Pubdate: Sun, 15 Jun 2008
Source: Pembroke Express (MA)
Copyright: 2008 Clipper Press
Contact:  http://pembrokexpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4793
Author: Robert McCormack
Note: Robert McCormack is a junior at Pembroke High School.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?228 (Paraphernalia)

BLUNT TALK: IS HIGH SCHOOL CLASS GOING UP IN SMOKE?

In a high school where nearly 26 percent of the student body smoke 
marijuana, per the results of the Southeast Centre for Healthy 
Communities, the idea that nearly 62 percent of polled students felt 
that Pembroke's new bylaw cracking down on the trafficking of drug 
paraphernalia was unfair should come as no surprise. Yet, as I look 
over the results, it hits me as truly startling that so many teens, 
especially boys, seem so against this law that is supposed to be 
protecting their health and safety.

In the waning days of April, Pembroke voters narrowly approved a 
bylaw that effectively banned blunt wrappers and rosebud pipes, 
deeming them drug paraphernalia, thus shunting them away for local 
business. While some establishments, such as Brennan's Smoke Shop, 
rallied against the bylaw, claiming it was designed simply to ".put 
[Brennan's Smoke Shop] out of business." the majority of voters, 
including Selectman Arthur Boyle, saw the bylaw as a way to "... 
[Make] parents aware." of the rampant drug use in the teenage community.

In theory, the idea of outlawing anything and everything that could 
possibly be used to ingest "illegal substances" sounds good, but if 
you really take the time to think about it, simply subtracting a part 
of the equation doesn't automatically solve it.

On one hand, you have Brennan's Smoke Shop, a legitimate business 
providing a service to a target, and presumably adult, audience. 
Blanketing them with this muddled bylaw is effectively going to drive 
them out of business, which is by all means unjust and unfair 
considering that they are supplying a need in the community. One 
could argue that shutting down the smoke shop would drastically 
diminish the chances of underage teenagers getting their hands on 
said drug paraphernalia. With that, however, comes a whole new factor 
of consideration: the teenage element.

The teenage element is the defining core to this mess of an argument. 
When all is said and done, the bylaw exists simply to cut down on the 
ongoing drug problem in the Pembroke community and make it harder for 
teens to acquire illicit drug "materials". That said, has there ever 
really been an effective way of preventing adolescent drug use? It's 
a sad, hard fact that if kids really want to light up a joint, they 
will find a way to, no matter what. Be it a friend, a cousin, or a 
father, there will always be an enabler.

Simply look at the results of a poll of 100 average teens surveyed at 
Pembroke High. More than one half argued against the bylaw, saying 
that it would be just as easy to get a hold of a pipe or rolling 
papers with or without the law in place. Dig deeper, however, and 
you'll find a stark contrast from student to student. The majority of 
polled female readers felt that the bylaws are ".better for us in the 
long run, as it will help refrain from getting into trouble." On the 
flip side, most of the questioned teen boys had surprisingly negative 
views on the bylaws.

In the end it's as simple as this: Bylaws or no bylaws, most surveyed 
students, including a majority of boys, feel that it will be just as 
easy to get roach clips, rolling papers or any other assortment of 
drug paraphernalia.

Looking back, from crowded town meetings to the classrooms of 
Pembroke High, this entire mess really strikes me as disturbing. You 
have students whose primary concern is getting blazed on a Friday 
night and the stuffy town officials who believe banning everything 
this way and that will solve the problem. You have alarming town 
statistics and a business suffering the consequences of this 
crackdown. No one, and I mean no one, is benefiting from this.

So the question I pose, as a high school student watching his class 
go up in smoke, is this: what do we do now as a community to really 
stop the problem? It's tough, there's no doubt about that, but 
consider this: appeal to the long-term consequences but on a scale 
our youth can relate to. Tell them the truth about the effects of 
marijuana, but don't tell them no. Make sure it's their choice, so 
that if someday they do end up in the hands of the law, it's their 
fault and their fault alone. It may not be the most aggressive take, 
but with everything else that has been done and failed, this could be 
our final option.

Robert McCormack is a junior at Pembroke High School.
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