‘Urgent action meeting’ next week to fight teen alcohol/drug use

| Health | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

We first mentioned this planned meeting in coverage of this month’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, where community members announced it while asking police for advice. Now, they’ve shared a more detailed announcement and want to reiterate that all community members are welcome to come help talk about the problem and solutions, not just those with direct ties to the schools:

URGENT ACTION MEETING regarding West Seattle youth alcohol and drug abuse

The West Seattle High School PTSA is sponsoring a community meeting with Neighborhood House, Seattle Police Department, Seattle Parks Dept., West Seattle High School, Madison Middle School, along with other community members, to discuss drug and alcohol abuse by youth around West Seattle High School and Madison Middle Schools.

Thursday, October 10th
7:00 pm-8:30 pm
West Seattle High School (meeting in the Library)
3000 California Ave SW

Over the summer 4 young teens were hospitalized after overdosing in our community on cough medicine. Many parents are concerned about the apparent increase in marijuana and alcohol use and sales around Hiawatha Park and the schools.

By working together, we can address these issues and create a safer environment for our kids – but it takes everyone working together.

For questions, or more info please contact: Mike Graham-Squire, Neighborhood House, 206.353.7945, mikegs@nhwa.org

A few years ago, there had been a community group active in tackling these situations, but it went dormant for a variety of reasons. Again, organizers of this meeting stress that everyone’s welcome to come help plan and take action.

Bsmomma September 30, 2013 (7:44 pm)

If there’s another meeting, I would love to know about it! There’s a few curriculum nights and school potlucks this night. :(

West Seattle Concerned October 1, 2013 (5:43 am)

This is a tremendous problem all around West Seattle. High school students from West Seattle and Sealth openly consume alcohol and smoke marijuana at Alki and Lincoln Park. They engage in what they call “robo-tripping” with cough medicine. There also is abundant use of molly. There needs to be a comprehensive approach to teen substance abuse across the peninsula, with Sealth and West Seattle parents and educators working together to tackle this problem in conjunction with law enforcement, who seem not to notice that this is happening. I encourage this meeting as a beginning step and hope to see it grow.

Westmo October 9, 2013 (8:48 pm)

Let’s not just call out WSHS and CSIH as the only problem schools. We should be including Kennedy, Evergreen and Seattle Lutheran in these discussions as well since this is a holistic problem in all schools. This is a teen problem not just school problems.

Concerned by Seattle High Schools October 18, 2013 (8:47 pm)

I couldn’t attend the meeting. But did anyone address the issue of Acetephetamin in cough medicine? That’s one of the essential ingredients in cough medicine which would lead to an overdose, if too much is consumed in less 24 hours, and hospitalization like the four teens. (Not to mentio severe liver damage.)

The sad thing is, is that many cough medicines are sold over the counter (OTC) so many teens have the false belief that OTC drugs should be safe enough to take to get that buzz. This also applies to prescription (Rx) drugs that are prescribed to parents (and teens) for whatever reasons. It’s Rx drugs that teens will take to “pill parties.”

Sorry, a little off topic, but Halloween is upon us. No offense parents, but double check candies and gum packages. We’ve got crazy people out there injecting liquid forms of LSD into candies and gum. There’s also a new pyschedelic drug called “gum.”

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