School officials pledge to battle eating disorders

Jessica Garrison

NEWPORT-MESA -- The prevalence of eating disorders and the use of

Ritalin as an appetite suppressant among some Corona del Mar students are

“cultural” and “societal” issues, school officials said Monday.

And, officials said after a Daily Pilot special report Saturday, the

district must do everything in its power to help students overcome such

issues. Ritalin is an amphetamine-like substance commonly prescribed for

attention deficit disorder.

School board president Serene Stokes said she thought the Pilot’s

report, which ran Saturday, “wasn’t necessary” and “gave too much

attention to the wrong kids at school.”

But, Stokes added, she wants school officials to work with parents to

address the problem.

Stokes said she plans to meet with Supt. Robert Barbot and Corona del

Mar Principal Don Martin to discuss the issue.

Stokes also suggested that, if an unhealthy competition over

appearance among girls is contributing to eating disorders, parents,

students and teachers could “think about uniforms.”

Martin could not be reached for comment Monday.

Lynne Bloomberg, who directs the school district’s drug awareness

office, called for parents to learn about the counseling resources

available to them and their children.

“We have some excellent people on campus,” she said, noting that

Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor High schools both have part-time drug

counselors as well as counseling interns who can work with students on

personal problems or provide referrals for professional help.

Bloomberg also said she spent the weekend educating herself about

Ritalin, and she plans to write an article about the drug and its

potential for abuse for the PTA newsletter.

But, she added, the school district, which she said has a lower rate

of drug abuse than most other districts in the country, cannot be

expected to solve the problem.

“We are a school. We have to be educating kids,” she said. “We aren’t

a treatment program. Parents can’t expect that the schools provide

everything they need. We’re not raising them.”

School board members Wendy Leece and Dana Black echoed these comments,

noting that the problem is societal and cultural, and not of the school

district’s making.

Nevertheless, both said they hoped school officials, by being aware of

the problem, could find ways to help students better.

“I would like to see ongoing meetings, not just about Ritalin, but

about Ecstasy, and other drugs,” said Black, noting that she does not

believe all students understand how dangerous drugs can be.

Black also called for more avenues for students to express themselves,

such as art classes. And she would like to see meetings between teachers,

principals and student leaders about campus issues.