Let's Be Real!

This morning our High School Adjustment Counselor (Mrs. Ramon) and I sat down with Jeanette Voas and Kat Allen from the Community Coalition for Teens to review the results of a recent assessment of our students. Earlier this year, our 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students participated in a survey designed to assess adolescent substance use and other risk behaviors. This survey was also conducted in 2006 – so we are able to compare data from 2006 with what was collected in 2009.

In all, approximately 75% of the students who were given the survey actually completed it and their responses provided us with valuable information. The conversation that I had today focused on what appeared to be a downward trend in students’ use of marijuana, alcohol, and/or tobacco. Most school administrators would be happy about this, but after I have had some time to digest the survey I am having different thoughts. To be perfectly honest the statement that comes to my mind is simply, “Let’s be real!”

First, this survey only reports what students are willing to say. We have to ask ourselves how many adolescents are willing to admit on paper that they have used drugs, gambled, smoked, been drunk, stolen, or perhaps carried a weapon? Second, I wonder what the responses of the 25% of students that did not respond would have been. Perhaps there are reasons that approximately 100 students chose to simply not respond? Finally, the fact that we are even assessing such things means that there is a problem. So, like I said above, “Let’s be real!”

When it comes to drug use, alcohol use, and other risky behaviors my head is not in the sand. 12.9% of our eighth grade responders and 22.2% of our twelfth grade responders admitted to using marijuana within thirty days of taking the survey. To be honest these numbers are unacceptable and any reasonable mind can conclude that the real number of students who have used marijuana is actually higher than reported. So I can’t sit here and cheerfully report that fewer of our students are using drugs in 2009 than in 2006. I have to be truthful and say that some of our students are using drugs, and that in and of itself is deplorable.

As a former Dean of Students, Assistant Principal, and then Principal I have accumulated many awful stories. For every story that I have about confiscating illegal substances and dangerous items from students during the school day there is probably one that I forgot. In the last seven years I have confiscated cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogens, pills, and heroin (syringe included) from students. Given these experiences and the aforementioned survey results, I feel that we have to step up our efforts to ensure an alcohol and drug free school.

This year, we will continue to hold evening events to keep parents in the know about teen drug use and abuse. We will continue to provide our students with the health and wellness education necessary to curb the likelihood of poor choices about drugs and alcohol, and we will continue to work with our outside partners. We are grateful for organizations such as the Community Coalition for Teens, the work of our counselors, and for whatever funding that we receive to keep our parents informed and our students safe. But guess what…..It’s not enough. In my mind, one student who chooses to use drugs is just too many.