FREDERICKTOWN — Community members received a lesson in youth drug use in a drug awareness presentation Tuesday night. The event was coordinated by Fredericktown High School and Fredericktown Police Department.
Deputy Chuck Kochis, Richland County Sheriff’s Office, and Deputy Bruce Osborn, along with K-9 partner Caesar, gave a presentation and demonstration on drug awareness in schools. Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Springer and local physician Edward Blackburn, M.D., were also present to discuss and answer any questions asked by the audience.
The awareness program was started with concerns presented by parents over the use of illegal drugs by students in schools. These concerns where brought to the attention of Fredericktown Police Chief Jerry Day.
“Parents were concerned about what they should look for and if drug use was a problem in our schools,” said Day.
Day said he was approached by several parents concerned about drug use. After speaking with parents and local schools, Day realized information needed to be shared with parents, teachers, and the community to keep them knowledgeable of illegal drug use by the youth.
The presentation was held for about 90 minutes covering a wide range of topics, but focused mainly on the most commonly used drugs by young people. Various illegal drugs like marijuana, cocaine, crack, heroin, and ecstasy were all discussed and examples of these drugs were shown to the audience.
Marijuana is grown all over Ohio, said Kochis, and is the most commonly abused drug in the United States. It is also the most popular substance chosen by young people.
“Marijuana is easy to get; it is out there,” he said. “That is the thing, it is so easy to get that kids can get it anywhere. They can get it in school and they can get it out of school.”
It is also considered a gateway drug, said Kochis, because it is typically the first drug to be used before many other illegal drugs. Some of the common street names of the drug are grass, weed, bud, pot, joint, Mary Jane, ice cream, and many others. Marijuana is said to have over 647 street names.
Kochis also spoke about signs of marijuana abuse. They include a pungent odor, blood-shot eyes, eyelid droop, perception of dry mouth and compulsion to drink, intense feeling of hunger, fluctuation in blood pressure and body temperature, to name a few.
Marijuana abuse can cause many medical complications such as an increased risk of chronic cough, bronchitis and emphysema, he said. As well as an increased risk of cancer of the head, neck and lungs.
“Any hiding place you can think of they will put it there,” he said discussing possible hiding places for the drug.
The presentation ended with questions and concerns brought forth by parents. The major concern was what changes should parents look for if they feel their son or daughter is taking drugs.
Kochis said to watch for behavioral changes that often signal drug use such as seclusion, language that is specifically used in relation to drugs, and physical changes in appearance like markings on the skin or changes in eating habits.
Osborn and Caesar concluded the night with a demonstration of how dogs are trained and used to locate drugs. Caesar, a enthusiastic German Shepherd, is trained to find and locate various illegal drugs, Osborn explained, and will scratch and bark at the site of the substance.
Osborn also demonstrated how a typical search would go. A small amount of heroin was hidden in the room. When Caesar began his search he quickly found the illegal drug and began scratching and barking to indicate its location. Osborn confirmed the location by removing the bag from the hidden spot. The audience sat amazed at the dog’s capability to find the illegal drug proficiently.
Although Knox County does not have a K-9 Unit, Day explained that if a K-9 unit is needed, the Richland County Sheriffs Office K-9 unit can assist the county.
It is very important that parents are aware of drug abuse, said Dan Humphrey Fredericktown School superintendent, who was also there. “Parents need to watch for changing behavior,” he said. “There are somethings that parents can see and be aware of [like skin markings or bruises from drug use.]”
The Knox County Prosecutor’s Office has a good relationship with local schools involving young people on probation, especially those who have been prosecuted for drug-related offenses. “We take that very seriously,” said Springer.
“Knox County has a drug court program that kids that have been convicted of drug offenses go through and to try to learn better behavior,” said Springer. About 500 to 600 juvenile cases are processed in the county each year, she explained, and a good percentage of those cases are drug related.
