(no subject)
Drugs in palatine
Drugs in Palatine are escalating at an uncontrolable rate. Parents of the community and surrounding communities have two oppinions about kids and drugs. Parents are far too naive and to scared to talk to their kids about the dangers of drugs and the dangers of addictions. Secondly parents believe that their kids "would never do that."
Not to long ago it was the social normalcy for teenagers and young adults to get high and party for long nights. These teenagers were partially influenced by the music that they enjoyed to listen to. Also, they took drugs because it was an easy, fun, and cheap way to rebel against their parents.
There is no doubt in my mind that the fad is starting to come back, espically in my generation. This "fad" that the teenagers are participating in is alot worse than it was thirty years ago. Children who are only fourteen are being exposed to some of the worlds most addicting drugs. Even worse, it is the older kids, the ones who are twenty to twentyfive who are supplying these kids with the drugs. Kids don't just smoke pot anymore. There is a life threatening problem that is building in our humble little town of Palatine.
Interview with a daily drug user.
Q. How easy is it to get drugs?
A. Usually I make a few calls and I have what I want in a few minutes.
Q. How long have you been a drug user?
A. Since about 8th grade.
Q. Do you think your parents know you do drugs?
A. I've been caught only once, and that was just for pot. No, they think i stopped.
Q. How much are drugs?
A. Pot is like twenty dollars, other stuff is more expensive.
Q. Would kids in Palatine do other things if drugs were easier to get a hold of?
A. I think kids would just drive to the city more often.
Q. If you were not a drug user, what would you be doing?
A. I dunno, maby play basketball or something.
Q. How far have you had to go to get drugs?
A. Well, usually I just make some calls, but there are some special occasions where i do have to wait maby a week.
As you can tell from this interview, drugs are beggining to control teenagers lives. It has become so easy for kids to get drugs and since money is not an issue in this town, it has also become cheap. Children just sit around and smoke pot and play R.B.I. Baseball. If this interviewees parents knew that this person had such acces and availability to drugs, it is my belief that they would talk to this person as soon as possible. In the very least they would attempt to sign them up for an outside school activity, such as baskatball or dance. There are many kids like this in Palatine, kids who don't deserve to be tied down by their addiction.
I decided to interview a friends mother to find out what she thought about the drug problem in Palatine today. It is a possibility that certain parents are aware of their childs drug problem, only, they refuse to accnoledge it because they believe it is not a problem. On the other hand, it is very possible that parents have no idea about the rising drug problem and need to be made aware of it as soon as possible.
Interview with a friends mom (Nancy Brunhoefer)
Q. Do you think that early teenage kids are trying some of the most addictive drugs on the market?
A. No, it is not possible that those young kids could even get their hands on those types of drugs or even be able to afford them.
Q.When you were younger, were you exposed to drugs?
A. Yes, I did my share of experimenting, but I knew to stay away from the more expensive ones. The rule that I had was if it cost more than ten dollars, then it is not worth it. I mainly only smoked, everyonce in a while.
Q. How easy do you think that someone like me would be able to get a highly dangerous drug?
A. I think that you may know one or two people, but it would be very hard. I say you could probibly get whatever it is in maby a week.
Q. Did you know that there is a group of kids who use drugs on a daily basis?
A. No, I didn't think that drugs were that easy to get a hold of nowadays.
Q. How do you feel about the drug problem in my generation?
A. I don't think that it is any worse than the problem was in the 90's. These things usually stay level throughout the ages.
Q. Did you know that kids can get drugs right here in Palatine?
A. No. I always thought that someone drives down to the city and gets whatever.
Q. Did you know that kids in Palatine can afford these drugs with a mere 20 dollar a week allounces?
A. Wow. I had no idea. Well, I guess kids around here are very spoiled and don't save much of thier money.
This is an example of a typicall uneducated parent. She basicly had no idea about the drug problem today. Like most parents, she is not a bad parent in any sense, she just needs to educate herself about todays youth and the addictions, availability, and use of drugs. Also i believe that this is a perfect example of a false sense of seceraty in parents. Some believe that since they live in the suberbs that they are somehow immune to all drug problems. As she stated, she thought that a small number of suberban kids drive down to Chicago to pick up whatever drug they want. Not only do parents need to be aware of the drug problem today, they also need to talk to their kids and any kids they believe are drug users. I decided that i needed to fine out how often kids get caught with drugs.
Interview with a local police officer (Ozzy Valde)(used to be a Chicago police officer)
Q. How often do you arrest teenages on drug related charges.?
A. I get maby three or four cases a month or so.
Q. Based on your job expierences, Which community has more teenage drug related cases?
A. Deffinatly the city, but I was suprised to see how many kids were getting arrested in the Palatine area.
It really does depress me hearing how fellow students are getting caught up in dangerous, life threatning drug use. To me it does not make any sense, why do Palatine based children need to be using drugs. They are growing up in one of the safest and financialy secure communities in America today. Any way, kids are getting punished, but there are alot more drug using kids who are not being punished for their uses of illeagle drugs.
There was a local party involving several students from the following schools: Schaumburg, Conant, and Hoffman Estates high schools. Seventy students got in trouble for illegal alcohol and drug use. Fifty-nine of the students were involved in a school sport or school activity of some kind. The Administration ultimatly decided to suspend these students from their activities for one quarter of the first season (Daily Herold)
I am glad to see that the administration is taking action to stop the use of drugs. I still believe that it is not enough. They treat a problem after it has happened. Officers and school officials need to treat the problem in Palatine as if it were about to explode. Punishing students after the fact does little to teach them that what they are doing is wrong. This tatic mearly teaches kids not to get caught.
Our administration and the surrounding communities need to attack the problems befor it occurs. If they set up more programs like S.A.D.D. (Students Against Destructive Decision), maby then students would recognize how dangerous drugs really are. How destructive these things are for their health, for thier friends and family. Maby if this would happen, students in the Palatine area would make better chioces (William Fremd High School).
Parents need to get involved.
Drugs in Palatine are escalating at an uncontrolable rate. Parents of the community and surrounding communities have two oppinions about kids and drugs. Parents are far too naive and to scared to talk to their kids about the dangers of drugs and the dangers of addictions. Secondly parents believe that their kids "would never do that."
Not to long ago it was the social normalcy for teenagers and young adults to get high and party for long nights. These teenagers were partially influenced by the music that they enjoyed to listen to. Also, they took drugs because it was an easy, fun, and cheap way to rebel against their parents.
There is no doubt in my mind that the fad is starting to come back, espically in my generation. This "fad" that the teenagers are participating in is alot worse than it was thirty years ago. Children who are only fourteen are being exposed to some of the worlds most addicting drugs. Even worse, it is the older kids, the ones who are twenty to twentyfive who are supplying these kids with the drugs. Kids don't just smoke pot anymore. There is a life threatening problem that is building in our humble little town of Palatine.
Interview with a daily drug user.
Q. How easy is it to get drugs?
A. Usually I make a few calls and I have what I want in a few minutes.
Q. How long have you been a drug user?
A. Since about 8th grade.
Q. Do you think your parents know you do drugs?
A. I've been caught only once, and that was just for pot. No, they think i stopped.
Q. How much are drugs?
A. Pot is like twenty dollars, other stuff is more expensive.
Q. Would kids in Palatine do other things if drugs were easier to get a hold of?
A. I think kids would just drive to the city more often.
Q. If you were not a drug user, what would you be doing?
A. I dunno, maby play basketball or something.
Q. How far have you had to go to get drugs?
A. Well, usually I just make some calls, but there are some special occasions where i do have to wait maby a week.
As you can tell from this interview, drugs are beggining to control teenagers lives. It has become so easy for kids to get drugs and since money is not an issue in this town, it has also become cheap. Children just sit around and smoke pot and play R.B.I. Baseball. If this interviewees parents knew that this person had such acces and availability to drugs, it is my belief that they would talk to this person as soon as possible. In the very least they would attempt to sign them up for an outside school activity, such as baskatball or dance. There are many kids like this in Palatine, kids who don't deserve to be tied down by their addiction.
I decided to interview a friends mother to find out what she thought about the drug problem in Palatine today. It is a possibility that certain parents are aware of their childs drug problem, only, they refuse to accnoledge it because they believe it is not a problem. On the other hand, it is very possible that parents have no idea about the rising drug problem and need to be made aware of it as soon as possible.
Interview with a friends mom (Nancy Brunhoefer)
Q. Do you think that early teenage kids are trying some of the most addictive drugs on the market?
A. No, it is not possible that those young kids could even get their hands on those types of drugs or even be able to afford them.
Q.When you were younger, were you exposed to drugs?
A. Yes, I did my share of experimenting, but I knew to stay away from the more expensive ones. The rule that I had was if it cost more than ten dollars, then it is not worth it. I mainly only smoked, everyonce in a while.
Q. How easy do you think that someone like me would be able to get a highly dangerous drug?
A. I think that you may know one or two people, but it would be very hard. I say you could probibly get whatever it is in maby a week.
Q. Did you know that there is a group of kids who use drugs on a daily basis?
A. No, I didn't think that drugs were that easy to get a hold of nowadays.
Q. How do you feel about the drug problem in my generation?
A. I don't think that it is any worse than the problem was in the 90's. These things usually stay level throughout the ages.
Q. Did you know that kids can get drugs right here in Palatine?
A. No. I always thought that someone drives down to the city and gets whatever.
Q. Did you know that kids in Palatine can afford these drugs with a mere 20 dollar a week allounces?
A. Wow. I had no idea. Well, I guess kids around here are very spoiled and don't save much of thier money.
This is an example of a typicall uneducated parent. She basicly had no idea about the drug problem today. Like most parents, she is not a bad parent in any sense, she just needs to educate herself about todays youth and the addictions, availability, and use of drugs. Also i believe that this is a perfect example of a false sense of seceraty in parents. Some believe that since they live in the suberbs that they are somehow immune to all drug problems. As she stated, she thought that a small number of suberban kids drive down to Chicago to pick up whatever drug they want. Not only do parents need to be aware of the drug problem today, they also need to talk to their kids and any kids they believe are drug users. I decided that i needed to fine out how often kids get caught with drugs.
Interview with a local police officer (Ozzy Valde)(used to be a Chicago police officer)
Q. How often do you arrest teenages on drug related charges.?
A. I get maby three or four cases a month or so.
Q. Based on your job expierences, Which community has more teenage drug related cases?
A. Deffinatly the city, but I was suprised to see how many kids were getting arrested in the Palatine area.
It really does depress me hearing how fellow students are getting caught up in dangerous, life threatning drug use. To me it does not make any sense, why do Palatine based children need to be using drugs. They are growing up in one of the safest and financialy secure communities in America today. Any way, kids are getting punished, but there are alot more drug using kids who are not being punished for their uses of illeagle drugs.
There was a local party involving several students from the following schools: Schaumburg, Conant, and Hoffman Estates high schools. Seventy students got in trouble for illegal alcohol and drug use. Fifty-nine of the students were involved in a school sport or school activity of some kind. The Administration ultimatly decided to suspend these students from their activities for one quarter of the first season (Daily Herold)
I am glad to see that the administration is taking action to stop the use of drugs. I still believe that it is not enough. They treat a problem after it has happened. Officers and school officials need to treat the problem in Palatine as if it were about to explode. Punishing students after the fact does little to teach them that what they are doing is wrong. This tatic mearly teaches kids not to get caught.
Our administration and the surrounding communities need to attack the problems befor it occurs. If they set up more programs like S.A.D.D. (Students Against Destructive Decision), maby then students would recognize how dangerous drugs really are. How destructive these things are for their health, for thier friends and family. Maby if this would happen, students in the Palatine area would make better chioces (William Fremd High School).
Parents need to get involved.