Do you know where your children are?

By Ailene Dawson / Austin Daily Herald

We all know what 10-4 means to a CB radio operator, 24/7 is another familiar catch phrase. Not everyone knows what 4:20 means.

Chief deputy sheriff Terese Amazi tells parents, "When they see graffiti that says 4:20, it isn't a bible verse."

It is the code -- universal language if you will -- that means at 4:20 p.m. everyday, marijuana users light up in unison around the world.

Every three years, the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning surveys sixth, ninth and 12th grade students and asks them about marijuana use and their perception of the availability and affects of drugs on themselves and their environment.

The 2001 survey is complete and the verdict isn't pretty. Marijuana use among Mower County high school seniors is five percent higher than the Minnesota state average. What's more alarming is marijuana use is on the increase in all survey groups, sixth, ninth and 12th grades.

In 2001, 35 percent of high school seniors in Mower County reported marijuana use. The state average is 30.3 percent and those numbers are increasing. Ten years ago the statistics reported 24.5 percent of Mower County 12th graders and the state average was 20.4 percent.

Mower County Health Services director Margene Gunderson said the misconception is that marijuana use starts in college. The fact is, marijuana use by sixth graders in Mower County is up 4 percent in the past 10 years.

Gunderson attributes, in part, the higher use in teens to parents of the 1960s who used, or still use marijuana.

"Children may be observing them and think participation is okay," she said.

Parents communication with their children about the affects of marijuana is integral.

"Parents need to be honest about using marijuana and share decisions they made in their youth that weren't good choices. It's a neat opportunity to share their values," Gunderson said. "Kids tell you the number one reason they don't do drugs is because of parental objection. It's the same with all drugs, sex and smoking."

Amazi gives a list of behaviors or signs that parents should question in their children. They should look for paraphernalia -- small pipes, metal pipes with screens or brass couplings. I their supply of aluminum foil begins to disappear, or if they find aluminum foil with burn marks on it in the garbage -- it is being used to smoke marijuana or meth amphetamine.

Parents should look for glass pipes, little baggies and glossy paper (meth won't absorb into glossy paper).

She said that parents should be alerted if their is a drop in their children's grades, if their absenteeism goes up, if they exhibit weight loss or bad acne.

Sores on their arms, Amazi said,

can be the result of smoking meth. It feels like something is crawling on their arms and they scratch and dig at the skin.

A urine smell coming from their children's rooms or on their clothing should alert parents to meth use.

Smoking marijuana or pot, hooch, chiba, ganja, hocus pocus, MaryJane, refer, peace pipe and grass covers the entire spectrum of ages, social standings and incomes, according to Amazi. "No one is immune," she said.

She said that the sheriff's department has had requests from parents aksking the department to help them search for evidence of drugs in their children’s cars and rooms.

"We do assist for the parents peace of mind," she said. "Parents need to ask the tough questions -- where will you be? who will you be with? when will you be home? what did you do?"

Amazi said parents need to be more aware than ever of the growing drug problem in Mower County. On April 20, at 4:20 p.m.they should know where their children are, who they are with and what they are doing.

Call Ailene Dawson at 434-2235 or e-mail her at :mailto:ailene.dawson@austindailyherald.com.