Pubdate: Wed, 14 Dec 2011
Source: Summit Daily News (CO)
Copyright: 2011 Summit Daily News
Contact: http://apps.summitdaily.com/forms/letter/index.php
Website: http://www.summitdaily.com/home.php
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/587
Author: Wade Rosko

DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE A PROBLEM AT SHS

Re. "Use vs. abuse" by Jeff McAbee, opinion, Dec. 9

I am a student at Summit High School. Recently I read the column by 
my campus supervisor, Jeff McAbee, about the substance abuse that 
many kids in the school are facing. I found it to be quite true, but 
then on Monday I heard kids complaining that Mr. McAbee was 
completely wrong. They interpreted his letter as being harmful to the 
school's publicity and they are being ignorant about the usage of 
substances. As a student, I see and hear pretty much everything that 
is the hype at SHS. A couple weeks ago some kids got suspended for 
bringing alcohol into class, and others were caught smoking pot 
outside. Everywhere I look I can usually see a student or two who has 
recently been abusing substances, and that fact scares me. Also, as I 
leave the school at the end of the day, I look over at the Stage 
stop, and I see kids just standing there smoking. Smoking in front of 
the school! In the past couple of years I have seen many friends of 
mine start to smoke and drink. Personally, this scares me. I 
sometimes wonder what it would have been like if the school had taken 
more preventive causes. Why don't we have a drug dog come in during 
the school day? Why don't we require kids to take drug tests to be on 
school teams? Why should one high kid be allowed to mess up learning 
time we all need? Why?

If you are a parent, a student, or just someone sitting there in the 
community, it is all of our responsibilities to reach out to the kids 
of Summit and let them know what's right, or at least make sure that 
they know that school needs to be a safe-haven from these deeds.

Wade Rosko
Dillon
- ---
MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart