Local facts still gruesome

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Applied released a study showing that out of all fifty states, Tennessee had the lowest rate (7.4 percent) of past year use of marijuana and alcohol among persons aged 12 or older. The states with the lowest rates of past month use of marijuana among persons aged 12 or older were mostly in the South: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. The other States in the lowest fifth were Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, New Jersey, and Utah. As great as the rating was, Chris Reppert, Youth Pastor for The Father’s House in Pigeon Forge said, “It’s bad. The kids we work with can get any drug that they want, from marijuana and prescription drugs all the way up to crack and methamphetamines.” Reppert said that she has had kids come to her and wonder what to do because their mom was strung out on Zanex or other drugs. One child asked what to do about his mother that sold drugs for a living. Reppert said that kids that she know confessed to drinking bottles of Robitussin and Nyquil. According to Reppert, a big fad not too long ago was called “Triple C’s” or “Poor Man’s Ecstasy.” Kids would take a whole bottle of Coricedin HBP for a high. As for the alcohol problem, Reppert said that kids that she deals with have been known to go to area convenience stores for alcohol. One specific kid, who’s name will remain anonymous, was not carded as he bought alcohol. Shortly after he was stopped by law enforcement authorities for a bad tail light. Only a couple of weeks ago, when the court date arrived, the teenager opted to go to court rather than just pay the ticket. When he arrived, the judge showed him six names that were on the same list as his. Those six people had died in alcohol related accidents in that short period of time. The young man and his mother were sobered at such gruesome facts.