Show Drug and alcohol program receives new counselor Terry Dillon Dillion Staff Writer g m u a a PREVENTION prevention 1 prevention and drug awareness programs are a F p a k t r y u b y yas as f 1 id f W i 1 h f I t A If all she can talk about new drug and alcohol counselor counselor counselor coun coun- Diane Cashel says she just cant can't say enough about the urgency for drug and al alcohol alcohol al- al cohol prevention education on college campuses The goals Cashel has established established established for the upcoming school year are to create awareness that prevention programs exist and to let people who may be in trouble with alcohol or drugs know that help is available Cashel says her door is always open and that she is interested in talking about drug and al alcohol alcohol alcohol al- al cohol issues because she cares about people Cashel certainly does come across as a warm and d caring person She also seems like a lot of fun Before coming coming coming com com- ing to where Utah she now lives in Park she City was a atour atour atour tour guide for Trek America Inc well known travel agency agency agency agen agen- cy that books guided tours of America for vacationers from Europe Spending three weeks six weeks even nine weeks at a time with intimate groups of foreign travelers has given Cashel the patience timing and sense of humor needed for a successful prevention program Although her job has been beena a federally mandated program since 1986 Cashel says she would still want to do drug outreach work even if it were not provided for by law She believes in the effectiveness of prevention programs so much her entire philosophy is wrapped around it why I just keep bringing up prevention programs programs' in every context The answer to the many issues surrounding drug and alcohol abuse is always al always always al- al ways prevention through awareness she insists Cashel admits that prevention prevention prevention tion programs in the past were based on scare tactics that weren't always derived from accurate information Cocaine and marijuana were made illegal through propaganda campaigns like Reefer Madness Some of these attempts were so laughable laughable laughable laugh laugh- able that strong doubts were created Thus many young people decided that because of the exaggerated claims and falsehoods propounded by bythe bythe bythe the establishment nothing said against drug use could be believed Drug experimentation tion took off from there as users naively believed street drugs were safe Truth and accuracy are es essential essential essential es- es to updated prevention prevention prevention tion programs Cashel said and she will be using new and better methods for delivering her program to One way Cashel plans is through a drama troop that will perform skits about drug related is- is sues for example the use of anabolic steroids by athletes Anyone who would like to be part of the drama troop should contact Cashel at the College Center or call her at for more tion Cashel's education is from State University in St. St Cloud Minn where she earned a BS in psychology and a BA in criminal justice during 1979 She went on to live in Alaska became a travel guide and eventually moved to Utah because she loves to s ski kin Her American all-American natural outlook is attributed by Cashel as being due to her healthy upbringing as a farmers farmer's daughter in Min Min- She says she was even plowing at the age of 13 Her family life made the difference difference difference dif dif- dif dif- ference as did the German Catholic spiritual community in which she was raised She still keeps in touch with her she family says she has 65 first cousins all of whom she knows well and she could even tell you what they are all doing right now My training in college made me aware of how people could get involved in drugs she said She was also taught that values are learned from family friends and culture Stressors such as going back to school divorce or work anxieties may lead some people to use drugs to feel better better better bet bet- ter especially where drugs are tolerated and easy to ob ob- tain She also adds that the number one drug of abuse is a legal namely drug alcohol To boost the prevention campaign Cashel will also be creating drug awareness among faculty and staff Teachers will be urged to refer students who come to class smelling like alcohol who are arc having attendance and andgrade andgrade andgrade grade problems and who otherwise dont look too well She explains that this is because all students are important and we dont don't want them to just drop out and disappear disappear disappear dis dis- dis- dis appear because of a drug lem Faculty members also need drug awareness for themselves because no one is imm immune une to drug it abuse could happen to anyone Cashel plans to initiate an effective parenting class aimed at prevention and perhaps another course designed to promote interest among early childhood and elementary school educators in teaching young ones about tobacco alcohol and marijuana the so-called so gateway drugs I she said Anyone interested in sharing ideas about that should also contact Cashel's office Everyone is going to like Cashel From all reports she's got the energy to keep interested in her program r too |