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Seriously though, drug and alcohol abuse is an issue at basically every high school these days, public or private, affluent or impoverished, rural or inner-city. At my school district across the state, which most closely compares to a meld of Mt. Lebanon and the Fox Chapel Area (in combined size and demographics), heroin wasn't the most popular drug (though it existed--Andy Reid's son Garrett, who died of a heroin overdose, graduated some years ahead of me), but a lot of people did coke...
Over the past 10 years, heroin usage has increased 80% among 12 to 17 year olds. And it's more of a suburban problem than a city problem.
and I'm not just talking about the "poor kids" and "burnouts" (who were known for using alcohol, pot, and psychedelics). In fact, it was most preferred by the rich, popular, Type A kids, many of whom were very intelligent, high achievers that had promising futures ahead of them. In my high school, the smaller (and somewhat wealthier) of the district's two, the IB kids were the most notorious drug addicts.
This is exactly my experience. It's the kids you never suspect. The parents have a sad false security because their children are out performing other students in many ways. I was one of those parents until I woke up to go to the bathroom at 3am and caught mine getting high with a friend sleeping over. I was fortunate because I caught mine YEARS before many other parents in the district. It allowed me to be on top of things faster. So many parents are utterly clueless, especially the ones who think they are protecting their kids from it. They didn't know they had a problem until it was a BIG problem. Sadly, some of those parents are the ones who have dead children today.
I graduated high school in 2007, not that long ago, but perhaps heroin has become more popular in my old neck of the woods since then. I'm not saying no one used it in "my day" (like I said before, Andy Reid's son graduated 5 years or so before I did, and he died on the stuff) but coke was definitely more popular. It's interesting though that heroin is now a "suburban" drug. At its "peak," it was biggest in urban cultural circles--namely jazz/blues artists.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hopes
This is exactly my experience. It's the kids you never suspect. The parents have a sad false security because their children are out performing other students in many ways. I was one of those parents until I woke up to go to the bathroom at 3am and caught mine getting high with a friend sleeping over. I was fortunate because I caught mine YEARS before many other parents in the district. It allowed me to be on top of things faster. So many parents are utterly clueless, especially the ones who think they are protecting their kids from it. They didn't know they had a problem until it was a BIG problem. Sadly, some of those parents are the ones who have dead children today.
This is definitely true. My younger brother had some issues with drugs in high school/early college. Luckily, he mostly stuck to pot, so he was able to eventually break the habit with a bit of self-imposed "willpower." But for a while, getting high was pretty much his only goal in life. Many people are are capable of using marijuana responsibly, but many others cannot (though not nearly to the point that it should remain illegal like crack or acid).
I was actually amazed that in October when my then 13 year old was given a script for percoset when he had his appendix taken out. He took just one pill and we threw the rest out. He actually didn't want to take any but that first night home we gave it to him for the pain. We have drilled into our kids that as adults they can do what they wish but until then they have to do what we advise.
I was Fort Knox with prescription drugs. Even when my son's friend lived with us at 18, I took control of his medication after he had surgery. He might have been a legal adult, but he was living in my house!
I don't even understand why people like that oxycodone stuff. Have you ever had it? It makes me sick as a dog. Opiates have never agreed with me. I remember after surgery having to push the button for morphine. Every time I pushed it, I threw up. I felt like a rat in an experiment, eventually I quit pushing the button and put up with the pain.
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Originally Posted by okaydorothy
Some of their friends in middle school are dying to go to high school parties.
It's not high school. It's middle school. Trust me. Middle school is when it starts. I first got high in 7th grade. In 8th grade, I got high everyday on the bus, in the bathrooms, at the tennis courts. I quit the summer before 9th because I really didn't like the way it made me feel. I caught my son in 8th grade. He told me later he first smoked marijuana over a year prior at a sleep over at a friend's house. (That friend's mother was very responsible and attentive too.) So nothing has changed throughout the decades, except back when I went to school nobody was foolish enough to do heroin.
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Originally Posted by okaydorothy
Hopefully we will get thru these high school years
One way or another, you'll get through it. It's middle school through 10th grades that are the worst. By 12th grade, they're pretty level headed and mature. The kids who are overly oppressed by their parents go wild at a later age though.
It's interesting though that heroin is now a "suburban" drug. At its "peak," it was biggest in urban cultural circles--namely jazz/blues artists.
When I was growing up, we truly believed we'd end up a junky in a gutter after one try of heroin. My children tell me the problem was with drug education in the schools. They covered every single drug except prescription drugs. It's the prescription drugs that hook people on heroin. They get addicted to those pills, and they can't afford the pills with addiction so they switch to heroin because it's cheaper.
Oh, I have an afterthought to my previous post. They aren't getting addicted via the family medicine cabinet. I was just paranoid in that regard via being Fort Knox. There's not enough in one bottle to addiction make, well maybe if they know to snort it from the start, not sure. Regardless, I just wanted to clarify that they're buying the pills on the streets.
I suspect the city kids aren't getting into heroin because they can't afford the gateway drug pills. My son said the poor kids were the least likely to be heavily using drugs because they didn't have the money. So heroin is probably the suburban thing now because the pills to get addicted to opiates are super expensive.
Most kids don't set out to try heroin. They stupidly get addicted to those pills. Then they move onto heroin to get their fix.
I would like to add that this is not just a boy thing. At the program Where i served as senior therapist, females (late teens and early 20's) were close to 50% of the admissions for opiate dependency. Overall suburban parents are incredibly ignorant to the drugs in the schools. And I have seen many schools purposely keep under wraps problems that they had.
And benzodiazepines are a increadingly a huge and deadly issue as well. They are often used in combination with opiates.
I hate to break it to you, Hopes, but your crusade against marijuana in particular is going to be unsuccessful. When you have two states now legalizing it with other states now thinking "Gee! They did it, now we want to do it, too!" you're going to see an uptick in pot usage, whether you like it or not. I personally don't partake; however, just about all of my colleagues, friends, and professional superiors here in Pittsburgh either have smoked weed or continue to do so. I smell it strongly emanating out of the front doors of a lot of our clients' homes here in the East End. I hate to say it, but marijuana will probably be legalized in PA before same-sex civil unions are.
P.S. Thanks for the laugh, as always, h_curtis, with your insinuation that drugs don't exist in Fox Chapel.
When we are with our kids we ask them if they want to talk about sex or drugs!! Its always drugs they talk about but not about taking it. We ask probably too much if they have drugs at school ; so far the answer is always no, but that their friends brothers smoke pot. One son has said that at football games there is an availabilty of drugs at a certain area. So far with our kids so good, but they are only 14 and 13. We keep the conversation open about drink, drugs and say that you know why we bought a house with woods ; if you are caught by us doing anything like drugs in high school, we will start digging. They have seen differences in my friends kids who smokes and the lack of ambition on him.
I actually like the smell of pot, but dont do it. Wine is my thing.
When we lived in NY, the big problem in the high schools ; and I am talking about upper crust high schools, was that the kids were buying $5 bags of pot, but they were laced with herion. So the kids would get hooked on herion faster. Also because mum n dad would give these kids $5-$10 a day for lunch, guess where the money was going.
I am drilling into my kids that they need to do sports a lot so they dont get bored. Even at their school, my son has said that there is a certain area in the high school that you can get drugs at football games.Needless to say that my kids are into sports, and if they are not at training or a game, they are at home with us.
Let me reiterate what Hopes said about sports. Drinking is very popular in certain sports. Sometimes the coaches drink with the kids! Some cheerleaders at my kids' school got caught snorting coke in a restroom.
I hate to break it to you, Hopes, but your crusade against marijuana in particular is going to be unsuccessful.
I don't have a crusade against marijuana! Quite the opposite! I fully support legalization of it! I'm only sharing marijuana because parents stupidly think their kids aren't even doing that. I think part of the reason I was lucky my kids didn't do anything else but smoke marijuana is because I eventually said this is the line. I tried at first, because they were so young, to stop it. When I realized that I couldn't control that, I decided to chose my battles. If I made a big deal about marijuana, they wouldn't hear the seriousness of other drugs.
But I am on a crusade about hard drugs in suburbs because so many of my children's childhood friends are addicted to heroin and quite a few have died. Since my children are young adults, I've been through it and saw how it happens via their friends and acquaintances. My goal is to spread the word to parents with younger children so they don't have their heads in the sand. I also want suburbs and school districts to acknowledge the pill and heroin problem instead of sweeping it under the rug because nothing is going to get accomplished hiding it.
When we are with our kids we ask them if they want to talk about sex or drugs!! Its always drugs they talk about but not about taking it. We ask probably too much if they have drugs at school ; so far the answer is always no, but that their friends brothers smoke pot. One son has said that at football games there is an availabilty of drugs at a certain area. So far with our kids so good, but they are only 14 and 13. We keep the conversation open about drink, drugs and say that you know why we bought a house with woods ; if you are caught by us doing anything like drugs in high school, we will start digging. They have seen differences in my friends kids who smokes and the lack of ambition on him.
Based on what you shared, it's likely they have already tried marijuana or will try it very soon. "Only 14 and 13" is key. I caught mine in 8th grade, that's 13. He said he had first smoked it over a year prior. That are not too young. The fact drugs is what they are talking about most is because it's really on their minds. But don't believe for a minute what they tell you. They tell you what you want to hear. Communication is key, but you'll know you're having real communication once they share the truth. How you handle the truth will determine if you have future open communication or if they clam up permanently.
For example, when my children told me that they and the neighborhood kids put beer in soda cans over at the neighbor's house the day after the neighbor had a 4th of July party, I didn't freak or punish. I just asked what they thought. They thought it was gross. Beer mixed with soda sounds gross to me! So think seriously about what you will cause you to start digging in the yard. They will experiment and your line needs to allow that somewhat so you can preserve communication in the future.
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Originally Posted by okaydorothy
I actually like the smell of pot, but dont do it. Wine is my thing.
I love the smell of it un-smoked. I don't like to smoke it, but if I'm around someone who has it I always take it and smell it.
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(like I said before, Andy Reid's son graduated 5 years or so before I did, and he died on the stuff) but coke was definitely more popular. It's interesting though that heroin is now a "suburban" drug. At its "peak," it was biggest in urban cultural circles--namely jazz/blues artists.
