How many teenagers must die, how many valuable lives destroyed before we wake up to the needs of the young people in our communities?

The scourge of drugs and alcohol, teen pregnancies, suicide and destructive behavior is taking its toll on America's youth.

A recent article published in the April, 2000 Region Nine Prevention and Healthy Communities Newsletter states that substance abuse is higher in mid-size cities and rural America than in metropolitan areas.

Quoting a report from the United States Commission of Mayors, the article stated that eighth graders in rural America are:

-83 percent more likely to use crack cocaine,
-34 percent more likely to smoke marijuana,
-29 percent more likely to use alcohol and 70 percent more likely to get drunk than students from urban areas.

Drug and alcohol use rates for 10th and 12th graders also exceeded large urban areas.

Trouble in River City

The LeSueur-Henderson area is no exception to this trend.

The 1998 Minnesota Student Survey indicated that tobacco, alcohol and drug use among 6th, 9th and 12th graders at LeSueur-Henderson School is in most cases significantly higher than the average for the state.

For example, among 9th grade boys, the survey indicated that 55 percent had consumed alcoholic beverages at least once during the previous 30 days. Statewide, 38 percent indicated that they had consumed alcohol during the previous month.

The same survey indicated that 24 percent of ninth grade boys had consumed alcohol three to five times during the previous 30 days. The statewide average was 9 percent.
Amazingly, among high school senior boys, 14 percent indicated that they had consumed alcohol on 20 to 39 different occasions during the previous month. The statewide average was 3 percent.

The survey indicated that 35 percent of senior boys had used marijuana in the past 30 days. Statewide that average was 24 percent.

LeSueur and Henderson have major drug and alcohol problems. There's trouble in River City, as the Music Man said. . . but it's not pool.

LeSueur Police Chief Bruce Kelly said, "Any of the controlled substances that are out there are also present in our community." The Chief has also noticed that the age for experimenting with drugs seems to be getting "younger and younger."

According to Kelly, the excuse most often given for drug and alcohol abuse is "we're just bored and have nothing else to do."

"The attitude," he said, "concerning substance abuse has changed greatly over the years. Receiving a citation for minor consumption of alcohol is now almost considered a badge of honor. We are working to overcome this problem and change the attitudes, but we don't seem to be taking much of a bite out of it."

Bankrupt Value System
The problems among our youth today are the product of a bankrupt value system at every level of society and the breakdown of the traditional family, among other factors. Actually, it is surprising that we do not have more problems than we do have, considering the values that are promoted on television and through other media, and espoused and modeled by governmental leaders. And there is a hypocrisy in adults who complain about "kids these days" while they themselves are merrily participating in moral decline. One major movie star recently produced a movie that he will not allow his children to see. However, it's perfectly fine for your children and mine.

The Columbine High School incident brought a shock to our system, as have other catastrophes among our youth-whether it be alcohol-related automobile accidents, teen pregnancies, or Junior and Senior High School students requiring treatment for drug or alcohol addiction.

When we hear of these things, we tend to sit up and take notice and say sometime like, "Something needs to be done about this!" But then we fall back into our normal complacency waiting to see what will happen next and wondering what they (whoever they are, the government, the schools, the police, the social workers) are going to do about the many problems among our youth.

Let's do something!

I propose that WE do something. Let's pray! Cry out to God for His mercy and deliverance for the young people of our community. Cry out for a termination of the insanity that is driving this country to drugs and drink, violence and sexual immorality. Cry out for a move of God's Spirit to open our eyes to the needs around us and to reveal what we can do to make a real difference.

Here's some suggested points for prayer:

1. Pray for a spiritual awakening among young people. Pray that God's Holy Spirit would reveal Jesus Christ to the youth of our communities. Pray that the blinders that Satan has placed on their eyes would be removed and that they could see that Jesus is the answer.

2. Pray for strong Christ-centered ministry to be raised up in our communities. We know that education, adult relationships and positive activities are part of the solution to the problems of youth, but without a spiritual dimension, any remedy will be incomplete. Everyone, including teenagers, needs to find true life in Jesus Christ in order to find deliverance from the destructive influences that are the world today.

3. Pray for healthy families. The number one asset that has been identified as necessary to prevent problems among young people is a healthy, loving family environment. Too often, families are being torn apart by selfishness, lust, drug and alcohol abuse and an inability to walk in love. The Bible provides answers for troubled, broken families. Pray that parents would make the decisions and learn the skills to raise their children in a healthy environment.

According to the 1997 report of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, "Parental involvement is critical to prevention. The more connected teens feel to their parents and schools, the less likely they are to drink, smoke and use other drugs."

Pray that God would bring healing to families and would put a desire and a in marriage partners to stay together and make their marriage work. Divorce is not the answer. It's the easy way out and generally causes even more problems than it solves, both for the parents and the children. These problems often follow marriage partners into their second, third and fourth relationships.

4. Pray for God's wisdom. Pray that parents, community leaders, school officials, pastors, youth workers, social workers and others would have the wisdom of God to bring solutions to these problems. Remember, "all the king's horses and all the king's men, could not put Humpty Dumpty back together again." However, what man cannot accomplish by himself can be accomplished by the wisdom and power of God. So often, we work and strive to solve problems, but we need to trust in the Lord to give answers to these problems and the ways and means to bring healing to our community.

Millions of dollars and all kinds of human resources are being allotted for many worthwhile projects in our community. We are building our buildings, paving our streets, and in some cases putting on a good show. The question is: how much are we really doing to develop our most valuable resource, our young people? They are the future!

What will the future be? You decide.