SCHOOLS DEALING WITH POT

PORTSMOUTH - A recent arrest at Portsmouth High School for the sale of
narcotics is a reminder that teen drug use is a concern on the Seacoast,
and Sgt. Mike Schwartz of the Portsmouth Police Department said marijuana
is the drug of choice.

There have been 14 drug arrests at the high school so far this academic
year, Schwartz said, and most have been for marijuana possession.

"We see some other things, but marijuana is the big-ticket item," Schwartz
said. "We do see some students taking other students' prescription
medications."

Barbara Porter, one of two school nurses at PHS, agreed marijuana is the
most prominent drug used among high school students, along with alcohol.

"It's known that (these) are the most abused substances at this age level,"
Porter said. "People tend to overlook alcohol, but it's huge."

School nurses play a significant role in dealing with substance abuse
during the school day at PHS. Though they are not in charge of disciplinary
action, they evaluate a student if he or she is suspected to be under the
influence. School administrators take over to determine the consequences.

"If you have a child distributing drugs, that goes immediately to the
superintendent's attention," said Kathleen Metterville, assistant principal
at PHS. "(Other students) usually receive a suspension."

At 13, the number of drug-related arrests at PHS last year is similar to
this year's number, but Metterville said that doesn't mean the amount of
drug use in the area isn't fluctuating.

"I don't think I've seen an increase in our building, but I strongly
believe there's been a increase in the Seacoast area," she said. "I don't
know if they are bringing them to school more than they have been, but they
are definitely using more, whether it be drugs or alcohol. The kids tell us
that."

Porter has also heard from students about an increase in drug use among
their peers. "Kids that I talk with say it's very difficult to stay away
from, because the majority of teen-agers do experiment with substances,"
she said. "Kids who want to stay away from it have a tough time."

Dealing with substance abuse at school is two-fold, Porter said. The
disciplinary piece is important, but the primary goal is to help the student.

"We connect them with outside counseling or rehab," she said. Staff members
at PHS team up to deal with substance abuse because, currently, there is
not a specialized drug counselor employed there.

"It's been about two and a half years since we've had a certified drug and
alcohol counselor here," Porter said. "It's not that we haven't been
looking for one; they are difficult to find." She said the school recently
received a grant and the administration is in the interviewing process of
hiring a counselor.

But Porter and Metterville both said the problem cannot be fixed by the
school alone. "First of all, we want to stress that this a community
issue," Porter said. "Students are in school a short amount of the time. A
lot of substance abuse takes place at night on the weekends and sometimes
with parental knowledge. It's a community issue we need to work at as a
community."