Fri Feb 10 2012
By Diane Smith
Record-Courier staff writer
Children and teens at the Community Action Council's Youth Center in Ravenna heard a sobering message last week about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.
Det. Greg Francis of the Ravenna Police Department warned children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
The event, sponsored by First Book of Portage County, also included a giveaway of books to children.
About 50 children, teens, parents and staff attended the event held at the former Boys and Girls Club on Walnut Street.
Francis told the story of a classmate of his during his days at Ravenna High School who died after attending a weekend party. He said the teen came home drunk from a party and ended up drowning in his own vomit.
"He was 17 years old, just like you, and he drowned like he was in a swimming pool," he said.
In addition to the dangers of binge drinking, legal problems and health problems later in life, a startling number of teens admit to being in a car with a drunk driver, he said.
"In 22 years with the Ravenna Police Department, I've seen 30 to 40 teen deaths that happened because of drunk driving," he said. "Those kids never should have been in that car."
As Francis went through a power point presentation, illustrating marijuana, pills and inhalants, he asked the children if they recognized any of the things pictured. When one child called out, "weed," a teen chided him, saying, "Why did you have to say weed? You could have said Lysol."
Inhalants, Francis said, are particularly dangerous because teens don't realize how quickly they can suffocate to death. In recent years, a 17-year-old boy in Garrettsville was found dead after inhaling a bottle of canned air while in his parents' hot tub. A 14-year-old boy in Ravenna had to have a lung transplant after he and his friends inhaled propane from a barbecue grill.
The case never made the media, Francis said, because the boy was never charged with a crime.
"The injury he suffered is punishment enough for him," he said. "He's never going to be the same."
He also showed the children photos of methamphetamine and cocaine in its crack and powdered form so they would recognize it and stay away.
He said he is concerned that many kids who get in trouble don't have a sense of remorse, and he advised parents to make sure they know that their actions have consequences.
"If I had a wish, it would be for more parents to hold their kids accountable instead of butting heads with us," Francis said.
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