Editor’s note: This is the first of four columns that will appear in March as part of Parent Awareness Month, an effort by The Beachcomber to support a growing community endeavor to address teen alcohol- and drug use.

By LAURA HANSEN

We all know too well that our Island community has gathered on more than one occasion to mourn the loss of a teen — a gathering when it was too late to make a difference.

Having served as a Vashon High School (VHS) Site Council representative this year, I now see, more clearly than ever, that the issues facing Vashon teens are far from easy. There is mounting concern among parents, teachers, administrators and community members about drug and alcohol use by our youth on the Island.

During my role on the Site Council, I was approached by a parent to bring back Parent Party Patrol (PPP), an organization specializing in helping parents navigate their teens through the vulnerable years of high school. The Vashon PTSA had sponsored a PPP presentation a few years ago, and it was a very informative evening for parents concerned about how to help their teens untangle the drug and alcohol dilemma facing them. The Parent Party Patrol also addressed the liability risks parents sometimes unknowingly take when they host undersupervised parties or look the other way when their teen engages in illegal activities such as underage drinking.

As I researched the PPP, however, I learned that the organization is no longer in business. Now what?

I considered throwing up my hands and saying, “Well, I tried.” But the truth is, I’ve lived on this Island for 16 years and have watched many of our teens grow up here. Like so many other parents, I care a lot. I’ve heard plenty of stories about Vashon teen drinking and drug use, and I bet you have as well. So a group of concerned Vashon community members and I have organized a Parent Awareness Forum — a gathering for parents, teachers and others who care about our youth, focused on teen drug and alcohol use on the Island.

We began organizing this forum by first asking other parents what they knew and what would be helpful to them. It is clear there is a serious problem with our Island youth when it comes to their drug and alcohol use, but opinions vary on how to deal with it. Nearly everyone we talked to was concerned. But some also seemed defeated; and as we batted around ideas, some said, “It’s been tried, and it didn’t work.”

The group putting together the forum, however, remained determined. We had to. Our children are too important to stop trying. Our hope is that with collective support from fellow parents and others, we all can learn more about what to do. This issue is much bigger than, say, potty training, something parents talk a lot about when their kids are little. Why can’t we collectively discuss how to approach these “grown-up” issues as well? The truth is, we as parents are still a very important factor in our children’s lives. Even when they roll their eyes or yell at us, they are listening. We just need to figure out what to say and how to say it.

And so, the pieces for the Parent Awareness Forum began to fall into place. PTSA offered to sponsor a forum and provide funding. Staff at Vashon Youth & Family Services said they would help. VHS principal Susan Hanson said she was 100 percent in support of a forum. Stephen Bogan, a teen drug and alcohol counselor on Vashon, offered his assistance. David Chapman, an attorney, offered to speak about the legal issues surrounding underage drug and alcohol use.

When I approached staff at The Beachcomber for assistance in getting the word out about the forum, they said they were also concerned about the issue, and jointly we decided to declare March Parent Awareness Month on Vashon.

I was both touched and inspired by the show of support. Our community cares a lot.

So during the month ahead, please look for columns from community members and The Beachcomber staff on this topic.

And please join PTSA for the Parent Awareness Forum at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 2, in the VHS library. The first half of the forum will be brief presentations from Stephen Bogan, Susan Hanson, David Chapman and a Vashon teen currently in recovery. The second half of the evening will be for questions, answers and comments.

Taking proactive steps now, such as attending the Parent Awareness Forum is preferable to waiting until it is too late. This issue makes potty training seem like the good old days.

— Laura Hansen is a mother of two teenagers and an active member of Vashon’s PTSA.