Why do students use drugs and alcohol? There are countless reasons why students use drugs and alcohol, but there are also countless ways to prevent it as well. In order to prevent drugs in schools, educators, families and students need to be proactive, the state needs to have stronger discipline, and the schools need school resource officers. It would make a big difference if these things were put into place.
Where does one begin? If schools, educators, families and students were more proactive, there would be more consistent education about drugs and the way the way they sneak in and destroy lives. Every school along with every parent must acknowledge that substance abuse is a real problem on campuses nationwide. Decreasing drug abuse among kids relies on people sending the the right message to the kids. More often than not, students need the support. When suggested that more support is needed it comes down to the almighty green back. Educators can work with others in their school and school system to review current teaching programs, and find prevention based programs for the students, this comes down to time and money once again. Prevention programs should address all of the forms of drug abuse. As of 2008 an estimated 16.5 percent of school districts had adopted random drug testing programs. In random drug testing, students are selected regardless of their drug use history. A student can be asked to provide a urine sample if the school suspects or has evidence that they are using drugs (Preventing Drug Use Among Children and Adolescents).
Parents can reaffirm their stance on drugs and alcohol even if they talked to their child about the dangers of using them. It’s important they hear the message again and again. Make sure they understand the consequences of drug use (Back to School and Drugs – How to Be Proactive in Preventing Drug Use).” Studies show kids who stay active are less likely to use drugs and alcohol. Encouraging activities like sports, school clubs or playing an instrument (Back to School and Drugs – How to Be Proactive in Preventing Drug Use). Family based prevention programs could improve family bonding and relationships (Preventing Drug Use Among Children and Adolescents). At the end of the day, teenagers need to remember that the responsibility of keeping away from bad habits and addictions mostly lies on their shoulders. After all, its their own lives that they’re protecting.
Furthermore, in the State of Oregon the the penalty for an MIP (minor in possession) is very light. A MIP is a class A violation with a penalty of presumptive fine of $440. If a person under the age of 21 is operating a motor vehicle while in personal possession of alcoholic beverages or by possessing marijuana the maximum fine is $2,000. If you receive an MIP for a second time a fine will be ordered. They will be required to undergo a diagnostic assessment. The evaluator will refer them to an information program or to a treatment program designed for counseling. They will pay for the cost of the assessment and the treatment program ordered. The sentence includes a one year suspension of driving privileges, as described above; however, there is no early reinstatement of driving privileges during their one year suspension period (Clackamas County Sheriff's Office). Some people may ask does the State need to have stronger laws for minors who get caught with drugs and/or alcohol? In an interview with Officer Aj Duryea with the Astoria Police Department, Duryea responded:
That’s a tough one. I kind of like the current system. I think it could use some fine
tuning. I’m not saying a slap on the wrist, but definitely something geared more towards
a combination of punishment and education leaning more towards education and
community service as punishment. I think if you become a repeat offender then the
penalties should be a lot stiffer. With that said, I don’t believe that should be true for all
drugs either. I think if you’re caught with meth, heroin, the harder drugs than penalties
should be a lot stiffer in the beginning. Kids are already taught a lot about drugs and
alcohol. If you still think meth or heroin is a good life choice then there could be other
issues. (Duryea)
In July of 2017, Oregon joined a handful of other states in de-felonizing drugs under the new law. Linn County District Attorney Doug Marteeny tried to convince lawmakers to drop the defelonization of dangerous drugs from Oregon legislation. He wrote “To change the classification of this behavior from a felony to a misdemeanor is tantamount to telling our school children that tomorrow it will be less dangerous to use methamphetamine than it is today (The Daily Astorian – Oregon makes drug possession a misdemeanor).” Clatsop County District Attorney Josh Marquis, who also spoke out against the idea said “possession of the dangerous drugs is now as serious as shoplifting or minor vandalism.” Josh Marquis said “felony drug possession charges often acted as leverage to steer drug abusers into treatment and drug court. We know that people don’t seek treatment until they either bottom out or they have no choice, by making it a felony, it does threaten people with some consequences (The Daily Astorian – Oregon makes drug possession a misdemeanor).” Over all, the legal framework needs to be adjusted so that the offenders receive heavy penalties.
In addition, when issues from the community follow students into the classroom, officers on site can be a great resource for school the school administration and teachers by helping to figure out how to deal with issues. School resource officers are sworn law enforcement officers who patrol schools, investigate criminal complaints, and handle law violators. While assigning a school resource officer to a school might provide a quicker law enforcement response time in case of an emergency, the original intent of using school resource officers was to have the officers be mentors who would teach the youth about safety, but their role has become more focused on crime prevention and law enforcement (A Toolkit for California Law Enforcement: POLICING TODAY’S YOUTH).” Being a mentor allows officers on school campuses to build relationships with individuals and to help guide them through the personal, educational, and social pressures that are part of being a teenager. School resource officers take part in many activities that contribute to school safety. A national survey of schools found that schools with school resource officers had significantly greater levels of law enforcement involvement compared to schools without assigned officers, the survey also found that school principals and law enforcement have different views about why schools do and don’t have school resource officers (School Resource Officers: Law Enforcement Officers in Schools).” Schools with school resource officers were more likely to report that school facilities and grounds were patrolled, safety and security inspections were conducted, student leads about crimes were investigated and arrests were made (School Resource Officers: Law Enforcement Officers in Schools).” Approximately 22% of schools reported that the main reason they did not have a school resource officer was because they did not have adequate funds yet, school resource officer programs have been encouraged by the federal government through grants provided to local jurisdictions (School Resource Officers: Law Enforcement Officers in Schools).” The CIS (Cops in Schools) program provided grants for hiring new and additional school resource officers to conduct community policing services in and around schools (School Resource Officers: Law Enforcement Officers in Schools).” Therefore, having a school resource officer in schools would not only help the problem it would also build relationships that weren't there before.
Along with the idea that drugs are a problem there are many people who feel we don’t need the extra resources. The big question is, are school resource officers the answer?