Neuwirth High?
By Cesar Chavez and Rodrigo Ayala
Embedded Files
A problem in the world that affects both the youth and adults equally is drugs. Of course, it's harder to obtain drugs if you're under the age of twenty-one, as the legal age to buy any recreational drugs is 21, but this doesn't mean that students don’t have access. As a matter of fact, according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics drug use increased 61% among high schoolers from 2016 to 2020. At this point, roughly 50% of teenagers have misused drugs at least once.
In the past decade, drugs have entered the school setting with much of it having to do with vapes or cannabis related drugs, and more often than not rumors pass through the hallways about who got caught, where they got caught, and if they’ll get suspended or even expelled. But why do these students even do it in the first place, how do they get access to these drugs, and have they stopped? To understand more, we interviewed some students who currently have a problem with drugs or previously had a problem.. All students will be left anonymous.
The first anonymous student has quit drugs, as they had stated they have found true peace in going to church and finding God. When the student got into drugs it was because of the media, all the news having to do with drugs kind of interested them, and it wasn't hard to get access to these drugs as there are many vendors in the area selling drugs such as marijuana, which was the drug of their choice. To the student, they stated it was very accessible. For the student Drugs did not impact their personal life to an extent. At times they also felt that they had an itch that needed to be scratched, and drugs helped get rid of that itch. Drugs also impacted their social life as they were self-conscious of people finding out their secret and judging them. This impacted their life to the point that the only solution was just to cut off people from their life entirely. Eventually, the student did eventually quit, but it came at a cost. The student had to go through a rehabilitation program that Neuwirth did assign them too, but not only this consequence but they were also forced to quit their own sport as a punishment. As of now, the student has stated that they don't need these drugs and is in a better state of mind than before.
Another anonymous student had a problem with drug use but has also since quit. Same as the first student, they found an interest in drugs, specifically marijuana. They stated that they never abused marijuana and could have quit at any time, but being able to do these drugs made them feel relaxed, less stressed, and other sorts of feelings which made them keep going. Unfortunately, he stated, he wasn't able to stop in time as their parents did find them one day High as a kite, with their parents having a big feeling of disappointment. This led to him being sent to a psychiatric hospital. When checked in, he was still under the influence of marijuana and was deemed unsafe and a danger to themselves. In the next 24-hour period they were stuck in the intensive treatment and restriction while simultaneously suffering from hallucinations. Since then the student has also quit drugs, but his lifestyle is more strict to avoid further issues
Finally, an anonymous student shared that they drink alcohol. With their story, it was a choice but also a result of influence. It wasn't influenced by their friends, not from the media or anything similar to the other anonymous students' personal stories of their drug abuse. The student was influenced by their own parents to drink. Whenever alcohol is present either at a party, on vacation, or in other places, their parents allow them to drink. The student has stated they are fine with drinking and it doesn't bother their social or day-to-day life. They aren't ashamed, they stated, even their friends know and are fine with it. The student also stated that they don't abuse alcohol and that it's not an everyday thing, but they also don't plan to quit drinking anytime soon. They enjoy it, and are fine with their life choices and decisions.
Of course, as you read these experiences and maybe even imagine what's happening to these students you won’t get inspired to do drugs but at least learn from these students' experiences with these things that could negatively affect your life and your educational career. Even here at Neuwirth, one staff member who has to deal with these students and their choices is Mr. Ayala, who is part of the Dean’s team. He had a lot to say about this situation and what these students are going through.
One student shouldn't be doing drugs, they might be doing drugs, of course, here at Neuwirth we saw a high spike of students with vapes, you know and it may have become a habit for these students during quarantine because of the free time they had. Students could hit the vape because they are at home in a safe place like their home, away from their parents, with their cameras off, feeling secure, relaxed away from everyone, but once these students returned from quarantine back into classes, that's when these students faced a problem. They couldn't do these things normally anymore which led to these students trying to find a safe place which was the restroom for most students and it's a problem, especially when these students are doing it here at Neuwirth which is a drug-free campus, and with these rules, we have here on campus.
When asking Mr. Ayala about how these students might of been influenced to take these big turning points in their life, he was sympathetic:
“But it's also to take into the fact that some kids may even have some problems at home, with communicating with their parents or other reasons we simply don't know. Drugs can be an escape from these problems, but what these students need to know is that there are resources here at school that students can take advantage of, from talking to counselors at school, to again getting resources from the school. I've been in that situation with a rough upbringing, trying not to rely on drugs and for me, an outlet was playing sports. For students who want to change their habits, a place to start is at school where they’ll offer you help, you just gotta act and change. Just know that you are not alone."
When it comes to students who are sharing and selling drugs on campus, Ayala was less sympathetic:
“On the other hand, students who offer other students drugs, I don't think highly of those people. For me they aren't your real friends. Friends wouldn’t offer something that would negatively affect a lifestyle, they wouldn't put you in this situation that can alter your life for the worse, mess up your head and your well being but of course it's the students who reject these drugs, but it's how the old saying goes, ‘Curiosity killed the cat'.”
From all of this what can be said is that if you are suffering from any type of drug abuse from alcohol, weed, vapes, or any other things similar to this, you can get help on campus, talk to a counselor, like Mr Ayala said there's a bunch of resources here that students can take advantage of, It’s only your choice to change.
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