Parents get lessons about meth, other drugs (Alaska)

BY MICHAEL ARMSTRONG
STAFF WRITER
A postponed meeting on drug and alcohol use among high school students took on more importance last week after the recent death of a young Homer woman from a drug overdose. Even before Bethany Woodworth, 19, died last month, the Homer High School Parent Teacher Association had planned a presentation to discuss the issue. The PTA postponed the presentation when the featured speaker, Homer Police Sgt. Lary Kuhns, had to cancel because of illness
Last Thursday, Kuhns made it, and fellow police, mental health clinicians and school officials showed up in force to back up his message: Methamphetamine as a drug problem has arrived on the lower Kenai Peninsula.

Kuhns said meth is widespread in Alaska.

“It’s been a problem all over, but seems to have increased the last few years,” he said.

“It’s not a matter of when, because it’s already here,” added Paul Morton, a licensed professional counselor and former California police officer.

Morton and Kuhns, along with Alaska State Trooper Sgt. Tom Dunn, police Sgt. Will Hutt, high school principal Ron Keffer and Jim Henkelman, a licensed clinical social worker with Community Mental Health Center, spoke to about 70 people — mostly parents. PTA President Rachael Roe said she wanted the meeting to be positive and proactive, with the focus of getting information out to parents on Homer’s drug and alcohol problem.

http://www.homernews.com/stories/041206/news_new041306_1_001.shtml