West Newsmagazine 11-18-20

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November 18, 2020
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
@WESTNEWSMAG
WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
Heather Lopez, MD
OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY PHYSICIAN
For more information, call: 314.782.4910
Dr. Heather Lopez
provides general
obstetrics and
gynecology care. She
offers well-woman
exams, PAP tests, birth
control counseling,
and pregnancy care.
Her practice also
treats a wide array of
gynecological conditions.
Dr. Lopez truly enjoys every aspect of
her profession, from delivering babies
to caring for women throughout the
stages of their lives.
BJC Medical Group Women’s Health Care
at Missouri Baptist Medical Center
3009 N. Ballas Rd., Suite 360C, Doctors Building C
St. Louis, MO 63131
NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS.
Visit bjcmedicalgroup.org for more information
on Heather Lopez, MD, and what we are doing
to keep you safe during your visit.
© 2020. BJC Medical Group. All Rights Reserved.
“BJC Medical Group” generally refers to BJC Medical Group of Missouri, BJC Medical Group of Illinois
and BJC Medical Group of Sullivan, all of which are well-established physician organizations.
PREVENTING YOUTH DRUG & ALCOHOL USE
Local nonprofit seeks to empower parents
By BONNIE KRUEGER
In an age when drugs and alcohol are literally
available at our fingertips, “Not my
child” are the three most dangerous words
a parent can utter. The hope is that no child
will travel down the path to addiction, but
the reality is far different. With heightened
challenges because of social media, children
are faced with more pressure than ever.
According to the Chesterfield-based
nonprofit Addiction is Real, there will
come a day when our kids are introduced
to something harmful.
Founded in 2015, the nonprofit has the
sole mission of educating parents about the
dangers of drugs and alcohol and providing
them with the tools they need to take
a more proactive approach in discussing
those dangers with their children.
The group arose from a shared passion
and personal connection to addiction.
Executive Director Kelly Prunty explained
how the organization is different from other
drug and alcohol awareness groups.
“We looked at different organizations
out there and were looking for a different
angle,” Prunty said. “We quickly learned
you can’t make an addict or substance
abuser get help, but we had a burning
need to help parents. There weren’t a lot of
organizations educating parents or giving
parents tools to implement drug prevention
and awareness.”
Prunty said the conversation needs to
start with children as young as preschool.
The National Council on Alcoholism and
Drug Dependence (NCADD) reports that
kids whose parents talk to them early and
often about the dangers of substance use
are up to 50% less likely to use drugs and
alcohol.
Prunty agrees with that statistic.
“Parents can have a long-term impact,”
she said. “Kids often state the reason why
they stay away from drugs and alcohol is
the desire to have their parent’s pride and
respect.”
According to the 2018 Missouri Student
Survey, the average age of the first use of
alcohol in Missouri is 13 years old and 14
years old for marijuana use. Even more
frightening is that the use of inhalants and
illicit prescription drug experimentation
averages 11 years old. Often times the
introduction to alcohol is under the supervision
of parents at a house party where it
is deemed as “harmless.”
“The earlier you experiment the better
the chance there is to become addicted,”
Prunty said. “There is a 43% chance of
becoming alcohol dependent if you begin
before the age of 21. If they can wait until
21, then it goes down to 7%. It goes against
the idea that it’s safe to offer it in a private
environment.”
With access to an Addiction is Real
Parent Toolkit, parents are educated on
how to approach the uncomfortable topic
of drug use at every age and developmental
level. The toolkit offers advice on how to
talk with kids; identifies drugs and alcohol,
including by the names teens use for them,
and their effects; and presents sciencebased
information about the teenage brain.
Beyond the toolkit, the nonprofit is
reaching parents through a 45-minute
presentation shared in area school districts,
including Rockwood and Parkway.
Included in the program is an interactive
display called Hidden in Plain View. It
teaches parents how to recognize signs of
drug or alcohol use.
The Hidden in Plain View feature on the
nonprofit’s website (addictionisreal.org) is
startling and scary. But the group’s goal
is not to make parents paranoid, simply
aware and enabled.
“The program to me is extremely impactful
because it uses real strategies to help
parents navigate the roller coaster of teen
years,” said Parkway West Middle Principal
Anne Miller. “The focus is on talking to
your kids about this early and often. Keeping
doors of communication open is key.”
With limitations due to COVID-19 and
the need for intervention even greater due
to a rise in illicit drug use, Addiction is
Real has produced a 52-minute film that
is comparable to its in-person presentation.
The film, “Don’t Wait,” features a
Drug Enforcement Administration special
agent, a doctor, local experts and parents
who offer hope. Woven into the documentary
are comments from Addiction is Real
President Pam Greenberg, who shares her
adult son’s story of addiction.
Miller calls the movie “powerful.”
“I recently viewed it and it is hard not
to connect with the parents impacted by
addiction,” Miller said.
The documentary has gained traction
with local schools and has been purchased
for use in the Clayton School District and
by some private schools such as De Smet
Jesuit High and MICDS. Available to
schools, organizations or individuals, the
nonprofit is hoping for national reach.
“We are really hopeful and a passionate
group of people who look for every way to
provide information,” Prunty said. “Nothing,
not even COVID, is going to stop us.”
With a call for early and frequent conversations
between parent and child, the
organization’s message is clear: Addiction
is real. Don’t wait.
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