Parent Involvement

Eliminating High School Drugs

Drugs in high school. It's not something new to hear. But, why does teen drug use in high schools increase each year? The answers are simple: insufficient drug awareness, inadequate security in schools, and little parent involvement. In order to decrease drug abuse from teens, it is necessary to eliminate and prevent drugs first. (http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/764577.html)

One of the major issues high schools are faced with is drugs. More than 60 percent of teens said that drugs were sold, used, or kept at their school (http://www.teendrugabuse.us). Drugs can be defined as marijuana, crack, cocaine, weed, ecstasy, and steroids. Since drugs are illegal, students should not be carrying, let alone using these drugs on school grounds. Many people are affected by students using drugs in school such as parents, administrators, and the students themselves. (Addictions and Problem Drug Use- Mick Bloor and Fiona Wood}

The first solution to eliminate drugs is to increase drug awareness. Although there are some schools that have drug awareness programs, such as the Drug-Free Club, it may not be enough. By awareness, it means "to know". In most schools, most of the information about drugs is learned in Health classes. Instead of just learning about drugs in Health classes, additional classes should include information about drugs and its negative effects.

Another way to increase drug awareness to students is to bring guest speakers. Guest speakers should be people who have experienced real-life drug-related issues. That way, they can tell the students how much of a negative impact it made in their lives. By talking about real-life experiences, this can decrease teen drug use. In addition to guest speakers, schools should invite more professionals who have knowledge on drugs such as doctors, teachers, and nurses. By maintaining public awareness on the dangers of drugs and preparing professionals to implement and advocate anti-drug strategies, it will definitely have a positive effect on students. (http://www.prevention.org)

Along with increasing drug awareness in classes and bringing in guest speakers, another way is giving students pamphlets and brochures about drugs. Pamphlets can be found in an office or hallway waiting to be grabbed. If a pamphlet about drugs were just there for show, then not much effect about drug awareness can be done. There would also be no purpose of making and issuing the pamphlets. But, if people just handed it out to students and tell them how important it is to read it, drug awareness can be increased. (http://www.prevention.org)

The next solution to eliminate and prevent drugs in schools is to have a drug-free school. In order to have that, schools should have absolutely zero tolerance to students using drugs in school. Random searches of drugs should be held in the morning when students arrive to school. It can be once a week or two to three times a month. Because schools are limited to money to pay high profile security guards, the staff, such as the aides, should be checking each student and their bags to see if they are in possession of drugs. Since time may be an issue, especially to those students who are not in possession of drugs, the police task force can help out and give their time to schools.

Besides having a drug-free school, the most effective way to eliminate drugs is parent-child communication. . According