Parishes sponsor workshops on youth issues

YOUTH Teens spend day talking about drugs, smoking, sex

By PAT PASTERNAK- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

Teens from parishes in Columbia and Greene counties spent June 9 talking about smoking, drinking, drugs and sex.

The occasion was the first annual Day of Youth Appreciation, held at Columbia-Greene Community College in Hudson. It was sponsored by Holy Cross parish in West Taghkanic, Sacred Heart in Philmont, St. Brigid's in Copake Falls, and Sacred Heart in Cairo, as well as by Resurrection Lutheran Church in Cairo.

According to Jackie Jefferson, pastoral associate at Holy Cross, the program was developed by youth group leaders "to offer our young people an experience where they can see just how much they are appreciated and loved."

Guidance

The program was designed to help students between 13 and 17 learn how to cope with peer pressure in order to make positive, health-conscious decisions for themselves regarding smoking, drinking, drug use and abstinence from sexual relations before marriage. The program ended with an adventure course (see photos on page 40).

The teens were separated by grades for two workshops. The 7th and 8th graders met with Gary Maab, a motivational speaker on substance abuse, while the 9th and 10th graders listened to Maria Suttmeier, who presented "Not Me, Not Now," about abstinence from sex.

"I try to get it across to the kids that even though alcohol and smoking are legal, neither habit is good for them," said Mr. Maab. "At this age, these kids are under tremendous peer pressure and do not realize how they are damaging their bodies by smoking, drinking or doing drugs. I give them the results of studies and show some videos which allow them to see what the long-term effects of abuse can lead to."

Sex talk

Mrs. Suttmeier, who coordinates "Not Me, Not Now" through the Hudson and Catskill school districts, said, "We work with teens to teach them skills to postpone risky sexual behaviors."

From the minute her class began, Mrs. Suttmeier held the rapt attention of the teens.

"I want you to have sex," she informed her audience, "but I want that sex to be loving, healthy and satisfying! The way to achieve that is to postpone having sex until you are in a loving, permanent relationship, such as marriage."

She packed her presentation with statistics:

* More than 40 percent of teens will become pregnant before the age of 20;

* One-half of all mothers on welfare were teens when they had their first baby;

* 80 percent of teen fathers don't marry the mothers of their children;

* Children of teen mothers are more likely to have serious health problems;

* Less than one-third of teen mothers complete high school;

* Children born to teen mothers are twice as likely to be neglected or abused; and

* Boys born to teen mothers are three times more likely to end up in jail.

Reaction

Afterwards, Katie Giovannucci, 13, from Holy Cross parish, Elizaville, said, "I thought the workshop was very informative. I thought I knew a lot about sex, but I learned a lot more today."

Brandon Morrison, 13, Sacred Heart parish, Philmont, said, "It was pretty scary knowing that all those diseases could happen to you."

Matthew Rijo, 16, Sacred Heart parish, Philmont, noted that the workshop "was different, very interesting. I learned a lot and at one point got really 'grossed out.' I think that I might have made the decision to wait to have sex until I'm married."

(06-13-02) [[In-content Ad]]