NORWICH – Illicit drug use among adolescents is on the rise, according to recent surveys conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. And in many instances, it’s giving school professionals more to worry about than reading, writing and arithmetic.

To help combat this growing epidemic, the Chenango County Stop DWI and Youth Bureau program is offering area educators a free Drug Impairment Training for Education Professionals (DITEP) workshop that will make teachers, nurses and other school professionals competent and confident in identifying drug use among adolescents.

The 16-hour training seminar will be spread over the course of two days – eight hours on Thursday, Oct. 17, and another eight hours Friday, Oct. 18. While originally scheduled to be held in the conference and training room at the Chenango County Office Building in Norwich, the number of participants already signed up for the program may force coordinators to move it to a larger location, yet to be announced.

Although DITEP training is not intended to make participants drug recognition experts, Stop DWI Coordinator and County Youth Bureau Director Kathy Clemens says it will give educators an edge in helping young people overcome potentially dangerous addictions.

“I feel that we need to increase the awareness of substance abuse among teens in Chenango County, not only in alcohol use, but also drug use,” said Clemens. “If we want to deter drug use in the county, we need to address the issue in schools, too ... this course is to help educators know the differences between the different types of drugs and the impacts they should be looking for when interviewing kids and adults who might have them in school.”

According to recent research released by the National Institute of Health, there has been a steady increase of illicit drug use among adolescents since the early 2000s. In 2012, “6.5 percent of 8th graders, 17 percent of 10th graders, and 22.9 percent of 12th graders used marijuana in the past month – an increase among 10th and 12th graders from 14.2 percent, and 18.8 percent in 2007.”

Moreover, nonmedical use of prescription and over-the-counter medicines remains a significant part of the teen drug problem, the study says. Approximately 14.8 percent of high-school seniors used a prescription drug nonmedically in 2012. Also in 2012, 4.4 percent of 8th graders, 8.8 percent of 10th graders, and 11.3 percent of 12th grader reported use of marijuana.