DRUG PROBLEM:

STUDENTS SAY DRUGS ARE EASY TO GET AT RIDGEFIELD HIGH

Joey Lucisano was a typical teenager. He liked skateboarding,
listening to music and hanging out with his friends.

He also liked smoking pot.

The 17-year-old Ridgefield High senior committed suicide Nov. 14
because, his friends say, his drug use went from recreational to
something he could no longer control. His parents say they know their
son wasn't buying drugs in his neighborhood and certainly wasn't
using at home.

For Claudia and Frank Lucisano, there is only one place where Joey
bought drugs: the high school.

RHS students agree.

One senior said drugs are so easy to get at Ridgefield High, "it's
just a matter of getting word out what you're looking for."

"If you want something, you can always get it," the student said.
"Somebody is always bringing it in."

Part Of The Group

Students said much of the drug trade is "group affiliated." Teens
from different cliques supply narcotics to others within that same
group. How the drugs get into the school differs with each group.

"Since there isn't a cop there and they know the (drug-sniffing) dog
can't come into the school, no one is afraid," one student said.
"Some kids sell it in the bathrooms and some go off school grounds.
It really depends on the group or the kid selling it."

Several students said the types of narcotics available at Ridgefield
High range from marijuana to "hard-core" drugs such as cocaine or
hallucinogens. Students said they knew of little dealing in heroin or
methyl amphetamine, better known as crystal meth.

"The biggest drug at the school is pot," one student said. "That and
kids drink a lot."

Students also said the prevalence of prescription medication makes
for another type of illicit drug trade. Legal medications, such as
prescriptions for ADHD, make for a high amount of "self-medicating,"
one student said.

"If you want something, you can always find it," a student said.
"It's almost scary."

Easy To Find

Students looking for narcotics need go no farther than the cafeteria,
some students said. Teens sit at tables based on their cliques and at
least one table is "reserved" for known drug dealers, they say.

Teens also make use of modern technology. Once off campus, they can
call in orders on their cell phones, using a code of sorts to make
their deals. Teens also use instant messaging or text messaging to
get word out they are either looking for drugs or have drugs to sell.

"You never say you want to buy some marijuana or you want to buy some
cocaine," a student said. "You say you want to buy some candy or do
you have any ropes or something like that."

Another part of the code is to know the "brands" of pot or other
narcotics available. The brand names are often a password of sorts
Kona, Cheeva, Boo - that tells dealers the buyer "isn't a narc" or a
snitch.

Students do differ on how much any one teen can buy. Some students
said most deals "were pretty small. It's hard to pinpoint because
they're little deals. It's nothing big." Other students, however,
said up to four ounces of marijuana could change hands at any one
time. A rumor someone had "a pound of mushrooms" (a hallucinogen) had
cell phones buzzing in anticipation, students said.

No Fear

According to several students, most of the dealers are their fellow
students, although some are "older kids that went to the high
school." They say they know of few dealers coming in from out of
town. Instead, the in-school dealers go out of town to obtain the
drugs they sell. The students claim Mt. Kisco, N.Y., Brewster, N.Y.,
Katonah, N.Y., Danbury, and Bridgeport are favorite spots where
dealers can purchase their supplies.

Using drugs at school, students said, is just as easy as obtaining
them. Bathrooms, the parking lot or the fields around the school are
favorite spots. Because there is no police presence at the school,
students said, they have little fear of repercussions.

"The worst that can happen to you is you get suspended," one student
said. "Like it's a punishment to have to stay home."

Peer Pressure

The suicide of Joey Lucisano spurred the students to speak out. They
said they agree with his parents that "drugs are rampant at the high
school." The students say the school has "a whole lecture on
plagiarism and doesn't talk at all about drugs." They also said many
teens begin to use drugs "because there is nothing in this town to do."

While they admit to being angry and upset, the students also said
they were hesitant to bring their charges to the police or town
officials.

"Word gets around and you don't want to be known as a narc," one
student said. "Your life can be endangered but you also won't have
any friends. At the school, if you don't smoke (pot), people will try
to change you. Once you do it, then you're all right."