Students STAND-UP to alcohol, drug abuse

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Christine Sawvell of Mundelein asks a question during the Mundelein STAND-UP Task Force to reduce underage drinking meeting at the Mundelein Police Department on Thursday. | Rob Dicker~Sun-Times Media

Take a stand

Officals with Mundelein’s STAND-UP Task Force say marijuana use has jumped among sixth-graders, and they are finding more students who do not think it is as dangerous as alcohol.

If you are interested in STAND-UP or want to find out what you can do for your community, call Nicasa at (847) 546-0751 or email Betsywells@nicasa.org.

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Updated: December 6, 2011 4:45AM

Mundelein’s task force against youth alcohol and drug use reported Thursday on their success and how it aims to reach more students and their parents.

Called the STAND-UP Task Force, the effort is aimed to reduce alcohol and drug abuse among students through various strategies such as the high school student committee, business compliance checks and passing new laws.

“Kids are getting killed, lives are getting destroyed, students drop out of school, students come to school intoxicated. We have an opportunity to stand together and save lives,” Police Chief Raymond Rose told the assembly of over 50 people that featured the high school committee of students called STAND-UP.

They gave an overview of their efforts, which included the problems that many student groups struggle with, which is to get recognition.

“The biggest problem is (the students) don’t know who we are,” said Andrea Stoll, a co-president of the group that started two years ago, along with Kenny Pechtl. They have tried to rectify that with posters and having a car in the Homecoming parade this year for the first time.

It happened to be committee member Alex Casler’s car and “It was completely covered in car crayon,” said Stoll as the room broke out in laughter.

One of the impressive ways that the students get their message across was the poster contest for events like Homecoming and Halloween that is done through the graphic artist classes.

“These are really good,” said Polly Andrews, a retired teacher who still volunteers at the elementary school and decided to sign up for the task force after the meeting. She especially liked “When you host, you lose the most,” and “Trick or Treat, get some sleep, instead of drinking on the street,” and “You can Hula without the Kahlua,” which was for a Hawaiian themed homecoming poster.

“Congratulations, you took a stand,” she said of the students efforts.

Some students have a personal reason for joining the committee, like Lauren Sison. “I had a best friend in middle school who started drinking in high school. She went to rehab three times, changed high schools and now is being home schooled. I haven’t seen her for about a year now,” she said.

Wendy Gwaltney, a task force member who is with Nicasa, a substance abuse treatment and intervention organization, said data from the Illinois Youth Survey showed a big a problem in that alcohol use rates were going up between 2008 and 2009 among students.

They aimed for a decrease of 2 percent and found rates dropped 7 percent among sophomores and 9 percent among seniors. Binge drinking, defined as 5 or more drinks in one sitting, there was a 5 percent drop among sophomores and 7 percent drop among seniors. Drinking and driving dropped 3 percent.

“The goal is to continue these trends,” she said. Betsy Wells, also with Nicasa, said campaign efforts can turn on just a few words.

“We’re getting away from scare tactics. Research shows it’s not effective,” she said. Instead they push the fact that socially, a majority of students do not drink or do drugs. “Not everyone is doing it and you don’t need to do it,” she said.

It also works with adults, instead of “don’t provide alcohol,” it’s “join the majority that don’t provide alcohol,” she said. Adults are also targeted by Mundelein’s social hosting ordinance that was passed after the state failed to pass a law. It can cost a parent host $250 for first offense, $500 for a second and no less thn $750 for a third offense.

“Parents don’t realize that if something happens after a student leaves their home, their homeowner’s insurance is not going to cover it. It will change their life and their family’s life forever,” said Bruce Johnson, a task force member and chief executive officer of Nicasa.

Chief Rose said they had 43 arrests since the ordinance was adopted in 2009. Last year there were 31, and so far this year, there were 12. “I think that’s an indicator of some of the community’s success,” he said.