Maybe your time in high school hasn’t included a single party. Or perhaps it’s been a scene out of Project X—red Solo cups flying, nights too blurry to remember. Maybe it’s been somewhere in between. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, it’s almost guaranteed that alcohol and drugs have had some impact on your high school experience. We know that these substances are present among teenagers, just as they have been for generations; however, many of us avoid talking about them outside of health classrooms. With this article, Hi’s Eye hopes to delve into that conversation.
In a 2012 study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, 78 percent of teens said they had consumed alcohol in their lifetime, and 34.4 percent said they had used illicit drugs.
While these statistics don’t reflect every individual, why do teens choose to use these substances? Is it to feel good? To fit in? There’s no single reason why teens use and abuse alcohol and drugs, but rather a sum of factors which differ from person to person.
According to a 2002 Columbia University study, teens who are frequently bored are 50 percent more likely to use alcohol and drugs. Junior Keren Moncayo said: “I believe drugs and alcohol play into social scenes when people get bored of doing the same things…. There comes a point where you know everything about your friends, so you get bored and resort to [drugs and alcohol].”
Other students say that alcohol and certain drugs are desirable to use because they can have “relaxing” effects. Senior Chloe Salvato said that most students don’t use drugs to alleviate stress caused by school or family, but for the calming effects they elicit. Salvato said: “It loosens people up a little bit, making things less awkward, or conversations less forced… during social gatherings.”
Still others cite the novelty of drug use as a motivator, senior Rachel Geskin said. “Since we’re young, we like to experience new and different things,” she said. “Drugs and alcohol are very intriguing because we’re not supposed to [use them], and they elicit different effects.”
Peer pressure
Students and faculty also identify peer pressure as a factor in substance use. Director of Counseling Ms. Maureen Mazzarese, who served for many years as the student assistance counselor and has helped students through issues with drugs and alcohol, said: “Kids learn to expect that, when they get to be teenagers, they’ll do these things. And especially because it’s a social part of culture, it’s part of social activities and certain social circles.”
However, many WHS students find that peer pressure doesn’t have as much of a presence in their lives as they’ve been taught to expect. “[Peer pressure] does play a role, but not a huge one. There is of course a desire to fit in, but that has never been my primary reason, or that of anyone I know,” said senior Aidan Sumner. He added that drugs and alcohol are “everywhere” in certain social situations, like weekend parties and prom house.
Prom house in particular has a reputation for heavy drinking. Said senior Bryanna Reinhardt: “People go to prom weekend to get drunk, but it is not an effective use of anyone’s time to try to prevent prom weekend from happening.”
Salvato added that people “might feel obligated to partake in these activities due to prom houses’ reputation.” However, she said: “I don’t think that peer pressure plays a role at all… I feel as if the WHS community is extremely welcoming to all different kinds of people, so I feel like no one will necessarily be pressured into drinking or doing drugs.”
Peer pressure, however, can also be used to bring substance abuse to light and help teens get help for addiction. Dr. Susan Kaye, a school medical officer for Westfield Public Schools, said, “I think peers play an enormous role. I think the largest influence is really peer influence, so if you have a friend who you feel has a problem, you need to first reach out to them. Then reach out to a non-judgmental adult to bring it to the attention of a health care provider—I think that’s your best bet.”
School stress as a motivator for substance use
In addition to peer pressure, a large number of students say school stress is a leading motivator of substance use. In a 2007 study conducted by the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, 73 percent of teen respondents felt that school stress was the leading motivator for substance use among teens.
Freshman Alex Spiezio said: “Academics have a huge impact on drug and alcohol use…. The academics here are very intense and stressful. People feel like they just need to let go on the weekends.”
Similarly, Reinhardt said that many high schoolers, especially those who live in academically revered towns like Westfield, resort to substance use for comfort and relief from stress caused by school. Said Reinhardt, “I see drugs and alcohol taking a very large role in our school community, especially since many students are faced with severe stress, anxiety, and excessive loads of work.”
Reinhardt also broke a common misconception that all substance users in high school are underachievers, adding, “I know other students personally who use marijuana daily, and the surprising thing is, these students are very intelligent kids, enrolled in several AP courses.”
Education
In May 2014, a 16-year-old Indiana native, Sam Motsay, made the decision to experiment with a synthetic hallucinogenic drug called 25I-NBOMe. This decision cost the boy his life, according to cnn.com.
Shortly after Motsay’s death, his mother, Jeanine Motsay, spoke out about the importance of providing drug and alcohol education to high school teens. Motsay said that had her son received a better substance abuse education, he might not have made the decision that cost him his life.
The topic of substance abuse is a large part of our health curriculum. Health Teacher Ms. Susan Kolesar wrote in an email, “I feel very strongly that my role is to help my students figure out what’s important to them, not their friends, and to see how drug and alcohol use could potentially affect their values. Additionally, I try to present alternatives to have fun and/or deal with emotions and stress.”
Many students have taken note of WHS’ significant effort to teach not only the dangers of drug and alcohol use, but also how to use them responsibly. Said Salvato: “I like how they teach us because they don’t jump to the conclusion of sobriety…. A lot of kids drink, so it’s nice to know more about it rather than having them just tell us to not do it.”
Senior Mark Kudla commended WHS’ health education curriculum for its use of videos and pictures to show students the effects of substance abuse. Kudla said: “I believe WHS teaches its students to the maximum of its ability. It is very unlikely that after attending WHS a student will have no awareness of drug abuse and its effects.”
It is not only health teachers who serve as a source of support for students dealing with substance abuse. Science Teacher Ms. Judith McLoughlin said, “I wrestle with the idea of why kids feel like they need to put themselves in an altered state.”
Substance abuse education is not limited to the classroom at Westfield High School. The Dream Team, a student-run club, was started in 2007 and strives to raise awareness about the effects of substance abuse, giving students alternatives for living a drug-free life.
Junior Kyra Sullivan, who is a three-year member of the Dream Team, thinks the organization’s annual hot chocolate fundraiser is an extremely effective way of raising awareness for the effects of substance abuse. To receive hot chocolate, students must present faculty with a substance abuse fact, serving as a ticket; this reinforces the goal of getting students to see and talk about issues related to substance abuse.
Sullivan said: “We can show and learn that there are other things out there in life that are valuable and can provide the same amount of entertainment as drugs.”
Non-users
While students may choose to use drugs and alcohol recreationally, many abstain completely. Their decision is influenced by a wide variety of factors, and they’re not alone in their choice. Kolesar said, “I fully believe that use of substances can be avoided because plenty of students are doing just that.… It is a personal choice,” adding, “One of the things I hate hearing the most from people is, ‘All kids are going to experiment with drugs.’ It’s just not true.”
“Personally, I think I don’t have to participate in it,” said senior Kelsey Swingle. Swingle said that drugs and alcohol are part of the “majority” of people’s lifestyles, and that it’s their choice to make. “It’s their business,” Swingle said. However, she added that choosing not to drink in certain situations may make students feel as though they’re missing out. “There’s obviously stuff to do without drugs or alcohol,” she said. “But you are out of the main [social] scene, especially at events like prom.”
Spiezio echoed the sentiment. “I feel like people won’t not like you or anything, but they won’t invite you to things,” she said.
Because drugs and alcohol are so often social activities, said Mazzarese, this is often the case. “One of the things I heard the most from people who were recovering was that the hardest part was finding new friends,” she said. “Because drugs and alcohol are really social things, it was hard for them to find social things to do that didn’t involve substances.”
For the health and safety of our community, the conversations we have about drug and alcohol use must be open and honest, said Mazzarese: “There are a lot of issues, and if we lose focus on them, they’re not going to get better. It’s an ongoing problem.”
There are many resources for those struggling with addiction. Call the Crisis Call Center at 800-273-8255 or text ANSWER to 839863, or go to drugfree.org for more information.