W-b Native To Help Cover Democrats 
Who: 
Tara Munkatchy 
Home Town: 
Wilkes-barre 
Education: 
1991 Graduate Of Bishop Hoban High School; B.a. In English Writing And History

Airport Awards Construction Pact

By MELANIE HUGHES; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Saturday, August 24, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A 





WILKES-BARRE -- At 15, Jason Hardiman is like many other teenagers -- he's
no stranger to drugs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Although the Edwardsville teen says he doesn't use drugs, he has been
around marijuana enough times to know that it's available to any one of his
peers. He knows people who smoke it. He knows people who deal it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Some kids won't go to school unless they're high," said Hardiman, while
shooting pool on Thursday at Guys &amp; Dolls Billiard Lounge in Edwardsville. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "If they want to try it, it's their life." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hardiman's billiards partner, Brian Pivarnik, 17, says he doesn't use drugs
either, though he seconded that motion, adding "there's nothing wrong with
experimenting." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But experimenting has gone awry, according to a federal survey released
Tuesday that showed drug use among 12- to 17-year-olds has more than doubled
since 1992 after years of decline. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The numbers didn't send shock waves through Luzerne County's social
services and drug and alcohol treatment agencies. Finally, national attention
has been given to a problem that's plagued area communities for years, they
say. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We've always been haunted by this,"said Marcia Barnes, executive director
of the Parenting Center, a division of Luzerne County Children and Youth
Services in Wilkes-Barre. "The numbers are up there, and continue to climb." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 According to the most recent statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of
Health, almost 400 youths under 18 from Luzerne and Wyoming counties were
admitted to drug and alcohol treatment programs in 1992-93. This includes only
adolescents and teens who went to centers that receive state funding. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In a 1993 random statewide sampling of ninth-graders, 31 percent reported
drinking alcohol, 9 percent smoked marijuana and 1 percent used cocaine. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The issue of teenage drug use has turned into a political football, with
Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole calling the study's findings "nothing
short of a national tragedy." The GOP is blaming President Clinton with not
having an anti-drug plan. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Rachel Kerestes, 19, of Hanover Township, thinks Republicans are partially
right. She believes the rise in drug use can be linked to the absence of an
anti-drug campaign. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I don't think it's Clinton's fault, but when I was younger, the antidrug
message was `Just Say No.' There isn't something as strong as that now," she
said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But Bernard J. Healey, professor of health care administration at King's
College, said the argument is nothing more than election-year politics. He
said government funds aimed at education and prevention have always been
lacking. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I have 23 years' experience in public health, and there have never been
enough resources to get the job done," he said. "We think the number one
health concern is heart disease or cancer. It's not. It's tobacco, drug and
alcohol abuse, all high-risk behavior that's completely preventable. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Carmen Ambrosino, who heads the Wyoming Valley Alcohol &amp; Drug Services,
agrees. He said the problem is non-partisan, and blames government for not
putting enough money into education. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The Centers For Disease Control reports that less than 3 percent of health
dollars is spent on preventions," said Ambrosino. "Ninetyseven percent goes
toward fixing problems that didn't have to happen." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ambrosino said children as young as 8 have been treated in recent months
for drug and alcohol use. The primary drug choices among children are
marijuana, crack and heroin, he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TIMES LEADER/LEWIS GEYER &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Billiards partners Brian Pivarnik, 17, forefront, and Jason Hardiman, 15,
play pool and talk about a national survey that says drug use among teenagers
is escalating. Both teens say they know people in their peer groups who use
drugs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

National Drug Survey Doesn't Surprise Local Groups Rise In Drug Use Among Area 12- To 17-year-olds Has Been Noticed For Years, Agencies Say