Summer a good time to talk to teens about drugs

Thomas Healing

Wednesday, July 8, 2009 | 3:28 p.m.

Thomas Healing

Almost 7 million Americans are abusing prescription drugs today. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, more people abuse prescription drugs than who are abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, Ecstasy, and inhalants combined.

Did you know that one out of 10 high school seniors admits to abusing prescription drugs?

It's summer, ladies and gentlemen, and your kids may be finding themselves with nothing but time, and your medicine cabinet, on their hands.

Many kids — and adults — think that abusing prescription drugs is safer than abusing street drugs. I'm here to tell you that it can be just as dangerous. Emergency rooms around the country are being flooded with prescription drug overdoses and many of them are children. As a police officer, I am starting to notice a trend among the people I arrest for possessing controlled substances and driving under the influence; they keep getting younger and they are using prescription drugs more and more often.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse indicated that 2.7 percent of 8th graders in the U.S. have abused Vicodin. The numbers only grow with age (7.2 percent of 10th graders and 9.6 percent of seniors have admitted to abusing Vicodin).

How many students are in Boulder City? If we apply this statistical information to the Boulder City student population, the numbers will shock you.

Also, heroin is making a comeback among the youth in Boulder City. I'd be willing to bet that if you asked your kids how hard it would be for them to get their hands on heroin, you would be flabbergasted by the answer. We are seeing an alarming increase in young people using and possessing heroin.

So go ahead and ask your kids about drugs, get in their heads, and plant the seed early that drugs will ruin their lives.

This summer, let's talk to our kids about the dangers of prescription drug abuse and alternative ways to spend their time. Feel free to come in and watch our DVD's on over-the-counter drugs and drugged driving. Contact Pat Spero at 293-9214 to arrange.

June 26

Officer Healing stops a vehicle at the U.S. 93/95 underpass for white light to the rear. The driver has a suspended driver's license out of California and the passenger has a warrant for his arrest. Both subjects admitted to smoking marijuana earlier in the day and both are subsequently arrested for driving with a suspended license and a misdemeanor warrant.

June 26

At 1:20 am, several officers respond to the 500 block of Fir Street when Officer Salazar advises that a suspect has just run from him. The suspect is apprehended, at which time a curious citizen decided to check and see what all the commotion was. A sharp-eyed officer recognized the curious citizen as having an outstanding warrant and the subject is placed under arrest. Officer Salazar decides to issue his fleeing offender a citation and releases him on a written promise to appear. This just goes to show — don't bother the cops when they're in the middle of doing their business if you have a warrant.

June 28

While patrolling in the area of Frank T. Crowe Park, Officer Salazar observed a vehicle with a flat front tire parked in the lot at 3 a.m. Knowing the park was closed, Salazer investigates and discovers that the driver of the vehicle is intoxicated and in possession of a firearm. Salazar arrests the man for possessing a firearm while he was intoxicated and transports him to the Clark County Detention Center.

June 30

K-9 Officer Daly stops a vehicle along U.S. 93. Officer Daly observes the subject is under the influence of alcohol and arrests him for DUI, Open Container in a Vehicle, Expired Registration, and several other traffic violations.

June 30

Detectives Grasso and Wibrew track down and arrest a wanted subject in Henderson as part of the Boulder City Police Department's new "Long Arm of the Law" warrant apprehension team.

July 1

Detectives Grasso and Wibrew manage to track down and arrest two more subjects for misdemeanor warrants from the Boulder City Municipal Court. The detectives work 10-hours shifts; I'd be willing to bet if they were on twelves, they'd have gotten at least one more.

Weekly Statistics

Incident reports — 52

Traffic stops — 268

Citations issued — 196

Adult arrests — 24

Juvenile arrests — 0

Animal control calls — 95

Boulder City Police Officer Thomas Healing can be reached at thealing@bcnv.org.