Drug Dealers in Schools?

Q. My sister just found out that her son has been using drugs.  His school caught him

with marijuana and cocaine in his bag.  Needless to say, my sister is distraught. He

has admitted that he first tried drugs from another student who sells drugs in his high

school. How can parents protect their children from drug dealers in school?  How

many teens use drugs?

A. You have triggered a discussion that I will answer in a three parts.  First the

incidence of drugs use among our youth.  Next how can parents/teachers

tell if their student is using drugs?  Last, what can parents/ school districts do? I

visited the US Department of Justice’s website to obtain current information about

drug use in teens.  However, we have to note that children younger than 13 also use

drugs. A study in 2006 asked youth if they had used drugs in the past 12 months.  The

results showed 66% had used alcohol and 31% had used marijuana with smaller

percentages using cocaine, heroin, and prescription drugs.  Although the numbers are

going down minimally, abuse of prescription drugs is climbing.  Self-reports of drug

use among high school seniors may under-represent drug use among youth of that age

because high school dropouts and truants are not included, and these groups may have

more involvement with drugs than those who stay in school.  Students were also asked

how easy it was for them to obtain drugs.  Easiest was marijuana (84%), then

amphetamines (52%), Cocaine (46), Barbituates (43%), Crack (38), LSD (29%), and

Herion (27%) in that order.  In 2005, 25% of all students in grades 9 through 12

reported someone had offered, sold, or given them an illegal drug on school property.

There was no measurable change with the percentage of students who reported that

drugs were offered, sold, or given to them at school between 2003 and 2005. Males

were more likely than females to report that drugs were offered, sold, or given to them

on school property in each survey year between 1993 and 2005. In 2005, 29% of males

and 22% of females reported availability of drugs. Cocaine was the most frequently

reported illicit drug. In drug misuse deaths, cocaine was among the top 5 drugs in

28 of the 32 metropolitan areas studied. On average, cocaine alone or in combination

with other drugs was reported in 39% of drug misuse deaths (range 8% to

70%).  Alcohol was one of the 5 most common drugs in 30 of the 32 metropolitan

areas and 5 of 6 States. For more in depth information visit   www.ojp.usdoj.gov for

the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

What are the signs of substance abuse?

The Teenswithproblems.com website and Parentingteens.about.com website offer these symptoms of drug abuse in teens:

Signs At Home:

a.  has gone from being a nice kid to angry all the time.
b.  is wearing all black or has become sloppy in attire

c.  has become apathetic or loss interest in life
d.  has been ignoring curfew or not coming home
e.  frequently has red eyes or has eye drops

f.  finds reasons to use cleaning supplies or smells like chemicals

g.  has a lot of cold preparations in room or schoolbag
h.  has other strange house hold items in room or school bag along with gadgets
i.   has close friends that are suspected of being drug users

j.   looks thinner but denies losing weight

k.  is eating a lot after a night out with friends

l.   questionable friends who disrespect you as a parent

m. withdrawal from responsibilities

n.   verbally or physically abusive

o.   lies

p.   stealing money or disappearance of money

q.   finding the following: cigarette rolling papers, pipes, roach clips, small glass vials,

plastic baggies, remnants of drugs (seeds, etc.)

Every day, our kids have to make choices that we, as parents, never even dreamed about when we were kids. Peer pressure is a powerful thing, and many times, our kids will reluctantly go along with the crowd and do things that they are not comfortable with and know are harmful in order to gain acceptance. However, if this behavior repeats itself, over time it will manifest itself in addiction. This can lead to serious behavioral, emotional, and health problems, with the symptoms of drug abuse mimicking attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar illness, or major depression. This can be misdiagnosed if the care provider does not know of an existing substance abuse problem.  As parents, how can we tell if our children are abusing substances? This is a question many parents ask themselves when their child is having difficulties. Unfortunately, too many parents really don't want to know the answer, because this is one subject that can be too scary, frustrating, and guilt-laden to deal with.  We must equip ourselves as parents to know the signs and not assume our children are too smart to do drugs.

Signs At School:

a.  sudden drop in grades

b.  truancy

c.  loss of interest in learning

d.  sleeping in class

e.   poor work performance

f.   not doing homework

g.  defiant of authority

h.  poor attitude towards sports or other extracurricular activities

i.   reduced memory and attention span

j.   not informing you of teacher meetings, open houses, etc.

Physical and Emotional Signs:

a.  changes friends

b.  smell of alcohol or marijuana on breath or body

c.  unexplainable mood swings and behavior

d.  negative, argumentative, paranoid or confused, destructive, anxious

e.  over-reacts to criticism acts rebellious

f.  sharing few if any of their personal problems

g.  doesn't seem as happy as they used to be

h.  overly tired or hyperactive

i.  drastic weight loss or gain

j.  unhappy and depressed

k. cheats, steals

l.   always needs money, or has excessive amounts of money

m. sloppiness in appearance

Now What?

a.  See your physician or pediatrician

b.  Consult with your clergy to assist in spiritual
and practical guidance

c.  Consult with an educational consultant to help
you find the right program for your child.

d.  Consult with a therapist or counselor.

e.  Consult with an Educational Advocate to help
you with your current school situation

f.  Consult with an Educational Consultant to find
the right program for your child.

Visit www.nationalyouth.com/substanceabuse.html and www.nationaltreatmentcenters.org for more information and help in your state.

Lisa-Anne Ray-Byers is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist who has worked in education for over two decades.  She holds graduate degrees in speech-language pathology and multicultural education. She also holds certification in educational administration.  She is the author of the books, They Say I Have ADHD, I Say Life Sucks!  Thoughts From Nicholas, They SSSay I’m a St St Stutterer, But I SSSay Nothing! Meet Kelly and co-author of 365 Ways to Succeed With ADHD.  She is the Education Editor of the Community Journal newspaper in Hempstead, NY and a member of the National Education Writers Association.  She is currently employed in the Hempstead School District.  You may contact her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by visiting her website at www.AskLisaAnne.com.

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