Nah it's always been a thing.

Yup, in many schools it doesn't happen or is very rare.

Only once or twice.

Do you really think kids don't realize drugs are bad?

Yes, same way we prevent crime, drinking, etc. Teach them right from wrong, and create a society where it's unacceptable. If they even consider it, then the parent has already failed.

No kids at my school trade drugs. There are the odd 2 who will bring a tiny bit of drugs to school but just to show off. Those who do sell things either sell drinks, chocolate, crisps etc. .. (like a shop) or some sell cigarettes.

As far as the media goes...yeah. The media -_-
My school does have punishments if you are to bring that stuff into school and police will be informed. The police do actually come to school to talk with those kids caught with drugs. As far as teaching goes. Don't teach your kids to not take drugs, teach those who have drugs to not give them to kids.
One major way to stop kids from doing drugs is to add CRUEL punishments for kids who are caught with drugs.

Well I live in a really bad city with a terrible High School. I'm sure our city has one of the largest heroine epidemics in my state. Kids probably do know drugs are bad but a lot of them still try them. Trying to teach kids and making it unacceptable in society is a fairly hard thing to do considering kids don't listen very well. Plus, lots of kids parents are the ones who they found out about drugs from.


@Kradel

For my school the punishment for bringing drugs is a few days in in-school suspension. That's really it. I feel like they are enabling them to do it and basically telling them there aren't any consequences for your actions.

It's all about the age,you don't have a work,you can but you're too lazy. Selling drugs it's easy and getting them it's even easier. There are no requirements for this "job" that involves fisical effort or the intelligence so everybody can do it. Young guys are atracted by those kind of things,you can't change the world.

In my 3 years of high school I've learned something.
My school is almost 100% dealers.

My school makes you go to a counseling session that everyone sleeps in, probably because they realize we're just going to keep doing it.
Only 1 guy has been arrested, but he was back for his like 4th year dealing making easy money so yea.

Geez.

I graduated High School in 1996 and plenty of people did/sold drugs at school back then too.

I'm sure I could ask even my parents and get a similar answer.

Yep. It was common in my highschool as well.


It is possible to at least diminish this from happening at certain places.

Of course, it's highly dependent on the context of the place you're considering.
If your highschool is in Spain, which is a known point of entering of drugs into Europe, there is a higher abundance/lower price of cannabis/hash so it isn't that surprising if it's more common between young adults.
That comparing it with Lithuania for example, where people are poorer and cannabinoids are more expensive, consumption is considerably lower.[1]
So yes, it isn't impossible to believe that there are highschools where drugs are a completely abnormal thing.


As for the methods being used right now to tackle the subject amongst young adults/teens, I can only speak for personal experience, but they aren't nearly as well thought out as they should be.
You might have some lectures telling you about how drugs are "bad bad things", using heroin as an example, homeless junkies as a stereotype, chronic effects to scare them, amongst a ton of other things that are completely detached from the "kids'" reality.
What 17 y.o. would be able to identify himself a full-on heroin addict? Or that kind of stereotypical junkie?
"Plus, it's an old fart telling you all of that shit, fuck it, he doesn't know anything." - I'd bet at least half of my highschool had this exact same thought during some of the lectures we had, and understandably.


Yes, there are proper ways to reduce drug use in our age group.
A lot of the ones with the most impact depend on the country's/region's context and people in charge, which can make you feel pretty powerless and that this is just another pointless discussion thread. and surely that's what this actually is
Considering the small chance that one of you wants to actually do something though, because you're that conscious (or aware that a boost to your curriculum/getting nice contacts always comes in handy), there are initiatives you can be a part of.

As an example, there is a project called "Boomerang" between my faculty and a ton of highschools in the country, where a student from the faculty returns to his old highschool to give a short and proper lecture to small groups of students (30-40 "kids") about drugs or sex.
By "proper" I mean a lecture given by someone with a very similiar age to the highschoolers' age.
Someone who actually knows the reality of the students in that highschool and speaks in a semi-informal way to them.
Telling them about cases that they can identify themselves with (not something about heavy drugs which realistically aren't the problem for most teens).
About actual problems that can happen even with a single or few tries, like someone selling you something that isn't the drug they say it is and acute intoxications deriving from that.
I don't have any statistical evidence to support this, but it has been in action here for years and overall feedback from highschoolers is great. You won't change much but can have an impact on some.

If there isn't something like this in your area it might not be that hard to set it up.
Students associations from health-related faculties can somewhat easily put this into practice, you only need to try to contact them directly with the idea. Or even tell your Biology teacher or the sorts of it that seems competent.
Worst case scenario they won't like it and forget it the day after. With a bit of luck though it might get you a better grade, or help starting a nice project that will look sharply when you apply to college, or even with a ton of luck you'll have some sort of positive influence

Doesn't hurt to try and not be a lazy keyboard warrior.




[1]Some easy to read sources and you can even look for your own country's data which can be interesting:
http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/countrie...eets/lithuania
http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/countries/data-sheets/spain

Also something for USA people:
http://www.drugabuse.gov/sites/defau...ographic_f.pdf
http://teens.drugabuse.gov/

I'm pretty sure people do and you just don't know because they don't tell everyone.

So if my kid gets caught with some pot, simply because he's influential, confused, being peer pressured and it's the latest trend that gives me an excuse to beat him?
Hardly sounds reasonable. I doubt you would want that happening to you, why would you inflict it on others?