March 19, 2024
The Liberty Lake Splash
PO Box 363
Liberty Lake, WA 99019
Phone: 509-242-7752
News Blog Business Community Opinion Sports
Splash photo by Craig Howard

Liberty Lake City Council Member Keith Kopelson is teaming with Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council Executive Director Linda Thompson and the Liberty Lake Police Department to facilitate a class for parents on drug and alcohol use among kids.

More News

March Marvel-Calvary a catalyst for historic Gonzaga run

Daughters of The American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a volunteer women’s organization that has been dedicated to historical preservation, education, and patriotism for over a century. Across the United States, there are over 3,000 chapters supporting an estimated current membership of 200,000, with over one million total members since their founding in 1890.

HOA’s have different rules what it means for Police and streets
The city of Liberty Lake is known for its winding paths, street trees and homeowner’s associations. Recently, however, residents of some neighborhoods have been questioning the services they receive from the city, particularly police patrols and traffic enforcement.

Vietnam Veteran Pat Payne Receives his Combat Infantry Badge
Spokane Valley resident and Vietnam Veteran Pat Payne personifies bravery, resilience, and a profound commitment to supporting his fellow service members. Having served in the Vietnam War, Pat received both the Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals for his exceptional contributions and sacrifices. Unfortunately, at the time of his service discharge, a key ‘box’ was left unchecked, and he did not receive his Combat Infantry Badge or CIB until fifty-six years after leaving Vietnam.

Return Ticket Home; Fisher helped establish LL city roots
In the acclaimed 1940 novel, “You Can’t Go Home Again,” author Thomas Wolfe paints the picture of ambitious writer George Webber who leaves his rural hometown roots to seek fame and fortune in New York City.

At Home on Air – Media fixture Owsley relishes local roots
Sean Owsley’s first big break in the media world came when he was living in a modest apartment on Skipworth Road in Spokane Valley.

Spokane Valley Library employee is recognized by the Library of Congress
Spokane Valley Library was recently honored to receive a Certificate of Appreciation from the Library of Congress for its involvement in the Veterans History Project. The Library of Congress recognized the library's continuous dedication to preserving the stories and experiences of our nation's veterans. As part of this recognition, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Jeremy Mullin, a local resident actively involved in the project.

Council social media training degenerates into confrontation
Spokane Valley City Council training on policy regarding social media accounts and use of the city’s logo turned from benignly informative to heatedly combative after an exchange between two council members at the Jan. 9 meeting.

Central Valley School District Prop. 1

Eat, Shop, and Be Merry

Water Works

2023 Candidate Guide

Sporting in Liberty Lake

Closing the Chasm

Congratulations First Ridgeline High School Graduating Class of 2023

2023 Liberty Lake Kiwanis Yard Sales are Coming!
Click here to register today! Only $15 to get into the printed and online guide!

Public Safety Raised to New Level

Parks and Art Commission

Looking Ahead to 2023

Eat, Shop and Be Merry

New city administrator

Liberty Lake Kiwanis Yard Sale Interactive Map!

Liberty Lake Kiwanis Yard Sale Guide - Now Available!!

Conrats 2022 Senior Graduates

Pavillion Park

You Are Invited

Destination Liberty Lake

Liberty Lake's Lego Home

Making and Impact 2022

Search the News Archive Search the News Archive

Ramping up awareness of substance abuse
7/30/2015 9:00:27 AM

By Craig Howard
Splash Contributor

When Ken Zigler talks to parents about the dangers of drugs, the topic hits heartbreakingly close to home. 

For nearly a decade now, Zigler has been telling the story of his son, Tim, who passed away in March 2006 after taking a prescription medication given to him by a fellow student at Ferris High School. Tim was 17 years old. 

Working with the Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council (GSSAC), Zigler speaks to students, teachers, neighborhood groups and medical professionals about substance abuse awareness and intervention. The opposite end of the spectrum, he said, can lead to tragedy. 

"Ignorance is horrible when it comes to drugs," Zigler said. "I talk to everyone about what this stuff is doing."  
In 1999, a total of five people died in Spokane County from accidental prescription drug overdoses. By 2008, that number had increased to 100. GSSAC Executive Director Linda Thompson says her organization is dedicated to communicating the sobering truth about the impact drugs and alcohol can have on young, unsuspecting lives.  

Later this month, Zigler and Thompson will be among a group hosting a class in Liberty Lake designed to help parents improve their awareness of substance abuse signals and establish methods to help kids avoid the traps of drugs and alcohol. "Be Aware Because You Care - A Parent's Guide to Clean and Sober Kids" will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 25 in the Mica Peak Room at the Liberty Lake Portal. Tickets are $10, with all proceeds benefiting GSSAC. 

"I hope the participants in this class will learn helpful information about how to recognize drug use, understand community norms around alcohol, marijuana and other drugs and be equipped with skills for advocating for healthy choices among youth," Thompson said. "Every one of us has a chance to contribute to a healthy, safe environment through knowing the facts, being a strong role model, and contributing to prevention in our community."  

Officer Mike Thomas, a drug recognition expert with the Liberty Lake Police Department, will be the featured speaker at the class. Attendees will also receive information from the 2014 Washington State Healthy Youth Survey that Thompson said "shows use rates, perception of harm trends and perceived community attitudes about alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drugs among our youth." 

"As parents, we need to know about alcohol and other drugs so that we can provide our children with current and accurate information," LLPD Chief Brian Asmus said. "If we have a basic knowledge of common drugs, know their effects on the mind and body, and the symptoms of their use, we can discuss these subjects intelligently with our children. In addition, well-informed parents are better able to recognize if a child has symptoms of alcohol or drug-related problems."

Liberty Lake Council Member Keith Kopelson, who serves on GSSAC's development committee, came up with the idea for the class earlier this year. 

"After a few meetings, it occurred to me that the biggest impact in fighting this challenge was to focus on our youth and taking steps to help stop it before it becomes a problem," Kopelson said. "There are so many different drugs and chemicals, parents could easily miss some of the signs of use. This knowledge is a great deterrent and a great way for parents to protect their kids from all the dangerous substances that are everywhere."

Thomas says there needs to be a dedicated effort to counteract the misleading messages about drugs that have become so prevalent, particularly after the passage of I-502 in 2012 that made marijuana legal in Washington for those 21 and over. The initiative does not allow for use of the drug in public or by those operating a vehicle.    

"In this day and age where drugs are more plentiful, available, potent and unfortunately becoming more socially acceptable, parents need some tools to help them understand when the change in their kids behavior, grades and attitudes may not just be from a stage in their adolescence, but may be caused from a much more serious problem like drug use, and even drug addiction," Thomas said.

In recent years, Thomas said law enforcement "has seen a large increase in medication abuse, marijuana consumption and the use of synthetic marijuana by our youth."  

"People have a false belief that cannabis is non-addictive and a user can stop whenever they want," Thomas said. "We have learned this is just not the case.  Users can and do become addicted to marijuana just as they can become addicted with any other drug." 

Kopelson expressed hope that the class - and future ones like it - would lead to additional support for GSSAC in terms of funding and volunteers.

"This organization is crucial in the fight against drug and alcohol abuse in the Spokane area," Kopelson said. "Due to government funding cutbacks, the fight against drug and alcohol abuse became a major challenge for GSAAC. The efforts of a few staff members and other volunteers definitely makes an impact on its mission, but there are many basic needs which include funding from our community and local businesses to further the efforts in reducing this ever growing problem which has become a bigger fight since I-502 passed."

Thompson said "support from the community is critical to keep GSSAC's county-wide prevention efforts going."

"With the privatization of hard liquor and the legalization of recreational marijuana for those 21 and over through the initiative process came the promise of prevention resources," she said. "To date, none of those resources have come forth. GSSAC continues to apply for private foundation, government, and corporate funding in order to provide that county-wide prevention but we really need help from the community to make prevention happen."

Thomas, who also serves on the GSSAC development committee, said the class will help parents "identify the potential problem before it becomes an addiction."

"This class in no way will make people experts in drug recognition, but the people who attend come away from the brief class with some better understanding about drug and alcohol use and the potentials for addiction," he said. 

Thompson agreed. 

"Knowing the signs and symptoms to look for when drug and/or alcohol use is suspected can be difficult for even the most knowledgeable parent," Thompson said. "Sometimes the mood swings, anxiousness, and changes in behavior are just typical teenage behaviors but being educated on what to look for and how to ask the questions without being accusatory is key to helping your child. The more information adults have, coupled with a willingness to truly know what is going on with a youth, will result in positive outcomes when it comes to determining if someone has a drug or alcohol problem."

• • •

IF YOU GO ...
"Be Aware Because You Care - A Parent's Guide to Clean and Sober Kids" 

7 p.m. Aug. 25

Mica Peak Room at the Liberty Lake Portal, 23403 E. Mission Ave. 

Tickets: $10, with all proceeds going to the Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council 

For more on the class: 922-8383

For more on the topic: www.starttalkingnow.org

Advertisement

Copyright © 2024 The Liberty Lake Splash | Print Page