AN ESCAPE FROM REALITY

Some High School Students Encounter Few Obstacles To Using Drugs, Drinking

Next Generation: Teen, Drugs And Alcohol

Students at New Prairie High School who do drugs have no problem supplying
their habit.

An 18-year-old senior who smokes pot regularly said, "I know people I can
get it from, and (those people) almost always have it.''

The fact that marijuana is illegal does not seem to bother him.

"They may as well make it legal, because I can get it,'' he said.

An 18-year-old senior girl said when she and her friends buy alcohol, they
are never carded.

Another 18-year-old senior girl said alcohol is easy to get, even for those
under age 21, because there is always a way to get it.

"You have older friends that will buy it for you or you know someone else
who has an older friend who will buy it for you, or even siblings.''

Time of year affects how much access teens have to alcohol. Typically, the
weekend is when teens drink during the school year.

According to one student, "Summer is the easiest time to get alcohol''
because older friends are home from college.

Many of the students interviewed for this story said alcohol is a big part
of their lives, a behavior they're likely to continue through college.

Reasons Vary For Why They Begin Using Alcohol And Drugs

Some students started drinking because of pressure from friends, but others
"just wanted to try.''

An 18-year-old senior, who started drinking the summer of her junior year,
said seven of her 10 best friends drink. One senior, 17, started as a
sophomore for social reasons.

"It was a good way to meet new people,'' she said of drinking.

Mary Skelton, former director of a residential drug program in South Bend,
said, "Probably the number one reason why kids start drugs is peer pressure,
more than stress or anything else.''

Friends, and the talk about how much fun drinking is, influence teens and
their decisions to drink.

One student said when he started drinking at age 14, it was with his friends
because it seemed like a good idea. Another, who also started at age 14,
said he started drinking "to see what all the hype was about.''

Pressure from family is another reason why teens start to drink. One senior
said he grew up around alcohol. His father used to drink, and even his older
siblings would pressure him to drink.

Another senior didn't start because of "tension'' or curiosity. He said, "It
promotes my self-esteem.''

New Prairie guidance counselor Beth Tonsoni said students first try drugs or
alcohol because they are trying to get away from something they don't like
in their lives.

"Ultimately, using both (marijuana and alcohol), they are escaping and
running away from something in their life.''

Some See A Problem, Some Don't

Most students interviewed did not think that drinking was a problem at New
Prairie when compared to other schools. A senior acknowledges that even
though there may not be a problem, there are students who drink excessively.

Two senior boys commented on the number of parties, specifically on
weekends. During the week, they did not see a problem.

"(There are) no kids coming to school hammered,'' one said.

One student said he believes there is a problem with drug use at New
Prairie. But he thinks parents should handle any problems, not the school.

Many students said although they smoke marijuana, drink alcohol or pop
pills, they aren't addicted.

They insist they can quit if they want. But a senior girl who rarely smokes
marijuana said, "I'd definitely think there are some people that have a
problem with marijuana and go overboard.''

One student admitted he smokes marijuana "three to nine times on a daily
basis.'' He said it is usually a "sustained high,'' but he doesn't think he
is addicted. He did admit that he spends between $50 and $100 a week,
"depending on whether there's going to be a party or not.'' He also said he
regrets his habit when people notice that he is not the same.

"If someone at work says, 'Are you high?' then I kind of feel guilty,'' he
said.

A junior girl seemed to think drugs are not much of a problem; she just has
bad luck. "Every time I smoke pot, something bad happens,'' she said.

Some Students Think It Is Possible To Be Under Control

Most students view their drinking habits as under control and insist they
are not addicted.

"I could stop any time but at the moment (I don't want to),'' said a
15-year-old sophomore. He said there was never a case when he would have
"died'' without it, but whenever he has access, he likes to drink.

One 16-year-old sophomore said he drinks approximately twice a month,
usually at home. Still, other teens said drinking is more of a social thing
and that they drink with friends just to "have fun.''

An 18-year-old senior said when he would drink with friends it was never his
goal to get uncontrollably drunk; he just wanted to drink a few. But another
student said she thinks it is easy to nurture a habit.

"When (someone) start(s) out, they're in control. I don't think it takes
that long to lose control.''

Another said it is very possible to be under control. She said, "I have done
it and had it under control. I could be around people that smoke pot and not
feel the need to do it.''

There Are Consequences

Many students said getting caught isn't a problem. Most said they will never
be caught in the first place, and if so, it isn't that big of a deal.

One student said he knows the consequences of his actions and is willing to
take whatever punishment comes. He won't lie to get out of it.

Counselor Tonsoni said, "There are consequences within the school and there
are consequences within the community.'' When New Prairie catches a student
with drugs, they are automatically expelled, she said.

Depending on how serious the situation is, the student could enter the court
system and perhaps have a probation officer who gives drug tests
periodically. Other outcomes include fines or community service.

Some Students Quit Drinking Or Smoking Marijuana

A student was caught drinking by his parents. They warned him not to drive
after he had been drinking and not to let any "stupid things'' happen while
he was under the influence.

Mostly, he has minded his parents, but a time or two he has driven a small
distance to get home -- while drunk. He has stopped drinking completely,
after he got a little too drunk and made a fool of himself at a friend's
party. However, he admits that he had a little alcohol on New Year's. Since
then, he has been clean.

A 15-year-old sophomore also used to smoke pot. He said, "I got in trouble;
haven't done it since.''

The effects of the drug were also a reason for his quitting. He said, "I was
really paranoid all the time (and) I didn't talk to my parents for weeks at
a time.'' He is into many sports that he likes to spend money on, and his
smoking marijuana cost too much for him.

"It was a waste of money,'' he said.

Does Anti-Drug Education Work Past The Elementary Level?

Throughout their school years, students have heard speakers, and seen
programs and posters dealing with drugs and their dangers. Drug awareness
programs taught at the elementary school level have been labeled by many
teens as "not effective'' for kids later on in life.

One student won an essay contest sponsored by one such drug program, and
read his essay at some of the local schools. Ironically, this essay winner
is now involved in drugs. Another student felt that the purpose of these
programs is to "give the police department a better name.''

He acknowledged that the programs are effective at keeping younger children
away from drugs for awhile. One senior girl agrees that these programs work
in elementary school, but not well beyond.

"When you get older, you are going to do it and try it anyway,'' she said.
"It all changes when you get older and more curious."

Another student said, "I think the school is wasting its time" on programs,
agreeing that they have little value for high school students.

"Kids are going to do what kids are going to do,'' he said. He mentioned
that having more programs in junior high and bringing in previous addicts
might help.

One student said drug prevention should not be the school's problem.

"Let the family deal with it,'' he said. "All this stuff they are doing
makes me hate school even more.''

The D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Program has been active in
the New Prairie School Corp. for years. Larry Brown with the New Carlisle
Police Department said any program that helps teach students about the
dangers of drugs is good, but at the same time, he recognizes its faults.

"Is it something that is going to be 100 percent effective? No,'' Brown
said. "Its effectiveness isn't something that is measured easily.''