The evening's panel included Dr. Charles Burgess, psychiatrist and medical director of South Peninsula Behavioral Services, also known as Homer Community Mental Health Clinic; Sgt. Tom Dunn with the Alaska State Troopers in Anchor Point; Steven Kiefer, superintendent of the Kenai Peninsula Youth Facility in Kenai; Tess Dally, clinical social worker and substance abuse counselor with Cook Inlet Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Homer; Julie Woodworth, the Kenai Peninsula representative on the Alaska Meth Project's task force; and parent Jan Mullen.

"We live in a culture that has glorified the risks, glorified drug use," Burgess said.

Addictive drugs are "opportunistic," Burgess said, They take away an individual's ability to know he or she is addicted. In the case of amphetamines, it is an especially fast-acting opportunity.

Dally illustrated that point with changes that occurred in the life of one 14-year-old girl in the three weeks after the girl tried meth.

"She cleaned out the bank account, was sexually exploited and moved out of her home. That's how meth works. It doesn't take long. Thankfully, she's in treatment now and doing pretty good, but she had to have the collaboration of all these people and the support of the community," Dally said, pointing to the panel.

Dunn's warning against meth was equally urgent.

"The thing that's concerning to me is how fast and alarmingly high this problem is getting, especially in this community," Dunn said. "We have seen a huge increase in this community, from 12-year-olds to those in their elder years. It knows no age range. It destroys everything it gets hold of. It's a community problem and it's important the community understands that."

Dunn described how individuals under the influence of meth have physically attacked him and other troopers. He also spoke of meth-users breaking into homes when the owners are present.

"If they'll attack me fully armed, what will they do to you in your house? What will they do to your kid? That's the reality of it," he said. "The community has to get proactive."

Being supportive and demanding accountability of each other are two ways adults and youngsters can be involved.

"We have to work as a community and we have to be strong as parents," said Mullen, whose son went through 15 months of rehab for drug addiction. "Parents are in denial a lot of time about what their kids are doing. I did all of that. But we don't do kids favors when we protect them."

Kiefer agreed.

"The worst thing you can do is get them out of their consequences. What a lot of parents don't understand is that kids expect you to push back, to draw the line," he said. "Don't let up. Don't give in. Hang in there."

Asking everyone under the age of 16 to stand up, Woodworth pointed out the positive impact youngsters can have on friends.

"You guys are the most powerful people in the room. You have the power to effect someone's life," said Woodworth, whose 19-year-old daughter, Bethany, died from a drug overdose in 2006. "I'd tell Bethany the solution to her problem was so simple: Don't use. But I didn't understand how strong the trap was."

Dunn urged the community to interact with law enforcement and report any suspicious activities.

"To you it might be a little thing. To us it might be the last piece of the puzzle," he said. "Call. On anything. Let us decide if it's important or not."

McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.jackinsky@homernews.com.