Valley teenagers are turning to synthetic drugs that are widely available, as evidenced by last week’s incident at Mesa High School.
Seven students reported feeling ill and were found to have high blood pressure and rapid heart rates. Four were transported to a hospital. One told police he had smoked spice.
Spice a substance often sold as an incense in smoke shops. And while the state Legislature has made moves to ban ingredients in the synthetic drug, manufacturers change the composition to get it back on the market. Like marijuana, it is most often smoked, though it does not give off the same scent.
“Groups are moving much faster than the legal system can move to change around components to still provide it over the counter,” said David Shuff, director of guidance for the Mesa Unified School District.
Shuff’s department works with students who are found to display drug behavior. On first offense, they are given an automatic five-day suspension with recommendation for a longer suspension.
But then they are also given the option to take part in the district’s Taking Charge program, an anti-drug program that must be attended by student and at least one parent. Participants must attend four workshops in a row – they are held on Tuesday and Thursday nights – before they can return to school, unless a family is referring a student to counseling or rehabilitation. The class focuses on teaching students to make good choices and points out the consequences of bad ones.
Shuff said a few years ago, the most common drug found to be used by students was alcohol. But there’s been a shift now to marijuana, he said, and spice is often classified under the same offense.
“We are seeing more marijuana than alcohol. A lot of that was fueled by spice,” he said. “Synthetic drugs have become accessible enough that it’s probably in some ways easier for a kid to get spice than cigarettes … If a kid is busted for marijuana, it was probably spice. We’re seeing it used interchangeably.”
But it doesn’t matter if it’s spice – in a “legal” form – or marijuana. The school district consequences can be the same.
“Our policies and regulations do not require us to determine whether or not it is an illegal substance if a kid comes to school under the influence,” Shuff said.
But police do get involved when necessary.
“When you’re dealing with drugs or illegal drugs, it can be a police action,” Mesa Police Det. Steve Berry said. “At the senior highs, we have school resource officers to deal with issues on campus. Drugs can be one of them. Certainly if a kid is caught on campus with any type of drug or substance, the SRO (school resource officer) will be notified and take appropriate action,” including trying to figure out where the student received the substance.
Shuff said last school year, 650 students participated in Taking Charge, less than 2 percent of the student enrollment.
“In most cases, kids who have been caught take Taking Charge. A majority go on to be successful in school and finish up. Hopefully, it was an isolated incident,” he said. Student who are caught a second time in a calendar year may be referred to an alternative school where they’ll get involved in Community Bridges’ “Project Success” program. Community Bridges offers community prevention and education as well as treatment programs in the Valley.
Contact writer: (480) 898-6549 or mreese@evtrib.com
Twin1 posted at 2:44 pm on Sun, Oct 28, 2012.
Do these kids have mandatory drug testing at the beginning of every year? If not, why not? They should also have random drug testing to deter use. If we fully care about these kids, this would have been done years ago. Also, parents need to take the time and educate thses kids. Drugs can and do wreck lives.
truthorconsequences posted at 5:40 pm on Sun, Oct 28, 2012.
What do you expect kids to do when they see "grown-ups", who are the supposed leaders of this Country doing the things they do?!! You've got a lying, deceitful administration that only wants to take more freedoms away & add more gov. regulation on their society! The gov. figures we're all ill-equipped to be a free society, to live in peace & prosperity without the power-seekers to put brakes & blinders on the masses! You think kids are stupid? They're not, but they don't see the "truth" as a driving engine among the elitist political powers we have in OUR govt.!
The young are going to rebel & govt. is going to punish!!!.....what a concept. They really know how to get it right! This is the most corrupt administration in the history of the Un-United States & the youth can see the crimes!!!
To the post above: these kids go to drugs for escape. If you try your gestapo tactics they'll (everyone) only run deeper. The laws aren't made for the law-makers, they aren't accountable!
Leon Ceniceros posted at 10:07 am on Mon, Oct 29, 2012.
Under 16 years of age = Juvenile Court for "any" drug use.
Over 16 years of age = Adult Court for "any" drug use.
ALL IT TAKES IS ONE BAD APPLE TO SPOIL A BARREL FULL.
IF A STUDENT DOES IT ONE TIME OR A DOZEN TIMES = PUNISHMENT SHOULD BE THE SAME = KIDS ONLY UNDERSTAND........."TOUGH LOVE".
American Socialist posted at 11:13 am on Mon, Oct 29, 2012.
Twin1...sorry but its not the taxpayers responsibility to make sure kids dont do drugs. That responsibility falls on the parent and the parent alone.
Leon...Yea...that makes great sense. Lock up people for putting what they want to in their own bodies. Your just another Arizona Fascist.
VofReason posted at 12:36 pm on Mon, Oct 29, 2012.
Maybe they have "pain". Perhaps if they go to one of the Medical MJ establishments, they can leave with a perscription and a bag of pot.
Bluepoet posted at 3:18 pm on Mon, Oct 29, 2012.
Mandatory drug testing is not going to find these new drugs, so that's a really stupid thing to do. You people (neocons) are reall big on keeping government out of your wallets, but it's perfectly ok to let them frisk your minds and invade every other aspect of life, right?
What most of you failed to notice, so far, in this article, is that schools aren't really concerned with proving drug use...as far as their policies go, all they need is "drug like behavior" in order to suspend a student and give him the "non" choice of going to a de-programming "class", or keep them suspended indefinitely, or, worse yet, to send them to another "special" school, for even more brainwashing. The only half decent part of the whole thing is when they make at least one parent attend the "class", with the student. That's getting closer to the problem...
The "solution" still eludes everyone's grasp, however...
Jail just provides a new source of "learning". But, it's a convenient out for those with simple minds and provincial views...