ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 17, 1996 TAG: 9602190022
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
IN THE WAKE OF a fatal accident caused by a 16-year-old drunken driver, schools are asking parents to get more involved in the fight against teen-age alcohol and drug use.
For years, Glenvar High School seemed isolated from the alcohol and drug use that plagues many urban and suburban schools.
Situated in Western Roanoke County in a close-knit community where most students know each other, Glenvar is the smallest high school in the Roanoke Valley.
"There was a feeling that we didn't have alcohol and drug problems," said Karen Cowell, coordinator of Glenvar's Student Assistance Program. "We seemed to be far away from those things."
But Glenvar was confronted with harsh reality this school year when a 16-year-old junior, who was driving drunk, struck and killed a woman who was walking in his neighborhood.
"We were all touched personally by that. We realized we're not invulnerable," Cowell said.
The accident gave a new urgency to Glenvar's annual Alcohol and Drug Awareness Week this year. "We have been compelled to try to do more," she said.
The school has appealed to parents to join in the effort to combat the use of alcohol and drugs by students.
Across the Roanoke Valley, North Cross, a private school, also has asked parents to become more involved.
North Cross parents are being asked to sign a pledge not to allow parties or gatherings at their homes when they are not there. They also are being asked to prohibit minors from drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs on their property.
The pledges are part of a "Family Matters" program that was developed in California and has been adopted by many school districts. It has been endorsed by several community organizations and agencies that deal with teen-age alcohol and drug use.
In a recent letter to North Cross parents, the school's Parents' Council said it needs their help in "preventing the next tragic headline."
At Glenvar, school administrators are using recent headlines to try to persuade parents to become more involved. They may ask parents to make a pledge similar to the one at North Cross.
"Due to the recent tragedy, which has occurred in our community, we feel the need to ask for a stronger commitment than ever before," Cowell wrote in a newsletter to parents about Alcohol and Drug Awareness Week.
This week, parents were invited to have lunch with their children and attend an assembly where speakers talked about the dangers and consequences of alcohol and drug abuse. Activities were held throughout the week to increase awareness of the problem.
"We've tried to get the children involved in things that don't require alcohol or drugs," Cowell said.
Glenvar students were asked to pledge that they will not use alcohol or drugs. Half of all students had signed pledges by Friday. Sixty percent of sophomores signed pledges - the highest percentage of any of the grades - but only 27 percent of seniors signed - the lowest.
Cowell was disappointed that more students did not sign pledges, but she said school officials did not pressure them.
Meanwhile, Glenvar parents and friends are invited to a presentation Tuesday night to learn more about drugs and how to tell whether their children might be abusing them.
Cowell said many parents wouldn't recognize drugs and don't realize that aerosols, for instance, can be used to get high.
Bob Lynn of Changes Clinic, an alcohol and drug treatment clinic in Roanoke, will discuss signs and symptoms of adolescent drug abuse. Officers from the Roanoke County Police Department will exhibit drugs and paraphernalia.
The meeting will be in the Glenvar High School library at 7 p.m.
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