Teens and Drugs

Teens and Drugs

In 2003 we lost 48 children to drugs in a four-county area, 32 in Harrison County alone. Because of this epidemic, our local paper wrote several articles trying to address the issue of teens and drugs. The articles I read that Sunday morning focused on actions taken by our local school leaders, comments made by the local sheriff, and stories of families who lost their children. I read each article with great interest since I have a child who seems to feel drugs are the way to escape problems. I was trying to find answers to help my own child, but the more I read the more frustrated I became. I realized there were no easy answers and sometimes even more questions.

The first article focused on drugs in the schools and what the schools are doing to keep drugs off the campus. If drugs are found either in a locker or in a car the student is expelled from school and may be sent to alternative school. That may solve the problem of getting the drugs out of the school, but what about the child? Now he goes to another school, but who helps him solve his problems? The child is probably still selling or using, just away from the school. A band-aide is what we have used to solve the illness, not a solution.

The second article was about the random drug testing for students involved in extra activities. The superintendent of one school district says if the student enjoys a certain activity it gives them a way out. They have a reason to say no if someone pressures them to do drugs. While the principle at another high school says the threat of a drug test is enough to make them not do drugs.