School rules don’t dissuade substance abuse

*Names have been changed to preserve anonymity

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Isaia Wilcoxen, Editor-in-Chief

As you enter the school bathrooms, you notice the aroma of marijuana. Opening the stall, you see a blunt on the toilet and an empty plastic bag on the ground. This instance is just one of the illegal acts that have occurred on school grounds, and although these instances are hard to see from an outside point of view, looking closer can reveal what goes on behind closed doors.

According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 17 percent of 1,003 American students surveyed have participated in drinking, smoking or using drugs during the school day. Although this number may not seem alarming, it proves there is illegal activity going on in schools.

“I read something like this online,” Linda* said. “It could be true for Piper, but it’s not noticeable to many people.”

As a student who has participated in substance use,Linda agreed that it shouldn’t happen during school.

“Although I have done it before, I would advise against smoking or doing drugs in school,” Linda* said. “I mean, how can you focus on your education high?”

Gutierrez said that illegal substances do have their effects, which can be an advantage or disadvantage.

“It really depends on the person’s body system, because I might read and assimilate faster when on drugs while someone else might knock out and end up in the gutters,” Linda* said.

With similar thoughts, Leanne*  agreed.

“I believe it depends on the drugs people do,” Leanne* said. “There have been numerous studies of marijuana proven not to be unhealthy, so why is it bad to smoke it?”

While Leanne* has participated in the use of marijuana and Xanax at school, she said she’d take it back if she could.

“It was really scary,” Leanne*  said. “ I was scared of getting caught, which I did, and I regret doing it.”

Leanne* said the reason she participated in these activities was because of the feeling they gave her.

“I guess I felt cool doing it,” she said. “It felt rebellious, ecstatic, fun, but also scary, and it was a bad decision that I made.”

Likewise, Jane*, who has participated in the use of tobacco, feels similarly.

“It did feel great, but it had its consequences,” Jane* said.

After getting caught, she was suspended from school and the cheer team, which made her regret her actions.

“I was so scared out of my mind,” Jane* said. “I thought I would lose cheer and be off the team. Luckily, I didn’t, and I’m never doing that again.”

When hearing about students using illegal substances in school, many think of just the school building, however, “school grounds” entail more than that.

“I’m sure many students use outside of school grounds, but when it becomes a school’s problem, legalities get involved,” assistant principal John Nguyen said.

According to Nguyen, “school grounds” include all school buildings, parking lots, buses, vans and the sports complexes, as well as school-sponsored events.

“Many students forget that consequences still apply to them at school-sponsored events, like away games for sports or events,” Nguyen said.

According to Nguyen, the issue isn’t as large as it may seem.

“Drugs have not been a huge issue at Piper, but there have been a few cases of students being caught with marijuana and tobacco,” Nguyen said.

Whether illegal substances appear to be a problem, abstaining from drug use at school is the most certain option to avoid consequences.

“I got into education to see students succeed, and lots of students have had goals derailed because of drugs and alcohol,” Nguyen said. “More often than not, it starts with no intention of ruining lives, but illegal substances can make potential go unfulfilled, and I would advise not doing it at all, let alone at school.”