe for young people to participate (not just police --willing, loving,
concerned adults, neighbors).
•Identify why young people use drugs.
•We lie to our kids. We should be educating them to differences in
destructiveness of drugs.
*Reallocation of money, from incarceration to preventive education.
Affordable family activities.
•Treat cigarettes as drug/smoking elimination.
•.Promote more' peer education. Get more youth involved.
•Provide incentives to promote families, establish environment for 1 parent to
stay home.
•Jail programs for youth.
• More youth centers & more youth programs.
• Communication with users & dealers.
Approach with more truthful .discussions. Do not sugar coat it.
Government Initiatives : 0 = lowest priority, 5 = highest
5. Stop use of entry-level drugs --nicotine, alcohol, enforce current laws.
5. Treat cigarettes as drug/ smoking elimination.
4. Special tax, use to focus on task force issues.
4. Use 'lice' procedures for medical health programs. (research current public
health laws).
2. Provide work-related training.
2. Reallocation of money from incarceration to preventive education.
1. Provide incentives to promote families, establish environment for one parent
to stay home.
0. Money for early identification of high-risk students.
0. Publicity to increase visibility (free if possible).
0. Transportation--free-school buses, Cornell buses, Gadabouts, church vans.
0. Jail programs for youth.
0. More youth centers /more youth and teen programs.
0. Strict rules (school) & consistent rules, drug enforcement policy.
0. Mandated drug programs (treatment/community services).
Community Action -not ordered by preference:
Parents / caretakers must set examples --expectations.
•Increased involvement, accountability and consequences for parents &
educators.
*Increase after-school activities, such as GIAC.
•Stop use of entry-level drugs --nicotine, alcohol.
• We need to define what has been done.
•Expand hours and increase volunteers.
•Publicity to increase visibility' (free if possible).
•Beef up neighborhood watch programs.
• We lie to our kids. We should be educating them to differences in
destructiveness of drugs.
•Mentors --kids need positive role models, teaching & modeling personal
responsibility: •
• Provide work-related training.
•Reallocation of money from incarceration to preventive education.
•Affordable family activities.
•More youth centers /more youth & teen programs.
*Communication .with<users. & dealers.
Justice System -not ordered by preference:
•Increased involvement,` accountability and consequences for parents and
educators.
•Close campus. Keep non -students off school grounds. Improve securyt around
school.
•Stop use of entry-level drugs, nicotine, alcohol.
• We need to define what has been done.
•Beef up neighborhood watch groups.
•Identify why young people use drugs.
•Reallocation of money from incarceration to preventive education.
•Jail programs for youth.
•Mandated drug programs (treatment/community services).
School Culture -not ordered by preference:
•Policies to empower teachers & parents.
•Structure, rules, discipline, expectations, consistency, consequences.
•Hearing from students (input into solutions).
•Ways to make campuses & schools drug-free.
•Proactive, positive supportive school activities.
Cornell University Community Involvement in Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse
Prevention
Cornell University takes an environmental approach to reducing alcohol and
other drug (AOD) abuse. The environmental model recognizes that AOD behaviors
are shaped by the social, legal, economic, educational, recreational and physical
environments in which people live. In particular, drinking behavior is influenced
by factors such as: 1) perceived social norms; 2) availability of alcohol; 3) the extent to
which laws and school policies are enforced; and 4) the availability of alcohol -free
recreational options. Effective prevention therefore •requires the use of multiple
strategies. In addition to prevention efforts, intervention and treatment services for
individuals with clinically significant problems related to AOD are central to the
'University's approach.
The environmental model seeks to cultivate cultural change around AOD
use:: and Ahereforerequires collaboration between the campus and local
communities. Cornell is engaged in a partnership with the Ithaca community to
coordinate and expand efforts .to reduce AOD problems among Cornell students and
local residents. Strategies include the following:
*Cornell representation in the following organizations that address AOD
issues:
- Community Drug Task Force
- Tompkins County STOP -DWI
- Collegetown Neighborhood Association
•Representation by the Mayor's office and Ithaca City School District on the
University's task force managing a project to reduce heavy drinking. The project is
being conducted in conjunction with the Center for Science in the Public Interest
and the University of North Carolina.
•Representation by local law enforcement agencies and the Ithaca Fire
Department on the University's Community Outreach Task Force. This group
primarily coordinates services related to fraternity and sororities including social
events involving alcohol.
•Coordination between the Mayor's office, local law enforcement agencies,
and the University administration regarding major alcohol-related events such as
Senior Week and Slope Day.
•Provision of an educational class entitled "Opening Minds" by the
Alcoholism Council of Tompkins County for local college students referred from
City Court for alcohol-related violations. ' The Council also delivers educational'
presentations for Cornell student groups.'
•Cornell students' volunteer work with local youth coordinated through the
University's Public Service Center.
• Cornell's alcohol policy requiring that official University events held off -
campus must be catered if alcoholic beverages are to be served.
PUBLISHED BY THE CITY OF ITHACA DRUG
HOUSE TASK FORCE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICE OF THE
ITHACA URBAN RENEWAL AGENCY
DECEMBER 1997
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THINGS YOU CAN DO
oct with your neighborhood police officer
z!! officers of the Ithaca Police Department protect
e as community police in the best sense of the term,
..ghborhood Police Officers are specifically dedicated
partnerships with residents and business owners
tiI;IiIiorhood t.o pro.vgril, crImg oongi-
11,1:111 qunlIty or lira.
No,
s1 i a neighborhood watch
Neighborhood Watch is a community-based pro-
.. :':at has been proven to deter crime. Members learn
';•_, make their homes more' secure, watch out for each
report suspicious activities to the police. Neigh -
Watch can also serve as a springboard for efforts
,5..:.:cess other community concerns, such as recreation
child care or affordable homing. II' yon Are inl.ar
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:'. c place for drug dealers to set up shop.
The City and NYSEG are working together to place
streetlights in areas identified by the Drug House
is Force. If you know of an area you think might benefit
additional streetlighting, contact the Assistant City
,• •'.iorney's Office at 274-6504. You can report malfunc-
^.:::ng streetlights by calling the office of the Assistant
•:;;,crintendent of Streets and Facilities, Rick Ferrel, at 274-
7:35. These reports are transferred to a representative of
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THIS LISTOFCIVICASSOCIATIONS
IS UPDATED REGULARLY BY
THE CITY OF ITHACA DEPARTMENT OF
PLANNING &DEVELOPMENT, 274-6550.
PLEASE CALL FOR CURRENT LISTING IF
YOUR COPY IS OLDER THAN
TWO MONTHS.
Cie.rlside Neighborhood Associntion
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South of the Creek Neighbors
Sue Perlgut 272-3224
221 Wood Street
South Hill Contact
JudyJensvold
273-7749 h, 255-0542 w
314 Turner Road
West End Breakfast Club
Audrey Cooper 273-8816
EOC
Biggs Building A.
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lure the next generation in a number of ways. Partici-
en the Community Drug Task Force. Join the City
. Bureau's One -to -One program. Donate your time
talents to church- and other community -sponsored groups
;: provide constructive activities for area youth.
:k up with local landlords
Drug dealers are not, for the most part, permanent
_:dents of a locality. They often rent houses or apartments
r._ which to conduct their illegal activity. Owners of rental
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is in obtaining a prompt eviction. Where there is suffi-
x: evidence of "illegal trade" activity, eviction can be
ht under section 715 of the Real Property Actions and
ceedings Law (RPAPL)(see below).
;; ictions for drug sale activity
:der RPAPL section 715
New York's Real Property Actions and Proceedings
section 715 enables landlords, district attorneys, mu-
,¢,pai attorneys, or persons residing within 200 feel of a
x::101 properly to bring an action to evict tenants who
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Julie DIwnn ,Seidl
521 First St,
277-0657
Term expires
December 31,1999
.. Tracy Farrel
429WuffaloSt
272-4573
Term expires
December 31, 2001'
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I aeli of Iha ('fly's live wards is raliresanIad by
Common Council Alderpersons who can assist with dp.:,''
appropriate responses from within City Hall to your
tions and concerns (names and phone numbers of alderperz
appear on these pages).
The Community Drug Task Force, launched in t::
spring of 1997 by Mayor Alan Cohen and Ithaca City Schc" '
District Superintendent Dr. Judith Pastel, welcomes all inter.-
ested Ithaca -area residents. The Task Force is divided into 0
action teams, each charged with developing a plan for attar•!•
ing drug-related issues in its focus area, whether it be "Schc.•
1 .
ta;c li s. a.1•-
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rvi'Irrah S•, .•
.+.
•
Community Drug Task Force =Steering Team
March 22, 1999,
4MINUTES
Present: Laurel Guy, Katrina Turek, Sally. Sumner, Peggy Williams,. Kit Kephart, Sara
Hess, Marcy Hudson, Mark Ashton, Audrey Cooper, Tim Williams, Phil Newby, John
Rowley, Dianne Ferriss, Doug Green, Mike Leary, Tim Marchell.
Discussion of ICSD Survey Results
Clarification question was raised: In the survey tables say "Parents knew while their
children were doing it at home..." Is "knew" the same as "condone?" Katrina Turek will
call the drug survey company in Colorado to clarify. The point was raised that the relatively
high percentage of students who have had alcohol in the home — some of that could be
parent -condoned moderate use of alcohol.
Doug Green asked about the statistic that 20% of sixth grade parents knew at the time that
their kids drinking alcohol or taking drugs.
John Rowley knew of a party of 12th grade students at a home, where cases and cases of
beer were consumed. The parents response was that this was a safe environment for it to
happen in. There's no concern for the high-risk behavior — an overnight sleepover for boys
and girls with cases of beer...
John noted the statistic that 37% of 12th graders say they couldn't remember what happened
after using alcohol. (p. 28 of main report) Sara Hess said that in interviewing young
people, they have learned that "I don't remember what happened" is code for "something
bad happened to them but they forgot it or don't want to say what it was." So it doesn't
really mean that there was a blackout, in fact the description implies that it was something
like — they were humiliated, some negative event that they didn't want to think about.
But there are certainly seniors who have blacked out while drinking. 28% reported passing
out. One of the prevention strategies that can be used to tell teens that things happen to
people — they're publicly sick — that kind of humiliation can help curb the use in teens.
There was a huge jump in use between the 8th grade and 10th grade. It points out that the 9th
grade is a critical transition time.
Sara Hess created a chart that translates the statistics into numbers of students. She came up
with a number of about 200 high school students and about 25 -middle school students who
were in the high risk category. That indicates the number of kids who should be in
treatment or getting some intervention. They are kids who are drinking almost every day
and drunk almost once a week. They are using large amounts of marijuana. It is possible
that this could be figure could be under estimated because they said that kids that didn't take
the survey because they were absent that day might be higher drug users than the.kids that
were in school.
"Moderate risk" was defined as alcohol occasionally as well as marijuana occasionally.
They have used drugs other than marijuana but rarely used any drugs more than once .a
month.
Katrina Turek said she is in the process of setting up focus groups of students at the middle
schools and at the high schools to ask them two questions: 1) How accurate do you really
feel the survey results are? 2) What do you think we can do to decrease the use of alcohol
and other drugs? She hopes to have that additional information back by early May.
Katrina is open to suggestions on how we go about getting more information to parents.
She has a draft memo ready to go out to the PTAs, PALS (Parents of Latino students).
There will be three or four sites set up throughout town with information. She is concerned
about the rural area and would like suggestions on how to reach those parents.
Kit Kephart asked if there had been other methods besides the newspapers of getting
information to the students. Katrina responded that this has not occurred yet because they
are concerned about the importance of framing the information differently for them. In
terms of :developinga peer group model that will in fact contribute to them having a larger
peer base of kids that aren't using rather than emphasizing the peer group that is using.
Comments were made that students have been asking when they were going to be told
about the results.
Katrina said that she released the results to the student newspapers and was surprised that
she received no calls from students about that The comment was made that students say
they don't read the student newspapers. She said she expected to get phone calls after the
survey was released and there has been very little interest outside of the Drug Task Force!
Kit Kephart spoke about the Peer Education .program that the Alcoholism Council
sponsors. They train high school students to present workshops to .the middle school
students. She has asked the trainers to talk to the students about how they would feel
presenting information to their same -age peers. She has also spoken to Wendy Suchotliff,
the Student Assistance Counselor, to see if there were formats that would be appropriate
for presenting material about the survey results. There are no assemblies but they are trying
to think of -other groups of students to make presentations to. She also said staff at the
Alcoholism Council would be wiling to go in and talk to kids about some of this
information and some education as well. She asked if that would be helpful tohave an
outside body coming into the school.
The Social Norms Approach
Katrina said that another way that she wanted to get the information to the kids is to meet
with the faculty and do some of the work around social norm behavior that Tim Marchell
has been talking about. Exploring with faculty how they could use this information in terms
of their curriculum, to give them a framework for presenting the results. Sally Sumner also
felt that working with the faculty made the most sense in terms of reaching the students
effectively. Sara Hess said .that the faculty should be given something in writing to use as a
tool — a fact sheet.
Sally also suggested that they should use visual aids — posters or video messages. Get five
or ten facts that you would like to have emphasized and do campaigns around getting that
information out. For example, "Did you know that 90% of sixth graders don't smoke?"
(not an actual statistic) With the students you want to emphasize the positive — let them do
the math! Taking the positive messages and getting art and media students to create a public
awareness campaign.
Tim Marchell said the social norms approach being used on college campuses is an
empirically driven strategy, which is based on the research finding that students tend to
over-estimate considerably the amount of alcohol and other drug use that is going on
among their peers. And this misperception creates an imaginary peer group that they tend to
conform to. And if their misperceptions are corrected with factual information based on
survey findings, there's an indication at least at the college level, students will conform
their behavior to the more moderate norm, the actual norm. He hasn't seen this done yet at
the high school level. One of the main methods for doing this is the media. Using posters
and advertisements because you can reach many more students effectively than the more
time -intensive inter -personal method. But on a small scale in a high school, an inter-
personal method will be equally effective. One of the important aspects of doing this is
finding out from students what sources of information they consider to be credible. We
have to figure out who they would really believe the information — where it's coming from.
Tim added that it's important to add subsets of the population. A social norms approach is
primarily oriented toward that 85% of students who are at low or moderate risk. Whereas,
the students who are really at high risk are in much greater need of intervention to
treatment.
Katrina Turek said that we have a prevention piece, we need to decide what we are going to
do with students who need more intervention. How can we get those students to self -
identify more to our Student Assistance Counselor?
Tim said that we can't have the expectation that the social norms approach is going to have
a significant impact on that 15%. But the impact on the other group is really there. Finding
a small number of messages that you really want them to understand and finding creative
ways for them to be interested in this information...
A small example...at one university they have students dress up as "The Blues Brothers."
And they have contests and if you know the right answer to this social norms question, you
get a small prize. This is a way of generating interest. Use multiple strategies. Use -
teachers, posters, peer -led contests.
Tim strongly recommends that we contact Alan Berkowitz, a local Ithacan, who is one of
the developers of social norms process. He has offered to do a presentation for those who
are interested in learning about this. That is one concrete -resource that we have available to
us.
He pointed out on Sara's chart that among 10th graders, 67% of them are considered as
having low involvement. It would be interesting to know what they think the answer to that
question is. He would guess that they would think that it's higher. He suggested that if you
take that strong majority in the 10th grade and strengthen them to realize that they're normal,
that they don't have to conform to experimentation and excessive use. So perhaps focusing
on those age groups and correcting those misperceptions at that level will help stem that
shift.
Sara Hess added that she has heard a lot of young people say that they feel caught between
two groups. They can go with the kids who don't use and they're the safe group. Or if they
go to a party where kids are using alcohol or other drugs, they will have to use. There's
nothing in between. They can't go to a party and not use. It would really help to make non-
use the norm and acceptable in any situation. Giving the young people the chance to talk
about this — "What am I going to do if I'm going to go there and there's alcohol?" Giving
them the social tools to be able to say, "I'll just have a coke." For adults that would be
pretty easy to do but for them that's a very hard thing to do. Getting that kind of discussion
going to normalize non-use in any situation would be very helpful for kids.
Strategies and Solutions
Audrey Cooper said there is a group of kids at the high school who don't use, who go to
those parties where alcohol is prevalent and feel comfortable. They don't catch flack or get
pressured because their own self-confidence is very strong. Those kids might be the young
people that we might want to tap into for peer education — they're popular, they're not
drinking and drugging. They could be effective in talking to their peers.
Phil Newby suggested utilizing the athletic dept. to get information out to the kids about
misuse of drugs and how it could interfere with their sports, potential scholarships. He also
said that he would like to see a closed campus at the high school. He sees that much of the
problem is not use in the school, but leaving school and then coming back.
John Rowley suggested we talk about strategies for how we reach students, how we reach
parents, how we reach staff, how we reach the community.
He suggested we write a response to the newspaper editorial that came out the day the
survey results were released, which was filled with -- an informative response and talk
about some of the plans to have discussions around the survey results. Laurel Guy, Mark
Ashton and Dianne Ferris volunteered to write a response.
He said that PTA is a good starting place, to get parents discussing the issues. And to use
the Michael Nirney video from 1997, which was very practical and very focused on raising
teenagers. He showed it at a movie night at Fall Creek last year.
We need to look at steps for getting the word out, having discussions with information
available. We need to establish a timeline in order to get this information out before the end
of school.
There needs to be a clearly written message regarding the survey results that is consistent
so that people making presentations to PTA, or faculty talking with students all have a
similar message regarding the survey results. It was decided that a one page fact sheet
should be created parents and teachers. Sara Hess and John Rowley volunteered to work
on this before we meet again.
In order to do a public awareness campaign for students at the high school there needs to be
a team to implement that. It takes time to design a campaign around whatever facts are
extrapolated from the survey results.
We can also utilize the educational piece during the SafeNight USA event on Saturday,
June 5, to reinforce this public awareness campaign. We are projecting about 500 teens
from throughout the county will attend this event.
Audrey Cooper suggested using the school cafeteria to set up an information table to get
survey results out to kids. It's an effective way to reach the kids for 3 hours during the
lunch period times and some of the study halls.
Dianne Ferris said at ACS is there is a Drug Committee. Diane Carruthers is the person in
the lead for that committee. They have been looking at the survey information. There are
also all -school meetings that reach the entire student body.
Katrina asked if there are people who are willing to be part of a team of presenters of
survey info to let her know. Sally Sumner is willing to do outreach in the elementary
schools, Bob Fitzsimmons will do outreach in the middle schools.
Doug Green said he would be willing to put together some ideas for doing outreach to
parents.
Next Meeting:
MONDAY, APRIL 12, 5:30 p.m.
Common Council Chambers, City Hall
Commmunity Drug Task Force Steering Team
March 8, 1999
MINUTES
Present: Peggy Williams, Mark Ashton, Tim Marchell, Marcy Hudson, Dianne Ferriss,
Sara Hess, Audrey Cooper, Chuck Bartosch, Katrina Turek, John Rowley, Kit Kephart,
Georgette King, Laurel Guy, Alan Cohen.
UPDATES
The survey results are being released at the School Board meeting on tomorrow night: The
Board members have received an executive summary. There is also an in-depth report
available. Katrina Turek will be giving a 20 minute presentation on the results as well as an
update on the Community Drug Task Force.
Mark Ashton and Laurel Guy met with Bill Barnett and Susan Strauss regarding the IHS
Site -Based Council and the School Portfolio. The School Portfolio is a process and product
that is generated by an organization in California. It's being done at IHS in response to the
requirement by Regents that all schools have school improvement plans. It's a
comprehensivelook at the state of the school with the participation of a whole lot of people
in order to develop targets for improving it. This process started about a year ago andis
coming to fruition with the publication of a document called the School Portfolio, which is
available for people to use on a day to day basis. The Community Drug Task Force will be
listed in the Portfolio in the section titled `School Partnerships.'
Drug Free Community Support Program
Peggy Williams is a grant writer working for the Mayor's office, through the Office of the
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Program. This is a federal grant, which
awards $100,000 each year for the next four years. It requires $100,000 in cash or in-kind
donations each year. The goals of the grant are to reduce substance abuse among youth and
to strengthen collaboration among community groups. We are developing a grant proposal
that focuses on a public awareness campaign and increased partnership with ICSD. Mark
Ashton said that we do not yet have programs in place for either of those areas. Laurel Guy
responded that this grant would provide the funding needed to develop such programs. The
public awareness campaign would include a student developed media campaign targeted at
the high school with the help of Cornell students who would act as mentors. Regarding
partnerships with ICSD, we are looking at strengthening existing after school programs for
teens as well as developing collaborations with other organizations that would lead to more
activities and programs for teens.
Katrina Turek reiterated that we have to give the youth something concrete and constructive
to do in this town. The main thing that she continues to hear that there is `nothing to do.'
There is nothing for sixth graders — no intramural activities, no sports activities. We can't
just count on GIAC — it's a bigger problem than GIAC. Audrey Cooper agreed, saying that
one of the main statements that came out of the Teen Speak is that there is not a place where
teens can go to have a good time, to dance, that is alcohol and drug free.
Planning a Media Strategy for Release of the Survey
The Ithaca Journal is interested in doing some follow up stories, possibly'a series of
articles, that would be related to results of the survey. Katrina gave them a media packet as
well as some suggestions in terms of parenting, family life, community agencies, clergy,
law enforcement. The Ithaca Times and the two high school newspapers have also been
contacted. Chuck Bartosch will be on WHCU, on the Casey Stevens show, talking about
the results.
We should also plan on developing some op-ed pieces, perhaps once a month, that target
issues that we are most concerned about.
Chuck Bartosch expressed concern that we have not planned student participation in terms
of how the results are released to them but also just making sure that they feel they are part
of the process. Mark Ashton asked how are they planning on discussing these results with
the students.
Katrina Turek responded that this is not yet figured out. She wants to make sure that the
information is communicated is more of a positive slant. Tim Marchell has spoken to us
about how college students look to a peer group, a social norm group that they begin to
identify with. And the way that you send the information to students is more of a,positive
slant, i.e. instead of saying 10% are involved, say 90% aren't involved so that they start to
identify with that larger peer group. She wants to meet with faculty soon so that they can
communicate: with youth with this approach. She will also be meetingwith administrators
to have an in-depth discussion with them.
Kit Kephart suggested that the Peer Education group from the Alcoholism Council might be
utilized.
Chuck Bartosh said that the plan had been to make presentations to administration, faculty,
to PTA Council as well as individual PTAs, students, Rotary and other community groups.
The problem is that we can't expect Katrina to make all of these presentations. What we
need to do is expand the number of people who can make these presentations.
Georgette King felt that there was a need to get a broader response out to parents than just
through the PTA. If they are only getting the information from the media, that will create a
lot of frustration. Chuck responded that they also intend to make presentations to PALs and.
at GIAC.
Katrina Turek gave a nutshell version of the results, which included that we do indeed have
e' graders that are drug involved so people can't keep their heads in the sand about that any
longer. That alcohol is by far our most serious drug and marijuana is second, and
hallucinogens are third. Chuck felt another significant factor was that most use does not
occur in school. That tells us that it has to be a community effort to solve this.
Chuck Bartosch expressed concern that we are not prepared to take advantage of media.
Mark Ashton asked that what can we do one day before the release of the survey? Laurel
suggested that we need to know more about the survey results, that we should devote our
next meeting to a discussion about it and what we can do. It was decided that the survey
would be distributed to the Task Force and we would meet again on Monday, March 22 at
4:30 p.m.
Laurel also said that April is Alcohol Awareness month and ask Kit to give ussomeidea of
what the Alcoholism Council is planning. Kit said that April 8 is a national screening day
and the Mental Health Association and Alcoholism Council will have information booths
with clinicians on site to help people identify if they have a problem. They are also planning
on doing a `Walk for Awareness.'
SafeNight USA
A national event that happens simultaneously in hundreds of cities across the country on
June 5, 1999. About 60 people came to the first planning meeting at Cooperative
Extension. The focus is on teens with an evening that is filled with fun that is alcohol and
drug free. It also has an educational component about violence, drugs, alcohol, etc. The
reason that this event has taken off is that in Milwaukee where it started in 1991, it gives
youth the power and the tools to plan these types of events. It's not just one night out of the
year, it can multiply into many events throughout the year. The results in the communities
that have created SafeNights have included a dramatic drop in violence. Laurel encourages
Task Force members to participate in the planning of this event. Audrey stressed that this
event is planned by teens for teens with assistance from the adults. This is a separate event
from National Night Out that occurs in August.
Community Drug Task Force Steering Team
February 8, 1999
MINUTES
Present: Mayor Alan Cohen, Katrina Turek, Laurel Guy, Chuck Bartosch, Sharon Best, Judge John
Rowley, Michele Murphy, Tim Marchell, Mike Leary, Mark Ashton,.. Audrey Cooper, Cassandra Nelson,
Mike Thomas, Gino Bush, Joe Cassaniti, Waltor Lalor, Diane Ferris .
1. INTRODUCTION
The main agenda item for this meeting was to discuss the pros and cons of forming CASA (Coalition
against Substance Abuse.)
2. Updates on Short Term Goals
In January's meeting we discussed the current status of the short-term goals recomniened in the Interim
Report. Here are some updates:
• The Drug Task Force Report will be published in April (finally!)
The target date for having the Interim Report published is April, 1999. At the same time, we will publish
the 1s` in a series of quarterly newsletters that has updates on the DTF Steering Team's progress on the
recommended goals and other things that we are working on. Laurel may contact you to contribute to this
newsletter! Both the published report and the newsletter will be sent to all people who were involved in this
process. We want to make sure that all participants know that their efforts have created positive results in
the schooldistrict and in the community.
• Create an updated directory of active neighborhood watch groups that is also an
informational booklet to give residents assistance in fighting drugs in their
neighborhood.
The Neighborhood watch booklet is not being updated into one booklet as we thought. This project is
currently on hold. Laurel will be the catalyst to get this project back on the high priority list. There is
however. 500 copies of the 1997 booklet. which Leslie Chatterton in the Planning Department has We
should decide how best to distribute these.
• Promote the use of Hot Spot Cards
Laurel spoke with Common Council member Tracy Farrell, and the community Hot Spot cards are nearly
completed. One of the ways that this steering team can be helpful is to work together with the Common
Council's drug task force and plan a community public awareness campaign about what the card is and
where to get them. We can get them placed in high visibility locations like Wegmans, Tops, P&C.
• Advocate community, political and religious leaders to take responsibility for drug-
related treatments for youth
Creating a series of brown bag lunches for clergy to help inform them about substance abuse issues. Sally
Sumner of BOCES, Kit Kephart of the Alcoholism Council and Laurel Guy came up with a different
concept: create a speaker's bureau that has individuals can speak on various topics. They can go to clergy
meetings as well as Rotary meetings, PTA meetings, church groups and other community groups. They
talked about creating a list of topics, basic drug and alcohol education, treatment options. In addition, we
can create a packets of information that can accompany the speakers so that the people have take additional
information about treatment providers in Tompkins- County. Sara Hess had a very good suggestion. She
described how TC3 used to put out a brochure to promote some of their lecturers and professors to do
community outreach. The brochure had a list of topics that they could give presentations on. People would
call and request a speaker on a specific topic. Sara thought that we could create a similar thing — we have
people who could talk about various things from drug court to treatment to how to start your own parent
advocacy group. We are developing a list of topics with resource people. Audrey Cooper said to add Circle
of Recovery to that list. Thisis an excellent example of how the. Drug Task can function as a catalyst to
make things happen.
• Change departure time of school buses to 4:00,4:15
Laurel is working on a 'fact sheet' for the School Board regarding the recommendation to have a set of late
buses leave the high school. This sheet would outline the reasons why this is such an important need and
why they should fund it in the next budget! Chuck Bartosch has gotten a rough cost from the Finance
Committee that is much lower than was projected for running a late bus program. The figure was $25,000,
which makes this a realistic proposal. Currently at the high school, there is the fust bus run and the second
bus run is only 40 minutes later. To do the second bus run, they collapse 3 to 5 different bus runs into one.
There are some legal state issues in terms of kids who normally don't take the bus. There are specific state
regulations that impact the district's reimbursement rate from the state if we bus people who are too close
to the school.
With regard to using public transportation, i.e. TCAT, to bus kids, there are some liability issues around
this even though it's after school hours. Chuck is going to get a written opinion from the school lawyers
on this issue.
3. Who else should - be participating on the DTF Steering Team?
Laurel asked who else should be participating on the steering team. The following suggestions were given:
Rev. Doug Green from the Congregational Church; Rabbi Lisa Freitag of the Ithaca Reform Temple; Rabbi
Scott Glass from Temple Beth -E1; Marcy Hudson from IHA's Drug Elimination Program; Mike Thomas
and Aqella Shikur from Circle of Recovery; a law enforcement representative. We want to have no more
than 18-20 members on the steering team to keep it amanageable size.
4. The Pros and Cons of Building a Community Coalition
Chuck Bartosch suggested we reiterate the mission of the Drug Task Force Steering Team before suggesting
other participants. The mission of this steering committee is: 1) to facilitate implementing the goals
recommended in our report; 2) Create greater public awareness by forging an alliance between our schools,
government and neighborhoods, and together developing strategies to reduce alcohol and other substance
abuse in Ithaca and Tompkins County.
Tonight's question is whether or not this can be done more effectively by building a community coalition.
The question was raised whether participants in the coalition should be only from the City of Ithaca or can
they be from the town or the county? For example should there be someone from the County Board? It
might make sense to have them involved now, especially if in the future we end up working with them on
county -wide programs.
Chuck Bartosch asked how this steering team is defined as separate from CASA. Alan Cohen said that he
saw the coalition focusing on raising and maintaining community awareness - an educational vehicle, a
public relations vehicle. He did not see that group following through on all the other disparate
recommendations that the original Drug Task Force report came up with. Essentially, CASA would be an
outgrowth from one of the recommendations that we made. It just happens to be a very big outcome from a
recommendation and merits its own group of people to focus more specifically on that task. It will take a
lot of work to get it off the ground and more importantly, to maintain it.
• What is the history of other similar efforts in Tompkins County?
Laurel Guy said that it is informative to look back at the history of what has gone on before, to see what
the positive outcomes were and to keep us from reinventing the wheel. Her intent, if we move forward with
the coalition, is to build a strong, active organization that has a well-defined purpose. She passed out
information on building a coalition she received from Prevention Partners,.a community coalition in
Rochester. They are a very strong group that has been around since 1984. They have funding to help other
communities get started in this process.
Mark Ashton, formed a similar coalition here in Ithaca, ironically also called CASA (Citizens Against
Substance Abuse. They started a group to do community education and community awareness. It was a
small group of about 30 people who met monthly for several years. Over time, this group dissolved but
groups of people continued doing things. And the one group that was interested in the schools, which
included Mark, the principal of Dewitt Middle school and a couple of other folks, created a strong group that
devised the BOCES program that Sally Sumner and Bob Fitzsimmons run. They got the funding to start it
and got it instituted. The group also published a handbook called "Parents, Kids and Drugs." This handbook
for families, which was very widely used and teachers still refer to it. Its format was picked up by Gannett
Clinic and made into an alcohol handbook. Laurel suggested that this handbook should be updated and
republished as the education resource booklet for middle school students that is on our list of short-term
goals. She will bring a copy of Mark's booklet to our next meeting.
An aside: Joe Cassaniti made a comment about the Eckerd Drug Quiz Show (run by Sally Sumner).
Northeast was the only Ithaca City School that participated. He suggested that the other schools assign
someone from Dewitt, Boynton, and the other elementary schools to ensure participation in this program.
The Northeast kids had a great experience and we should set a goal to have all the schools involved next
year.
Alan Cohen said that the importance of raising community awareness, the more information people have,
the likely they are to have discussions with their children; the more aware they'll be about resources that are
available. With regard to the CASA discussion, is that a reasonable premise?
Audrey Cooper recalled that four or five years ago John Bonaguro and a group of people and community
agencies tried to put together a very similar coalition. John Rowley gave some history — it was called the
Community Prevention Coalition and Ithaca College was the lead agency. A comprehensive grant was
written, it didn' t funded and the idea of forming a community coalition was dropped.
Sharon Best did not see how the coalition was different than the Drug Task Force, she felt that we are
already doing it Katrina Turek and Sara Hess agreed that the mission and intent of the Task Force fulfilled
the same purpose as a coalition. They cautioned the group that a coalition can easily become a dead weight.
They stressed how important it was to maintain a connection to all the people who had participated in the
Drug Task Force — that we should keep the organization as it is, with the same name as opposed to creating
a new organization.
The general feeling at this point in the discussion was that perhaps creating a coalition was NOT the way to
proceed. That instead focus so much of our energy and time on creating a new organization we should
instead work through the existing organizations and small groups at the grassroots level.
5. Updates from Cornell University and Ithaca College
Tim Marchell, the Substance Abuse Director at Cornell University spoke about the work that they are
doing on campus. Their main problem isalcohol abuse and they have taken an environmental approach to
the problem. They are in the process of implementing two strong public awareness campaigns on campus
this semester. And they have an active group of students that are developing alternative alcohol -free
activities on the weekend during 10:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. Tim said, "Our students can create havoc for the
community, in particular during Slope Day and Senior Week. And we're port of entry for the youth into the
alcohol and drug scene. We have not even begun work towards having our students explicitly work on these
issues with high school students. I think there is potential thereforsome positive mentoring, educational
activities. We have a group of students that is really actively in this." Gino Bush asked Tim if he was aware
of the number of teens that frequent fraternity and sorority parties. Gino said that a common tactic, called
"Favor for Flavor," is for teens to bring pot to the Greek houses and trade it for all the beer they can drink.
Mike Leary, the Assistant Director for Jucicial Affairs at Ithaca College, spoke about the strong
commitment with regard to substance abuse issues that their new President, Peggy Williams, brings to the
campus. They will be implementing a student survey this spring.
6. ICSD Survey Results
The survey results will be released next month by the Superintendent's office. Chuck Bartosch suggested
that a small group meet before March 8 to develop a strategy for how the Drug Task Force can support this
media effort. Alan Cohen, Katrina Turek, Chuck Bartosch, Laurel Guy and Sara Hess will meet and report
back at the March 8 meeting.
Save the DATE!
Next Meeting:
Monday, March 8,1999
5:30 p.m.
*********Women's Community Building*******
*Note: Next month we'll be back at City Hall
Community Drug Task Force. Steering Team
November 9, 1998
MINUTES
Present: Mayor Cohen, Laurel Guy, Sara Hess, Michele Murphy, Lynne Tylee, Georgette
King, Chuck Bartosch, Sharon Best, Mary Ann Knight Colbert, Tracy Farrell,
Rev. Cleveland Thornhill, Judge John Rowley.
1. Introductions
Laurel Guy, Drug Task Force Coordinator, spoke about her new role to guide the
implementation process of the goals and objectives recommended in the Interim Report of
the Community Drug Task Force. Her task, with the help of the Steering Team, is to
develop a strategic plan to turn these specific goals into concrete actions. In addition, she
developing a public awareness campaign to enhance these efforts. She emphasized that this
is a partnership effort with the Ithaca City School District, and that the Task Force needs to
continue work collaboratively with the school district and other groups in the community
already working on this issue. She asked the group to think about the following: 1) What is
the overall goal of the Task Force? 2) What is the timeline for achieving the specific goals?
3) How will success be measured? 4) Who's at the table? We need to rebuild our Steering
Team into a working group that includes a cross section of organizations and people
representing our community.
2. Revisiting the Mission .Statement/Establishing Action Plan
Mayor Cohen said that in addition to implementing the recommended goals, that our
mission is to raise community awareness, maintain visibility, create excitement in the
community about these issues. He also noted that the Interim Report is being revised and
will be released by the end of this calendar year. Sara Hess emphasized that people are.
expecting the report, to not to let it fade away -- the shorter, the better! People are looking
for something they can grasp.
Laurel Guy presented the Action Plan, emphasizing that these ideas are open to discussion
and revision. The Action Plan included the following elements:
• Establish a community coalition called CASA (Coalition Against Substance Abuse.)
This coalition would be a powerful vehicle to drive a public awareness campaign,
bringing together community organizations, churches, law enforcement, government,
social services, youth groups, medical groups, schools, businesses, who would in turn
encourage their members, employees, students to join this grassroots effort. The goal is
to create a comprehensive, community -wide approach to substance abuse related
problems. The acronym, CASA, refers to 'one person, one family, one house at a
time.' Nearby, there are successful coalitions in Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse that
we can. work with. In addition, there is a national coalition, CADCA (Community Anti -
Drug Coalitions of America) that can provide assistance.
1
Develop an Information Packet/Action Kit that would be distributed to people when
they join CASA. There is an incredible wealth of much needed information --
directories of local services and treatment providers, many terrific educational booklets,
etc. The main problem is distribution. How do we get this information to the people
who need it? This `Action Kit' would become a key distribution channel.
• Create a CASA newsletter and web page that highlight local and regional events on
substance abuse issues in a monthly calendar, provide a directory of local and regional
services, and links to related state and national coalitions and organizations.
• Work in collaboration with other groups to sponsor special community events,
programs, workshops, presentations, discussion forums, networking opportunities,
brown bag lunches, performances.
• Contact national coalitions (i.e. The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug
Information and others) that provide ad campaign materials that can be tailored to create
our own local public awareness campaign. There are many national campaigns that
provide extremely effective posters and ads for. radio, TV, and newspapers. These
include Reality Check, Girl Power!, The Arts and Prevention, etc.
• Build a partnership with the local media and businesses to sponsor this campaign.
Newspaper, radio and TV ads.
Special in-depth newspaper series on substance abuse issues.
On-going Op -Ed columns.
Followup Letters to the Editor
Ongoing publicity for Drug Task Force/Community Coalition efforts and special
events.
• Build a resource library that includes educational videos that can be aired on the public
access channel. There are locally produced videos as well as national distributors that
have videos that can be used in the public domain. Create a regular program on the
public access channel that also includes panel discussions on various issues. (Channel
13 could use some good, quality programming!)
• Create opportunities for youth -led, youth -oriented initiatives and involvement. These
could include youth -produced ads and for local public awareness campaign, web page,
cable show, programs, events, conferences.
• Develop new ways of creating a stronger partnership with ICSD to support their efforts
in enhancing drug education for students and teachers.
• Research local, state, federal funding opportunities to support these ongoing efforts of
the Drug Task Force.
2
An interesting discussion followed! Here are some highlights:
Lynn Tylbee suggested developing a speakers bureau, motivational speakers who could
sell the idea of a community coalition by speaking to community groups.
Tracy Farrell asked about the 'care and feeding' of such a coalition. Chuck Bartosch
wondered if CASA would then become a separate entity from the Drug Task Force
requiring a board, marketing, daily phone service, staff and budget.
Georgette King wondered what to do if CASA was in fact, successful? How geared up are
we locally for large numbers of people seeking help? Are treatment centers ready?
Lynn Tylbee responded that help is there for those who need it -- in-patient, mental health,
alcoholism council, treatment centers.
Sharon Best noted that the public perception is that there is no help. There is a large need
for family help. Another big problem is that not everybody has insurance.
Mary Ann Knight Colbert agreed that many youth do not have insurance and are not
eligible for Medicaid. We need to help people obtain insurance.
Sharon added that it's easy to look at the drug problem in the negative, which is very
discouraging to people who really need help. We need apositive approach that encourages
people to get help.
Rev. Thornhill said his feeling is that this is an underserved community. Some programs
are just a revolving door. Treatment is not working. On a positive note, he mentioned one
program in Spencer, the Youth Challenge program, that is effective. He strongly feels that
the important issue is treatment, effective treatment.
Lynne Tylbee reminded us that the raw statistic is that 80% of addicts will fail in treatment.
It is a difficult problem everywhere, not just in Ithaca.
Georgette King said that whether or not they can navigate the system, families do not have
the information they need to gothrough the Medicaid gamut. The system fails to support
them. The network isn't there. That in her work she ends up being a case worker because
there is no one to help guide these people.
Lynne Tylbee asked if that is where CASA can step in?
John Rowley felt that both Alpha House and the Alcoholism Council could use help to
reach greater numbers of people, to be more welcoming.
Rev. Thornhill again stated the need for treatment, especially for youth.
Sara Hess, speaking on behalf of youth workers, stated that everyone acknowledges that
there are not enough treatment centers for the younger population under the age of 18. She
also said that in terms of building a community coalition, to include the function of
networking -- creating opportunities for exchanging information and working together on
funding issues -- to think about how to make the best use of the network.
John Rowley said he liked the idea of a.coalition and has grant proposal material for
creating coalitions.
3
3. Reports on Status of Recommended Goals
We decided to wait until our next meeting to go over the recommended goals outlined in the
Interim Report so that Katrina Turek from ICSD could be present to report on the status of
goals related to the school district.
4. Re-evaluating Drug Task Force Committees
Youth Education and Parent Education are still working committees. Community, School
Culture — Policy, School Culture — Environment, Treatment, Justice System, and Survey
have finished their work in establishing the recommended goals in the Interim Report.
Public Outreach never got off the ground. Discussion centered on rebuilding the Steering
Team to become a working group to develop and implement the goals and action plan.
Suggestions for new working committees included a Grant Writing Committee, Media
Outreach Committee, and Research Committee (to compile information on creating
coalitions, collect and update information for the `Action Kit.'
5. Regular Meeting Time
We tentatively agreed to a regular meeting time of the second Monday of the month at 5:30
p.m. in the 2nd floor conference room of City Hall. (excluding December because of
Hanukkah!)
Save the date!
Next Drug Task Force Steering Team Meeting:
Monday, January 11, 1999
5:30 p.m.
2nd floor Conference Room
City Hall
108 E. Green St.
4
Published daily except Sunday by the Ithaca
Journal -News.
Member of the Associated Press and Audit
Bureau of.Circulations.
Copyright 1999 Tho Ithaca Journal
1998 winner of The New York Associated Press'
Newspaper of Dislinclion award ..
• *Allen
Human Resources
Director
Leslle Forder
Controller
EDITORIAL
Drugs, booze,
Ithaca's youth
On -a limited -report, local assets -
and examples -some parents set
You know what would be -great? Using more local . .
; expertise to analyze community issues in a frank and
knowledgeable manner.. •
This common shortcoming is apparent once again in
• the release of a drug and alcohol sutvey.recently given
to middle- and high-school students in the Ithaca'City
School District. • . • • .
The poll and overview—produced and compiled
'• by the Rocky Mountain Behavioral Science Institute. •
— does its job ina generic, straightforward manner
and yields some interesting results. (See story, Page lA
today.) At the same time, it reflects a lack of depth,
place and verve that is needed when it comes to ana-
lyzing Ithaca's unique problems.
. Some examples from the Institute's interpretation
, of the survey thatwere.discussed at the Ithaca school
board meeting'Iiresday.night:
U'4swprising finding was that almost any kind of
drug used byyoungpeople is available to youth in the dis-
t"
That shouldn't have been surprising if the Institute .
had done any prep work at all. This isn't Hootetville.
(
11114 misconception that some peoplehave is that
most drug and alcohol use occurs at schooL"
' =
Over the years; we have rarely heard that concern
expressed abSut Ithaca High School, a highly competi.
•tive learning envrromuent. ' • •
11 .111 `kis impwtgnt to neitheroverstate orwrderstate the
ding -and alcohol -u e-ssitudtion among the students in the
I Ithaca City School District°' '
-That about sums up the.Institute's cliche -ridden and,
:safe overview which reads like a template. So does,
p"the report emphasizes that young people's drug and
lcohol use should be theconcem of the entire com-
munity, not merely of the school system."
In that regard, oneof the thingswe found surprising
in the survey — andignored in the Institute's release
-.is how many parents allow their -children to drink
and.use drugs in.the house, The survey indicates that
19,percent of sixth -graders, 33 percent of eighth- .
it • graders and 42 percenrof-seniors have imbibed with
their parents' knowledgeat home. It also shows that 2 •
percentof eighth=graders; S percent of sophomores
; and 6 percent of seniors have used drugs at home
under similar -circumstances.
; As we worry aboutthe young people and any pat-
terns of abuse, some words of caution for their parents
seem to be in order as well .
An analysis of youth, drugs and alcohol — lobbied
for by the Ithaca Community Drug "Task Force and
r sponsored by the Ithaca City School District — puts
some numbers on the table that can hopefully be used
to get at the core problems. We laud the hard work of
the task force and school district with thesetough chat -
;
lenges and hope that new statistics help them with
their laudable`goals.: • ..•
But as more challenges unfold, the focus needs to
be kept on the vast assets we have in our community,
experts, activists, 'parents and leaders who are
inevitably part of the problems;. as well as the solutions.
Many times it is believed that a fresh set of outside
t eyes on inside problems will produce new answers and
insights. Inevitably, there is no substitution for a little
knowledge about Ithaca and its frenetic makeup.
I rt �6 fn IVla.rtln to t,,,
�•w
Survey: ICSD.
students using
drugs, alcohol
Numbers: 35% of seniors were_ :
drunk, used drugs in past 30 days;
• Whereto get help, 3A '1-
.• Editorial, 9A
By MARGARET CLAIBORNE
• Journal Staff
ITHACA: — A drug and alco-
hol use survey of middle and high
school students in the Ithaca City
School District shows that 35 per-
cent of 1i2th-graders have used
drugs or gotten drunk in the last
• 30 days.
."That's a lot of teen-agers,"
said Katrina Tbrek, assistant
superintendent of pupil person-
nel servic es."Out of380seniors in
our school district, 133 got drunk
last mon.th."
Threk: presented the survey to
the board of education Thesday
night as. part of a larger presenta-
tion of the work of the Ithaca
Community Drug Task Force,
which •recommended the survey.
'About 45 percent of 12th -
graders are using drugs and alco-
hol often enough to warrant
serious concern, Thick said in an
interview before the meeting.
"There are students in the his;
risk category who may not be get-
ting
etting drunk regularly, but are doing
serious bingedrinking or ars:
drinking on a regular basis," slid
said. As well, 'Ruck is concerned
that the Ithaca district's 10th;
graders drank as much over tfie•
period of a year as 12th-gradetrs
surveyed nationally.
Turek said the American Driii
and Alcohol Survey used in the
Ithaca district was developed by
the Rocky Mountain Behavioral'
Science Institute of Fort Collins,
Colo. It was chosen by the
Community"DrugTask Force out
of a number of surveys because of
the depth of the institute's
research and its reputation for
See. DRUGS, 371.
Ithaca schools drug usage
Percent of Ithaca City School District students and 12th -graders
across the country who have used each drug In the past 12 months;
Alcohol 24% 49%
Been; Drunk„r 2%; .,; 14%.
Marijuana 3% 16%
-Cocaine+ <i%. 3%
Stimulants**** <1% 2%
Op! :st1muIats; 1%; f,, °3%•
Inhalants 5% 7%
;N,ltrates 0% `} X196
Downers** <1% <1%
75% 81% 75%
<, 53%
33% 46% 39%-
%
3% 10%-
8%
*_**
3% 1% 7•.
1% 4% 5
Hallucinogen4PJ 1%, ; ;4% 1911 7,-.
PCP <1% 51% 1%
lierolr% r ..a ;$9% 42% O%16'h y .
Narcotics other 0% 1% 1% 2%
than heroin
Percent of Ithaca City School District students and.12thgraders
across the country who have used each drug in the last month:
t
Alcohol 8% 22% 46% 58%
s
53*--
Beep P.,ti.4)15 t 1% 4% .., 2O% ' a35% 3491;
Cigarettes 4% 16% ' 21% 32% 37%
, 7% • ,:`:19% 27% 24
Cocaine 0% <1% 0% <1% 2
LStirt ulants**s* '”<1%<t a<1% 1` ,. .:4%
Inhalants 3% 2% 1% 0% 3%
Downers** <1% <1% <1% <1% 1% 2%'
•
Hallucl_nogensz <196..a., 2% %
PCP <1% 0% <1% 0% 19¢.
Narcotics other 0% <1% <1% <1% 296;
than heroin
• The national data on 12th.graders are from the Monitoring the Future surveys;
conducted for the National Institute on Drug Abuse by the Institute for Social �.
Research. University of Michigan. 1997. Sri
• • Use of these drugs under a doctors orders Is not included in these figures.
••• Data not available.
•••• In 1998 this figure was changed to Include methamphetamine use. In
prior years. methamphetamine use was not included in the calculation of .
stimulant use.
The Ithaca Joumal Wednesday, March 10, 1999
ToMPHIlvs Cour/CAMPUSES
AROUND TOMPKINS COUNTY
Drugs
(Continued from Page 1A)
reliability.
Teachers administered the 57 -ques-
tion survey to 1,533 students in grades
six, eight, 10 and 12 at Boynton and
DeWitt middle schools, the Alterna-
tive Community School and Ithaca
High School on Dec. 9. The responses
represent 85 percent of students in.
those grades.
Alcohol tops list . •
Alcohol and marijuana are the sub-
stances most widely used ainong Ithaca
City School District students, accord-
ing to the report. Other drugs reported
as having been used include various
forms of inhalants, stimulants, hallu-
cinogens, cocaine and narcotics.
A misconception that some people
have is that most drug and alcohol use
occurs at school, Turek said. The sur-
vey results indicate that the majority of
Ithaca City. School District students
use drugs and alcohol away from
school, mostly at night and with
friends.
• "One of the strong messages that
comes out of this report is that this is a
community problem," said Turek.
"That doesn't absolve the school dis-
trict of responsibility, but what we do
with this information will be up to indi-
viduals and groups in the community
as well as the school district," she said.
The idea for the survey came out of
the work of the Ithaca Community
Drug Task Force, created in the spring
of 1997. Sponsored by both the school
district and the City of Ithaca, the task
force had representatives from a wide
spectrum of the community, including
parents, students, school and city offi-
cials, neighborhood groups, officials
from treatment centers. and members
of the justice system.
Only the task force steering commit-
tee is functioning, with Laurel Guy as a
full-time coordinator. Now that the
survey results are in, the committee's
10 sub -task forces might be reactivat-
ed,.Turek said. "We need to breathe
life into the proposals they made," she
said.
Among the proposals are more par-
ent education and support groups,
finding ways for landlords to report
•
•
Need help?
The following community
resources offer help and infor-
mation about drug use:
■ Bob Fitzsimmons, student
assistance services at Tomp-
kins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES,
offering parent consultations
and coaching regarding super-
vision of teen-agers and inter-
vention strategies: 257-1551
• Kip Kephart, education
coordinator, Alcoholsim Coun-
cil of Tompkins County, offer-
ing individual and family coun-
seling around alcohol and
other drug abuse issues: 274-
6288
• Alpha House, offering indi-
vidual and family counseling
around substance abuse
issues at outpatient clinics at
Ithaca: 273-5500 and Groton:
898-3508
IN Wendy Suchotliff, student_
assistance counselor from the
Alcoholism Council at Ithaca
High School, offers individual
consultations with parents,
• students and teachers on_
alcohol and drug abuse issues
as well as tobacco use:274-
6844
■ Family and Children's Ser-
vice of Ithaca, offering
employee assistance pro-
grams, counseling and consul-
tations on substance abuse
issues and other mental
health and family concerns,
273-7494 •
apparent drug use and dealing in their
buildings, finding drug-free places and
constructive ways for youth to spend
their time, and scheduling more late -
afternoon school buses to allow more
students to participate in after-school
programs.
Summarizing the findings of the
drug survey, Turek said she wanted to
congratulate the substantial number of
students who are making smart,
healthy choices not to use drugs. "But I
J.
Where teen alcohol, drug use occur
The following shows where Ithaca City School District Students have used
alcohol and drugs. It is Important to note thatmost alcohol/drug usage
actually takes place outside the school system, contrary to what some
people believe
Alcohol
70
CD
0
o.
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
During •
school hours
at school
Other drugs
as.
ao
35
m 30
co
25
U
20
n 15
10
5
0
At school
sponsored
events
Out at night
with fnends
At home
(parents
'knew)
At home
(parents
didn't know)
During At school Out at night At home
school hours . sponsored with friends (parents
. at school events 'knew)
At home
(parents
didn't know)
Source: The American Drug and Alcohol Survey, Fort Collins, Colorado
don't want to trivialize the seriousness
of the numbers of students who are
using alcohol and other drugs," she
said. "We definitely have work to do as
a. school district and as a community."
Alcohol 'in the homes' •
"This is the kind of information
middle school and high school parents
say they need to have," said school
board member Robin Hinchcliff. "It
leaves no room for denial."
Ben Nichols asked Turek about stu-
dent comments that alcohol and drugs
are readily available. Where, he asked,
are students getting them? Of the
availability of drugs, Turek said, "This
RONSON SLAGLE/Journal Staff
is a town with two universities and
another one right up the road." As for
alcohol, she said, "It's in the homes."
Student board representative John
VanBenschoten questioned the relia-
bility of student answers. Turek
explained that the sul'veywas designed
so that inconsistent answers to essen-
tially the same questions posed in dif-
ferent ways couldbe flagged and the
questionnaires thrown out.
"The real question is how we can
modify the school curriculum to reflect.
this," board Vice President Charles
Bartosch said. "I hope we are going to
disseminate: this report to staff and stu-
dents in ways thatinvolve the stu-
dents."
Ltk
Community Drug
Creating a community that is prepared,
sensitive, and overall, effective in fighting
the war against substance abuse was the
purpose behind the creation of the Ithaca
Drug Task Force started last May. Nearly
a year later, after much. public research
and brainstorming, they are ready to offer
some solutions.
- At a community meeting on Monday,
the task force, which has 200.250 regular
members who work within the force's
dozen subcommittees, unveiled an interim
report of what they feel needs to bedone
and what initiatives have already followed
through on.
Suggestions made in the 52 -page docu-
ment include:
— Establishing police satellite offices
in those city neighborhoods most plagued
by crime and drugs. This could include
the creation of a mobile police satellite sta-
tion which could be relocated at will.
— Increasing the number of treatment
options; available for addicted teens in the
county, including the creation of a resi-
dential treatment option in the form of a
'halfway house. Through this type of inten-
Task force makes
sive outpatient treatment it is believed that
those recovering from addiction would
have a less difficult time integrating back
into society.
— Consolidating the city's numerous
neighborhood and community watch
groups in order to create an overall sense
of purpose and find ways to provide cover-
age for those neighborhoods where no
groups are present. In addition, creating
stronger 'relationships between " these
groups and the police and landlord com-
munity was stressed.
— Creating a tighter Ithaca High School
campus during the school day making it
difficult for students to leave school
grounds and either use or return with
drugs or alcohol.
— Re-establishing a county youth or teen
court where teens would handle judicial
proceedings for teenagers accused of
minor crimes. This would familiarize stu-
dents with the judicial system and perhaps
make them more wary of breaking the
law.
At this point, the report is incomplete
claim task force heads. In the upcoming
recommendations
months those suggestions listed in the
report will be further researched and pos-
sibly expanded on as more options are
explored.
"This is a working document ... A num- •
ber of groups are still working on compo-
nents of the plan and will be added as they •
. come in," says Ithaca Mayor Alan Cohen,
a founder of the task force which began
last May as a joint co-operative between
the city and the Ithaca City School Dis-
trict. •
Others believe the document is a solid
starting point and is the first opportunity •
for the individual factions of the task force
to come together.
"Up to this point, people have primarily
been dealing with this problem piece by
individual piece ... now we have an interim
report which gives us the substance we
have desired," says Rev. Cleveland Thorn-
hill, chair of the steering committee for
the task force. 'There is a lot more work
that needs to be done, and we hope the
community comes out and gets behind
this plan and makes the effort to really
understand it."
MATT PETERS(
E...
DrugDrug task force
off to good start
Blueprint is chock-full of ideas
for reducing substance abuse
Dozens of community members have struggled for
the last several months to address a growing alcohol
and drug abuse problem in'Ibmpkins County.
An impressive 51 -page interim report was released
Monday by the Community Drug'lask Force. It '
attempts to analyze drug abuse and its possible solu-
tions
from 10 perspectives, Youth, parents, schools,
police, neighborhoods, the justice system and popular
culture all get examined under the task force's micro-
scope.
The group sees drug and alcohol abuse as a serious
and widespread community problem It cites a variety
of surveys and sources to suggest that hundreds of stu-
dents in our public schools are experimenting with
alcohol and drugs. From that grim perspective, few
community institutions go without mention in the role
they can play in reversing such a disturbing trend.
Having so many people give so many hours of their
time to such a knotty problem speaks well of the civic
mindedness of county residents and their fundamental
faith that determined, good people can fix society's
problems. Those are potent notions and essential
ingredients for tackling the seemingly perennial prob-
lem of drug and alcohol abuse.
The report gives special attention to the role schools
and those who work with youth can play in preventing
teen drug andalcohol abuse. Suggestions include
many ideas such as: More drug education. More
supervision in school parking lots. Fewer unsupervised
hours for students. More before- and after-school
activities. Limits on unsupervised arrivals and depar-
tures from school property.
The task force's ideas are still hot from the oven of
numerous public meetings. The details of how to pay
for new efforts or how to restructure programs still
need to be developed as the task force refines its work
in progress.
Their report notes that widespread drug and alcohol
abuse problems are not easily addressed by broad
stroke solutions. The work ahead will be to develop
plans that can be successful in targeting specific prob-
Ytazb-TLZ oi xvt 6uimnb Due uoiJn/ ea'siaunr
�. 1 EDrrORIAL `' j
The
p " "rlption
for drugs in Ithaca.
New plans will help, but city needs
united stance to tum a losing battle
The summer of '97 will go down as the time Ithaca
finally got serious about its drug problem. If addicts
tend to deny the grip drugs have on them, so too has
this city. Shattered lives and increased crime have
brought Ithacan together by necessity in recent weeks:
■ A new Community Drug Task Force involving the
city and the school district sponsored brainstorming ses- .
sions and was joined by the Town of Ithaca. It will meet
again at 7 p.m. Monday at DeWitt Middle School.
IN The city received a $300,000 federal grant to set up
a drug court, allowing users to plead guilty to lesser '
crimes while receiving court -supervised drug treatment •
It's the first small -city dnig court in the state and using
ideas generated from a conference at Ithaca College, it
— should be up and running
in September."- -
■ On Tuesday night,
Ithaca's school board dis-
cussed
is cussed a drug and alcohol '
policy that has some teeth
to it, including tough guide-
lines on suspensions and
`curtailment of extracurricu .
lar activities..
All of this looks good" on
paper, but it's just a start. If
the momentum is killed, the
hopes of many at -risk children will go with it. The work
ahead is complex and vital:
■ We need treatment programs to help those whose
lives have become tangled in drug or alcohol abuse.
■ Ourjudges can't lose their compassion for those
charged with crimes, but law-abiding Ithacan have to
feel their rights are considered with equal weight
• Our comnfunity deserves quality -of -life laws
addressing loitering, littering and noise and enforceable
ordinances that punish landlords who rent to drug traf-
fickers.
• The school district's drug policy needs to become a
part of the students' culture, underlining the fact that ,
drug and alcohol abuse won't be tolerated.
Administrators who have to make hard decisions about
troubled young people should be supported by the
board and community..
Itused to be that summer nights in Ithaca were sedate
and relatively wholesome, occasionally disrupted by
some minor crimes Times have changed, typified by a
weekend incident, in which a 16 -year-old Ithaca boy was
arrested and charged with cocaine possession. Today,
some of his friends might be doing back -to -school shop-
ping. He was scheduled to be in city court after spending
a couple of nights in jail. It is part of an endless parade
that has the community on edge and alarmed.
Commenting on the wretched influence of the local
drug scene, Sharon. Best, a leader in the drug task force
says, "So marry parents in Ithaca say, 'It's not my kid,' or
'There's bad kids and good kids.' But it doesn't make
any difference, it affects all children."
As well as the future of this community, something
every Ithacan can't be passive about any longer.
Solutions?
Are you concerned
about the drug prob-
lem in Ithaca? What j
should be done?
Send your response k
via e-mail, fax "or,reg-
ular mail. Addresses
appear elsewhere on
this page.
•
.2A
The Ithaca Journal
Tuesday, October. 28, 1997
Crw & Coin
Local Editor
Kathryn Hovis
274-9219
Flu clinic today
at nurse service
ITHACA — Visiting Nurse
Service of Ithaca and Tompkins
County is sponsoring a flu
immunization clinic and open
house today from 9 a.m. to 4
p.rn. at their office, 710 W. Clin-
ton St. (behind Wegmans).
No appointment is necessary.
The cost of the shot is covered
for those with Medicare Part B
who present their Medicare
card. The cost for those not cov-
ered is $7.
Along with the flu shot and
open house, free blood pressure
checks and cider and donuts will
be available.
rug task force poised for action
By J.R. CLAIRBORNE
Journal Staff
ITHACA — The 'Action
Teams of the Community Drug
Task Force continued to work
on living up to their title Monday
night.
Nearly 50 people, several of
whom were new faces at the
meeting, separated into three
think tanks in Boynton Middle
School cafeteria to plan strate-
gies for curbing the use of drugs
in Ithaca.
The Parent Education Team
has picked up steam with a pro-
gram that focuses on building a
support network between parents
who have experienced a child
abusing substances and those who
want to know how to recognize or
prevent a child from starting.
Bob Fitzsimmons; a member
of the Parent Education Team,
said that complaints received
from parents attending those
forums have called for a more
noble team goal: -
"Ithaca has an adult drug -use
community but it also has a recov-
ery community," he said. "Our
goal is to create a youth recovery
community, so kids who don't use
drugs anymore can get straight
and stay straight and those who
haven't started won't."
The Criminal Justice Team is
gathering information on forming
a youth court in Ithaca where
young people charged with minor
offenses like petit larceny, harass-
ment or underage drinking viola-
tions are judged by their peers.
The team is also looking into
helping Ithaca Police officer Bill
Finnerty expand and augment
the Drug Awareness Resistance
Education (DARE) program.
The Community Issues tTam is
pooling its efforts to help promote
a new drugbooklet that will help
residents know what can be done
locally about crime and drug abuse
prevention as well as finding ways
to network and empower neigh-
borhood residents.
"I think we're able to form
some unity because we're not all
looking at just our piece of the
pie," said Sue Olmstead, a mem-
ber of the Parent Education
Team.
Some Ithaca High School
seniors agreed.
I thought it was interesting,"
said first-time attendee Jay Dar-
sie. "People in the committee
knew what I felt; that the high
school is not such a bad place."
Zach Bruno said that because.
a student's voice can be heard,
student involvement in the group
helped people know that good
kids doing good things at school
are commonplace, not drug
deals and students high on drugs.
For its next major project,
Mayor Alan Cohen said the task
force will begin compiling an inter-
im report for release in December
"to give the community a sense of
progress as to what we're doing and
educate the community in the.
process," Cohen said.
4• Ark .-
The Ithaca Journal
Friday, October 17, 1997
Drug Task
The Ithaca Community Drug
Task •Force has been meeting
since May to consider ways of
curbing the use of both legal and
illegal drugs among us. Its
Action Team on School Culture
has focused on student behav-
iors, staff expectations, and
school -building policies and
their enforcement.
After gathering information
from students, administrators,
teachers, parents, and other com-
munity, members, the team has
reached a consensus about the
linkage between substance abuse
problems and disorderly and dis-
respectful behavior in general. As
a result, it emphasizes the necessi-
ty of continuing the process to
reestablish an overall climate of
respect and order within the
schools at the same time as we
deal with substance abuse.
Regarding substance abuse,
:",:the action team sees the need to
• have "first, ; clear polity on the use.
•of tobacco,.alcohol and; other
d
fi) rugs within the district; second,
workable procedures for imple-
:. menting and enforcing the policy;
• third, effective and. consistently
applied consequences of violating
. the policy; and fourth, programs.
and personnel to assist students
with assessment, support and
counseling relative to substance
orce ma
es inroads a:t schools
Mari ASHTON/GUESr COLUMNIST
abuse issues. Regarding other
areas of behavior, the team also
believes that dear policies, estab-
lished procedures and consistent
consequences are important ele- ..
ments in achieving change:
Ithaca's:sdhool board took the
first step in June. In compliance
with'federal and
state mandates,
it :adopted a
drug -use policy
that clearly for-
bids possession,
use, sale, or dis-
tribution. • .of
tobacco, alco-
hol, and other
drugs on school
Ashtonproperty or at
sdiool-sponsored events and that
also denies the right to be in
school, gr at school events to per-
sons *40 are under. the influence
of drugslike alcohol. The School
Culture Action Team, thanks and
applauds the school board for fill-
ing this gap in our regulations. •
It also applauds, -endorses and
encourages the further actions
that are under way: in the district' -
and the secondary schools under
the leadership of Superintendent
Judith Pastel, Assistant Superin=
tendent Katrina Turek and the
Secondary -school principals. The
'district is laying out the conse-
ljuences that will follow violations
Qf the flew policy arid: developing
procedures to be followed by staff
who suspect violations.
The secondary schools, in
tin, are working out methods
to assure consistent enforce -
tient of the policy and demon=
:trate to teachers and staff that
.there will be certain and ready
support for all their efforts to
enforce district substance abuse
policy. The intention is to pub-
lish clear, district -wide expecta-
tions regarding student and staff
Compliance with the polity, spe-
cific consequences for failures to
Comply, and prescribed process
es to bring about the desired
result of reducing the presence
Of illegal drugs, including alco-
hol; and the drug culture in the
schools.
! These efforts are reflected in
the district handbook of "Student
Rights and Responsibilities" and
the IHS student handbook, both
of which have been revised with
the input of teachers, students
and the PTA Council for distribu-
tion to students and parents. The
•
•
•
•
•
handbooks also set out expecta-
tions of behaviors that help' to' •
build .a respectful and supportive'
learning environment and spell
out consequences of many, kinds
of actions, not only drugs, that
degrade the environment.
At the same tine, renewed
attention is being .given to the
fourth area of concerno the
action team: effective programs
designed to help individual stu-
dents who are abusers or who are
concerned about drug use. Stu-
dent assistance teams are being . .
continued or revitalized in the •
secondary schools.
The teams respond to prob-.
lems of abuse by assessing needs,
arranging for help; and planning
kir-Counseling and for return to
school after treatment. Support
groups are being made available
for students with alcohol and
other problems. And secondary-
school administrators are explor_ :.
ing the possibility of augmenting
existing services with credentialed,;;:
or licensed counseling staff. '
• Making changes that are nec- `
,essary to implement' the new dri4g •;
policy and strive for a more Order-
ly and respecthil school atmos-
phere will require much effort,
cooperation, supporf and deter-
mination. It will be unfortunate if
the prohibitive wording of sub-
stance abuse policies, if the rigors
of their accompanying proce-
dures, if the shock of punishment
for breaking rules divert our
attention from the entirely posi-
tive goals behind therp:"liberating
andenhancing the educational
and social environments: fof.
everyone in the schdols. ; •
•• For ;these goals to be:
reached, the school board will
have to support the district
administration and all personnel
employed by the district as .they •
work toward these ends. District
administrators; school adtninis •
'ttators,,teachers and other staff '
will have to work together in
designing procedures and stip-
port each other in Raking the
actions needed. And the under-:"
standing and participation of
parents is essential.
Members of the School Cul-
ture Action Team of the Commu-
nity Drug Task Force pledge
themselves to' support district
'objectives and, efforts and call
ripon"parents:and other con-
cerned citizens to be ready to help
the "board and district personnel
bring about important changes hi
our schools by standing behind
them when they need us.
Ashton is acting chairm'.
Adson Tenn on School -44'
<ithJounud@clantyconnecLcom>. i tic Violence and coordinator of Maubous .w,ouw a
Forumprobes high use of alcohol amongIthaca City. School District students
g
A recent survey of drug and
• alcohol use among Ithaca City
School District students raises
: some serious questions for the
; ; community. Among them: why is
alcohol use among students
locally so much higher than the
: national average?
The survey, given to sixth-,
• eighth-, 10th- and 12th -graders in
• the district last December, showed
that 81 percent of the seniors had
used alcohol in the past month as
compared to a national average of
i 75 percent. Tenth -graders matched
`;:ibe national average for 12th-
-readers using alcohol.
:_`s And while use of other drugs
might be cause for concem, the
• report leaves no doubt that alco-
: hol is the No. 1 drug of choice
- among Ithaca's students.
IN SCHOOL •
MARGARET
CLAIBORNE
Charles Bartosch, vice presi
dent of the Ithaca City Schoo
District Board of Education and a
member of the Community Drug
Task Force, will speak to the
issues and answer questions. The
meeting will be held in the Ithaca
High School cafeteria from 8-9:30
p.m. Monday, April 5. Bartosch
will discuss the results and sugges-
tions the task force has made for
dealing with the problem.
Other meetings that will
explore the implications of the sur-
vey for parents and schools are as
follows: DeWitt Middle School
meeting for middle and elemen-
tary school parents, 7 p.m. April
12, cafeteria; PTA Council, 9 a.m.
April 13, Room A-14 BOCES;
Boynton Middle School meeting
for middle and elementary school
parents, 7 p.m. April 26, cafeteria;
Enfield Elementary School meet-
ing for middle and elementary
school parents, 7 p.m. May 3, cafe-
teria; Greater Ithaca Activities
Center community meeting: 7 p.m.
May 6, gymnasium.
Women's history
Women's History Month is
being celebrated in the Ithaca
City School District's World
Room with talks by local women
of distinction.
From 9:15-11:15 a.m.;Tiresday
Cynthia Yahn will be on -hand to
talk about construction work and
owning a construction company in
Ithaca. Comell University profes-
sor of human development and
learning Lee C. Lee will talk about
her life and work as the first female
Asian -American professor 'at
Comell. Lee created the Asian
American Studies Program at
Cornell. She will speak from 9:15-
11:15 a.m. Wednesday.
The World Room, located in
Beverly J. Martin Elementary
School at 302 W. Buffalo St., is a
resource and research center for
students and teachers pursuing
in-depth work in the fields of
diversity and multiculturalism.
Programs planned for the.
spring include students working
with a Native American who will
help them with planting, Native -
American style, and workshops
for teachers around issues of
racism, sexism, gender bias and
sexual orientation. Teachers who
would like to schedule visits for
their classes to the World Room,
or who want special programs
planned, and principals who
would like to schedule workshops
fof their staffs should contact
Valerie Treadwell at 277-5270.
In School appears each Monday on
this page in The Ithaca Journal. 11you
have an idea for a column item, call
Margaret Claiborne at 274-9210.
Student of the week
■ Name: Kevin Morris
■ School: Ithaca High School '
■ Class: Senior ■ Age: 17
■ Favorite subjects: History, global stud-
ies
s>
■ Accomplishments, honors: Member,
National Honor Society, member varsity
soccer team; went to state playoffs last
year •
'
• Activities: Tutors two hours after school every day at
the Greater Ithaca Activities Center; tutors students in
advanced placement statistics at IHS
■ Plans: Go to either Boston University or Ohio State
University and major in history, possibly go into teaching.
ITHACA TEEN SERVICES
AND
AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS
APR -08-99 THU 08:32 PM gioc 607 272 0250
TO: Laurel Guy
FROM: Cassandra Nelson - G.I.A.C. Teen Program Coordinator
RE: Teen Program Info
DATE: April 8, 1999
Teen Program activities and services:
1. Tutoring one to one and in small groups Mon - Fri. and Sat.
2_ Educational workshops
3. Advocating for parents / guardians and care givers, in the schools and in the
community
4. Teen dances
5. Employment and career exploration programs
6. Computer Literacy classes
7. Nutritional education program
8. Creative writing workshops
9. Networking with other community centers in the northeast region
10. Art appreciation workshops
11. College preparation workshops
12. College tours
13. Employment training worksite
14. Peer tutoring programs
15. lntergeneration programs
16. Getting teens involved in planning committees with other community agencies
17. Programs that develop leadership skills
18. Programs that build self. esteem
19. Job shadowing programs
20. Programs that develop teens public speaking and presentation skills
P.-02
Bringing The Arts To You ...
VLJ DO6COPE.
The Community School of Music and Arts can bring the arts to you by providing
specially designed programs at your location!
We offer classes, workshops, training sessions, seminars, and performances in:
DANCE * CREATIVE MOVEMENT * MUSIC *
THEATER * SCULPTURE * VISUAL ARTS *
IMPROVISATION * and more!
For more than thirty years, the Community School of Music and Arts . (CSMA) has
provided quality artistic instruction to Tompkins County and the surrounding area.
As our mission states, our purpose is to provide instruction to any community
member who desires to learn music, visual art, dance, theater, or related arts.
Now, ICALI=IDO.3OPE. allows us to teach in the community, aswell as at our own
facilities. We will come to you!
CSMA offers an excellent faculty and a wide variety of programs to choose from.
We are flexible in scheduling and will work with you on every detail, including
curriculum, content, and fees.
Through ICALLIP0oCOPL, adults and children of all ages and skill levels can
develop creativity and confidence while learning to use their artistic, musical, and
theatrical talent. CSMA knows that all people have these talents. We our
committed to aiding in the development and exploration of all people's potential.
100 Prospect Street * Ithaca, NY 141330 * <607) 272-1474
The Community School of Music and Arts
Scholarship Application Info. and Form
APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 16, 1999
Dear Applicant,
The mission of the Community School of Music and Arts includes providing "quality
instruction to any community member who desires to learn music and arts." We strive to keep
our programs accessible and, thanks to generous support, are increasingly able to do so. Our
scholarship program offers tuition reductions based upon the applicant's need, the number of
applicants and the available award money. All students are eligible to apply. CSMA does not
discriminate on the basis of age, gender, race, national or ethnic origen, or religion.
Please Note: Scholarships for private instruction and the Ithaca Children's Choir are awarded
on a yearly basis, usually in the fall. (New private instruction students may apply upon referral
to a teacher.) All other applicants must reapply for each term of class or ensemble study.
The Scholarship Application consists of three parts:
1. the application form itself
2. all the required documents pertaining to your situation
3. a medical release form for each student under 18 years of age
It is the responsibility of the applicant to complete andreturn all the above items to 'CSMA by
the deadline, Jan. 9, 1999. All information will be kept strictly confidential.
Applicants will be notified by phone within a week of the published deadline. A signed
acceptance of the award is required before the scholarship can be applied towards classes or
private instruction. Awards are in the form of a percentage reduction of tuition rates.
The progress of. students receiving awards will be monitored. CSMA reserves the right to
withdraw the award to any student whose attendance, work or behavior is deemed
unsatisfactory.
Completed forms and attachments should be returned to:
Scholarship Committee
The Community School of Music and Arts
330 East State Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
CSMA: 272-1474
The Community School of Music and Arts
Scholarship Application
Application Deadline: April 16, 1999 Date Received:
CSMA Student's Name Date of birth
Street Address Phone
City State .. Zip
Instrument/Class Instructor
Instrument/Class. Instructor
Previous. Scholarship: YES
NO
New student Returning student
Term & Year received
Dates of previous study
Other student(s) for whom this application is being made should be listed below.
Please add the address if different from above.
Name Age Instrument/Class Instructor
List any additional dependents other than the students named above.
Name Age Relationship
Parent/Guardian Name
Street Address Phone
City State Zip
Employer Work phone
Parent/Guardian Name
Street Address Phone
City State Zip
Employer Work phone
Please complete the following items.
1. Annual gross income of the person(s) who, for income tax purposes, claims the student(s) listed
on this form as dependent(s): (taxable income from most recent fax return* 3a.)
2. Monthly household income from:
a. Wages, Salary earned (last month's) $
b. Public Assistance/TANF $
c. Alimony and/or Child Support $
d. Social Security $
e. S.S.I. $
f. Other income (pension, disability, etc.) $
g. Income earned by dependent children
during the past calendar (tax) year $
TOTAL (a -f) $
x12= $
3. Please attach photocopied documentation of each source of the monthly income listed above
which applies to your personal situation. Circle the letters of those attached.
a. Most recent Federal Income Tax Return filed and most recent pay stub
*If you did not file a fax return, a statement of wages from your employer must be included.
b. Letter from Social Services stating amount of award
c. Proof of child support, maintenance and/or alimony
d. Proof of Social Security income or survivor's pension
e. Official proof of unemployment compensation
4. Does any other person (not accounted for in the above catagories) contribute directly towards
CSMA tuition for any of the students listed on this form?
YES What is the annual amount of their contribution? .
NO
5. Please describe and provide documentation for any significant changes in your financial situation
during the current year, since filing the tax return referred to above.
Attention: College & University Students - If you are under 25 years old and have not been self-
supporting for the past 2 years, you are considered a dependent. In that case, please provide the
documentation as requested above from the person who, for tax purposes, can claim you as a
dependent.
To the best of my knowledge, the information given on this form is complete and correct.
Signature of person completing this form . Date
application revisedl2/98
rias by 'ha --
MENTAL IS
.MEMALIEA MASSOdAflONINTOMPKINSCa
226 Sod Fulton Street, Suite B
kW, NYi485O
AIDS WORK OF TOMPKINS COUNTY
215 N. Cayuga St.
DeWitt Office Complex, Suite 6B
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 272-4098
AIDS Work of Tompkins county offers education, direct support and advocacy on HIV
and AIDS related issues for individuals, family and groups. AIDS Work also works with
human service providers to develop HIV assessment capacity.
ALTERNATIVES TO VIOLENCE PROJECT
AVP, Inc,'
Perry City-AreiCouncil
PO Box 337
Trumansburg, NY 14886
The Alternatives to Violence Project, Inc„ is an organization of dedicated volunteer who
help people develop effective ways of dealing with conflicts creatively and nonviolently.
The fundamental belief of the AVP -is that there is a power for peace and good in
everyone, and that thispower has •the - ability to transform violence. Skilled trainers lead
the group through a series of exercises based on five central themes: Self Awareness,
conflict resolution,. communication, Affirmation and community Building. There is a $30
fee for the workshop; however, scholarships are available. AVP can find a place to stay
for out-of-town participants.
ALCOHOLISM COUNCIL OF TOMPKINS COUNTY
201 E. Green St.
Suite 500
Ithaca, NY 14850,
(607) 274-6288
The Alcoholism Council • of Tompkins County provides education, . information,
counseling and referral services for Tompkins County residents. The Council strive to
return the person with alcoholic addiction to sobriety and health through working closely
with other agencies and community resources. A New York State OASAS certified
outpatient clinic provide assessment and treatment services to those with alcohol and
other substance abuse problems as well as those who have suffered as a result of the
alcohol or drug use of another person. Special programs include MICA (Mentally III,
Chemically Addicted) which is a clinically intensive program designed for individual
suffering primarily from an addictive disease complicated by emotional and
psychological problems.
1
BRIDGES FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES
120 West State St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 275-0076
Bridges works .with youth age 12 and up who may be thinking of, or have run away.
Youth who are dealing with family difficulties or simply wants help may also contact
Bridges for assistance. Services are free and confidential; included are crisis
counseling, short term individual and family counseling, information, referrals, case
management, advocacy, and short-term stays in host homes.
BROOM DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SERVICES
1257 Trumansburg Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 273-0811.
Broom Developmental disabilities Services provides services to individual of all ages in
Tompkins County with developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy, mental
retardation or birth defect. Article 16 clinic services are available .in psychological
evaluation and consultation, community mental health nursing, nutrition counseling and.
consultation and social work. The Tompkins Day Treatment assists participants, 21
years of age and older, in reaching personal goals through training an activities of daily
living, survival skills, functional academics, pre -vocational training and
social/recreational programming.
CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE PROJECT
P.O. Box 164
Ithaca, NY 14851
(607) 277-3203
(607) 277-5000 - 24 hour crisis
The Child . Sexual Abuse Projectprovides support, advocacy, and 'accompaniment
services for children and adolescents (up through age 18 years) who have been
sexually abused, sexually harassed, or sexually assaulted, as well as for their family
members. Support, information, and referral services are provided to anyone affected
by the sexual abuse, sexual assault, or sexual harassment of a young person and to
adult survivors of child sexual abuse. The Child Sexual Abuse Project offer
developmentally appropriate educational programs for preschool aged children through
high school aged teens, parents, teachers, and youth workers. Training and
consultations are -provided for professionals.
2.
CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
615 Willow Ave.
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607)272-2292
Cornell Cooperative Extension aim to strengthen youth, adults, families and
communities through learning partnerships that put knowledge to work. Community
Development programs activities include: Community Mentors - training leaders in the
community; Family Community Leadership - providing resources in leadership; Rural
Youth Development - developing personal and leadership skills; and volunteer
Opportunities.
COMMUNITY DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTER
120 West State St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 273-9347
The Community Dispute Resolution Center provides peaceful mediation between
individuals, organization, and communities in Chemung, Schuyler, and Tompkins
Counties. Mediators offer guidelines that allow effectivecommunication and win-win
solutions. Specialprogram includes CHOICES which provide a one-on-one skill -building
program that helps youth explore alternatives to violence, and learn anger management
and problem -solving skills.
FAMILY AND CHILDREN'S SERVICE OF ITHACA
204 N. Cayuga St.
Ithaca, 14850
(607) 273-7494
Family and Children's Service provides counseling therapies, . home health care,
adoption, foster care and a variety :of youth service programs. The goal of Family and
Children's Service is to bring a mental. health prospective to the community so . that
residents can enjoy positive, healthy and satisfying lives. A division of the Service: Child
and Adolescent Mental Health Program offers individual, family, parent and group
counseling to help families cope with a wide range of difficulties;. this program is
certified by the State of New York as an out-patient mental health clinic. Services
include individual counseling, play therapy, Parent and family therapy, Parent guidance,
Child and adolescent assessment and intervention, and Group counseling.
3.
ONE-TO-ONE
One James Gibbs Dr.
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 273-8364
One-to-one is a program, of the Ithaca Youth Bureau that sponsors friendships between
caring adults and needy children throughout Tompkins County. Adult Friends spend
three hours each week with a Young Friend age six to fourteen. One-to-one Friends
enjoy hiking, swimming, crafts, cooking, doing homework,watching movies, and just
spending time together. Children are referred to One-to-one by parents, schools, family
workers, or other concerned persons. Service is provided only if parent and.. child are
actively interested.
PREGNANCY CENTER, ITHACA
Suite 202 Box 147
Center Ithaca
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607)273-4673
(607) 273 -HOPE - crisis line
The Pregnancy Center strives to meet the need of individual of child bearing age.
Services such as pregnancy testing, crisis pregnancy counseling, advocacy and support
for pregnant women, provision of maternity and baby clothes for those :in need,. post-
abortion counseling, adoption referrals and sexuality/relationship presentations to teens
in schools or groups which emphasize life choices and postponing sexual activity.
RAPE CRISIS, ITHACA
P.O. Box 713
Ithaca, NY 14851
(607) 273-5589
(607) 277-5000 24-hour Crisis Hotline
Rape Crisis operates 24 -hours a day to provide counseling, advocacy, accompaniment,
and services to survivors of rape, .sexual assault and sexual harassment and for their
family and friends. A group of trained volunteers runs the services.
4.
SIBLINGS ARE SPECIAL
101 Dates Dr.
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-4408
For a fee of $10 per family, the Siblings are Special workshops (a program within the
Cayuga medical Center at Ithaca) help children between three and eight to prepare for
the experience of becoming a big brother or sister. Along with helpful tips provided to
parents, children are taught hoe to diaper an infant, make a small gift to give to their
new sibling, take a tour of the birthing unit and much more.
SKYLIGHT CLUB
201 E. Green St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607)274-6262
The Skylight Club is a continuing day treatment program for persons 18 and over who
have a psychiatric disability or mental disorder, and a related functional deficit.
Assessment, treatment planning and case management are provided. Pre -vocational
activities and groups, crisis service and medication therapy are available.
SOUTHERN TIER AIDS PROGRAMS
122 Baldwin St.
Johnson City, NY 13790
(607)798-1706 in Broome County
1-800-333-0892 outside Broome County
STAP provides free, confidential support services to HIV-infected individuals, their
families, loved ones, caregivers and friends. The eight counties served includes
Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga and Tompkins.
Case management services includes emotional support, health information, advocacy,
and referral. STAP provide tailored services, whether you prefer only a small amount of
information, or need a .comprehensive guidance, STAP can meet your requests and
respect your confidentiality.
SPECIAL CHILDREN'S CENTER, INC.
Franziska W. Backer Campus
1052 Wilkins Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 272-5891
The Special Children's Center provides a wide range of services to address the
individual and often complex needs of people with disabilities and their families.
Programs include Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education for children with
developmental delays and disabilities from birth to five years of age, Health Clinic for
people of all ages with disabilities, Family Services for families with a family member
who has a developmental disability, Residential Services for children and young adults
with developmental disabilities, and Day Treatment Programs for school age children
with emotional and behavioral difficulties inhibiting their ability to attend school in their
home districts.
SUICIDE PREVENTION AND CRISIS SERVICE
P.O. Box 312
Ithaca, NY 14851
(607)272-1505
(607) 272-1616 crisis line
Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service provides free, confidential 24 hour telephone
counseling for people who need to discuss personal problems. SPCS offers a
postvention program for those who have had a traumatic experience, including the After
Suicide Group for those who have lost someone to suicide. Educational materials and
programs on crisis .intervention, suicide prevention and effective communication are
available.
TEEN PREGNANCY PARENTING PROGRAM
609 W. Clinton St. -2nd fl.
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 273-1055
TP3 offers comprehensive information about parenting, abortion, adoption, and family
planning to pregnant teenagers and would-be teen dads. Free and confidential case.
management helps teen parents apply for financial assistance, find a place to stay,
pursue educational goals, and find day care and health care for the baby. Pregnant
teens and teen parents under age 21 and living in Tompkins County are eligible for TP3
Programs.
6.
TASK FORCE FOR BATTERED WOMEN
P.O. Box 164
Ithaca, NY 14851
(607) 277-3203
(607) 277-5000 - 24 hour crisis
The Tompkins County Task Force for Battered Women provides services to teen and
adult women who have been abused by their partners or ex-partners, and their children.
Services include: Emotional support, Safety planning, Advocacy (legal, medical,
housing, referral, information, etc.), Emergency Shelter, Support Groups, Classes for
women transitioning out of abusive relationships, and Lending Library. The Task force
also provide educational programs to the Tompkins County community on issues
related to domestic and dating violence.
7.
penny counts
JIM SANCHEZ/Joumal Staff
fool students, clockwise from the top lefty Orenda Pliss, Rebecca
Sagan, Beth Jump, Anna Siliciano and Nicole Brecht count pennies
he Leukemia Society, which is sponsoring Pennies for Patients. Each
'Netting loose change for •three weeks and each week the money is
unted by students. The first week the school raised $254.57. The stu-
second week's change to be more than the fust.
az�45
I.uriCh Series'
offers parents
teen resources
County juvenile justice system.
subject of first talk Wednesday
Sy NAOMI SELDIN
Special to The Jownal
ITHACA — Criminal justice
and mental health officials are
hoping a few brown -bag lunches
for parents now will mean fewer
kids in court later. -
The Mental Health Associa-
tion of Tompkins County is hope
• iris that parents will tum out for a
weekly.public lunch time series on
juvenile justice this month, to hear
how they can use services available'
to help troubled teens. The series,
at noon on Wednesdaysbeginning
March 17, Will include a presenta-
tion on the
resentertiononthe basic tenets of the juve-
- rile justice system in Tompkins
County And two round table dis-
cussions. -
Catherine Wedge, the Mental
Health Associationcoordinator
for the series, said they'lbe look-
ing tor
ooking.for community members to
speak,up on what's lacking in.both
the current juvenile justice system
and mental health programs for
teen-agers. .
"We're really -hoping to high-
light in this series not -only what
services are .opt there right now,"
Wedge said; "but what other
things we as a community should
be looking at providing."
Wedge said that the three-part
series is intended to address three -
basic questions: What resources
are currently available to parents
and teen-agers in Tompkins
County? What are the services
and agencies parents can turn to
to help prevent emotional and
behavioral issues from becoming
major problems? And what needs'
are out there, and gaps in current
programs and services that still
Lunch series
1 What: Mental Health . -
Association in Tompkins ,
County Brown Bag Lunch
Seminar Series on Juve-
nile Justice
■ When: Noon to 1:30
p.m. eveWednesday
ry
for the rest of the month . ,
1 Where: Women's ..;.
Community Building, 100:
W. Seneca St., Ithaca
III Topics: March 17: "The
Current Juvenile Justice
System: How It Works"; -'
March 24 "Choices and
• Alternatives: Keeping; • ;
. Youth Out of the System"; ;
March 31 "Over-repre.- .,,
sented arid.Under-served
• Youth::, Children With
Severe Emotional Distur-
bances and Substance
Abuse Issues"
1 For more information:
Contact Catherine Wedge
at 273-9250.•
' need to be filled?
La1th
starts in
womb Tompkins County probation
9 officer Mitch Youngling; chief
presenter at the first forum, said
that41:
isthe first timehe'sseen®onata1 researcher says flus of joint effort being held
in Tompkins County: He attrib-
uteri the interest in part to growing
awareness and identification of
cm __...-,1 1-1.,,
learning disabilities and emotional
issues facing teen-agers — prob-
lems that can often be addressed
through treatment and use of
community services before situa-
tions escalate.
The Mental Health Associa-
tion "is getting more involved and
it's because more and more chil-
dren are being identified as having
special needs," Youngling said. .
Wedge stressed that plans for
future programs aren't set, and
where they go next with future
events depends on what they hear
from the public at the forums.
• "What we do and what we do
best is bring to the table diverse.
groups of people;""Said " Wedge,
"and that is a very large part of
what we're doing in this communi-
ty, and what we hope to do in this
series."
Sample Programs Offered Through Rural Youth Services
Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins CQunty
Workshops that Prepare Youth for Employable Futures: :
Super Sitters , a child care course for youth ages li years and old r, featuring: tips on
personal safety, activities to engage young minds, healthful snacking, and first aid.
Greed Masters, a basic lawn -care and landscaping course for youth with little or no
experience in .planting, weeding, or identifying garden flowers and shrubs.
Cooks 'a Poppin', a combined course on nutrition and meal -planning, with fan field trips
to local restaurants and professional kitchens, where the "pros" eliplain what it's like tc�
work in the food service business.
Cash Register Training and practice in customer service techniques.
Counselor -in -Training summer programs for youth ages 13 45.
Just about any special interest topic, from snake -handling to chimney -sweeping, can be!
explored from a job -readiness view, and a program series can be developed!
Special Interest Programs that Encourage Youth to "Try" New or Different Activities:
Fencing
Fly -Tying and Fly-Fisbing
Clay -Molding Workshops
Crafts for Commerce
Peer Players: Exploring Contemporary Issue through Role -Playing .
Chinese Brush Painting
Radio -Building
Wilderness Skills: Food, Clothing, and Shelter
Big Friend/Little Friend. Mentoring Activities
Alcohol Awareness Education
Family Fun Workshops for Kids of All Ages:
Communicating with Friends and Family
Community Square Dance
Family Suppers with Entertainment
Arts and Crafts
Radio -Building
Music Jam Sessions and Variety Shows
Special Youth Employment Programs, including casual job -matching and workshops on
how to find your first job and how to manage your money!
Programs are coordinated by Extension Program Managers who are based in school
or community settings every day of the week, year-round.
Program resources from Cornell University and Cornell Cooperative Extension provide
rich and varied learning opportunities for youth in their very own :communities. Field trips
and inter -municipal programming are sometimes offered, The Pr;me Time Youth
Leadership Conference, for example, invites youth from throughout the county to get
together on a Saturday for a day of fun, food, workshops, and discussion on provocative
issues of interest to teens. Barbara Hopkins, Chord., Rural Youtli Svces. 607-272-2292i
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