SCHOOLS REACH OUT TO DRUG OFFENDERS

Program Helps Point Kids Down Better Path

The Hall County school system has a program in place, educators
hope, that stops student drug use in its tracks.

Since 1999, the district has required students caught in offenses
related to drugs or alcohol to attend its Substance Use Prevention
and Education Resource, or SUPER 1, program.

"We want to be able to try to decrease any type of incident of
drug-related referral," said Stacy Benton, student assistance
coordinator for the school system.

The program also aims to improve attendance, grades and "feelings of
connectedness to peers and adults, and we want students to be able
to participate in positive, constructive activities," she added.

"Knowledge alone is not good enough and we've known that for a long,
long time," Benton said. "We also try to promote parental
involvement with students (who) are participating in the program."

Parents must accompany students to the eight-hour program, which is
broken down into four two-hour sessions and held throughout the
school year at Lanier Career Academy off Tumbling Creek Road and
Atlanta Highway.

Students caught with drugs are suspended from school and then
referred to the program, which they must complete if they want to
re-enroll in school, according to school policy.

A student possessing, selling, trying to sell, distributing
over-the-counter drugs or substances represented as drugs or alcohol
can attend SUPER 1 "in lieu of up to half the original suspension,
not to exceed five days," the policy states.

The program is open to students age 12-18 and a parent or guardian
must attend with the student.

A 14-year-old student talked about circumstances around his
participation in the program on the condition of anonymity.

He said his troubles began two years ago when a close family member
died of cancer.

"I've been kind of depressed since then," said the teen. "I had
other things to keep my mind off my problems, but I wanted to try
something different. That's why I bought drugs from somebody at school."

He paid $10 for less than an ounce of marijuana in the gymnasium.

"Somebody told (administrators) that I had bought drugs and they
looked on the security cameras and saw what looked to be a drug
deal," said the teen. "They called me in the office and I gave them
the drugs."

He has been suspended for the rest of this semester. School ends in
the Hall County system on May 23.

The teen wouldn't say he has learned, per se, from the experience.

"It's not so much as I've learned because I've had health class and
they teach you all this," he said. "Every video that we've seen in
(this program), I've seen before. But help with communication with
your family - usually that has a lot to do with why most people do drugs.

"There's some kind of family problem, not communicating (or)
something like that."

The teen said he feels "much better" after leaving SUPER 1. "I feel
like it's not going to happen again," he said. "For that little bit
of drugs, it (has) cost a lot and it puts you through a lot."

Under the Influence

A special report on teens, drugs, and alcohol.

http://gainesvilletimes.com/flat/undertheinfluence/