Counselor urges parents to stay ahead of curve BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer HAZLET - More than 30 percent of unplanned pregnancies occur while those involved are under the influence of alcohol and other drugs. On average, 1.5 million people ages 12-17 need treatment for an alcohol problem. Half of all people who die in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes are teenagers. For parents of teenagers, the importance of keeping their kids safe cannot be overstated. Last week in Hazlet, the school district and the Hazlet Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse took the time to present these facts and many others, and let parents know what they can do to help prevent these problems. Barbara Sprechman, director of community services for Prevention First, Ocean Township, a nonprofit agency that educates the public on violence and substance abuse, spoke to a collection of parents at Raritan High School about some of the things that propel young people to try alcohol. "Sometimes the media plays a major role," Sprechman said. "Kids see it in films and television and it becomes very glorified. It has become a huge influence on our youth." Sprechman also stressed that parents need to take the first step in letting their children know about the risks of trying alcohol and drugs for the first time. "Parents need to put on a unified front," Sprechman said. "They need to be empowered and join forces and let their children know what is right and what is wrong. It sounds basic and simple, but parents do really need to be aware of what their kids are up to." Mary Sutton, the student assistance counselor at Raritan High School, wanted parents to get the message that underage drinking and drug use is a problem that needed to be addressed by Sprechman. "Prevention First, and Barbara specifically, has gone to other locations to speak on the same topic, so we knew that she was the right person to come to Raritan and speak to other parents," Sutton said. "We have never had this kind of program here before, and I'm glad we finally did it. I hope that parents were able to get an awareness that underage drinking is an issue." Among Sprechman's suggestions were for parents to be aware of some signs of use by their children, such as having different friends and participating in different activities all of a sudden. Sprechman recommended that parents try communicating with other parents and find out what they do with their children. "Parents really need to do a self-assessment and they shouldn't send mixed messages," Sprechman said. "An underage drinking violation can affect things such as college applications, a suspension of a driver's license and increases in car insurance. None of the above are things any of us would want for our children. Talk with and monitor your teen and watch for signs of use. Those are the biggest things you can do to not have your kids become a statistic." For more information on Prevention First and its programs, visit www.preventionfirst.net.