APS overdose at Wakefield

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It wasn’t an OD. It was a trans kid freshman in the bathroom with scissors

What does this even mean?

[Anonymous]

There's always gonna be an overdose in Wakefield. It's the new normal. No-one actually cares to address the root cause so I guess we will now just have to stick to short term solutions such as narcan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's always gonna be an overdose in Wakefield. It's the new normal. No-one actually cares to address the root cause so I guess we will now just have to stick to short term solutions such as narcan.

Upthread someone is saying this wasn’t actually an OD but a different type of self harm. But if you have all the answers about how to stop teen drug use, which was happening even back when I was a teen, please share.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's always gonna be an overdose in Wakefield. It's the new normal. No-one actually cares to address the root cause so I guess we will now just have to stick to short term solutions such as narcan.

Upthread someone is saying this wasn’t actually an OD but a different type of self harm. But if you have all the answers about how to stop teen drug use, which was happening even back when I was a teen, please share.

Stop pretending that teen drug use is the same as when you were a teen. The numbers are much higher. For example, from 2016 to 2020, substance use among eighth-graders increased 61%. Addiction rates are higher as well as drugs are more likely to be addictive. The age that drugs are first used is also becoming younger. Apparently you don’t give a shit about our kids and have given up on them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's always gonna be an overdose in Wakefield. It's the new normal. No-one actually cares to address the root cause so I guess we will now just have to stick to short term solutions such as narcan.

Schools can only do so much. Generally speaking, they aren't the cause; but everyone seems to expect them to solve the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's always gonna be an overdose in Wakefield. It's the new normal. No-one actually cares to address the root cause so I guess we will now just have to stick to short term solutions such as narcan.

Schools can only do so much. Generally speaking, they aren't the cause; but everyone seems to expect them to solve the problem.

No one is expecting them to solve the addiction crisis and drug crisis plaguing our society. However they can implement policies that decrease the chance that drugs will be used on campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's always gonna be an overdose in Wakefield. It's the new normal. No-one actually cares to address the root cause so I guess we will now just have to stick to short term solutions such as narcan.

Schools can only do so much. Generally speaking, they aren't the cause; but everyone seems to expect them to solve the problem.

No one is expecting them to solve the addiction crisis and drug crisis plaguing our society. However they can implement policies that decrease the chance that drugs will be used on campus.

Please give examples of such policies. Also, if you think Wakefield is the only APS high school with drug use, you’re very naive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's always gonna be an overdose in Wakefield. It's the new normal. No-one actually cares to address the root cause so I guess we will now just have to stick to short term solutions such as narcan.

Schools can only do so much. Generally speaking, they aren't the cause; but everyone seems to expect them to solve the problem.

No one is expecting them to solve the addiction crisis and drug crisis plaguing our society. However they can implement policies that decrease the chance that drugs will be used on campus.

Well, "No-one actually cares to address the root cause...." suggests someone is. So, what policies do you suggest that we don't already have? Random drug testing perhaps? No backpacks/clear bags only and no water bottles?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's always gonna be an overdose in Wakefield. It's the new normal. No-one actually cares to address the root cause so I guess we will now just have to stick to short term solutions such as narcan.

Schools can only do so much. Generally speaking, they aren't the cause; but everyone seems to expect them to solve the problem.

No one is expecting them to solve the addiction crisis and drug crisis plaguing our society. However they can implement policies that decrease the chance that drugs will be used on campus.

Please give examples of such policies. Also, if you think Wakefield is the only APS high school with drug use, you’re very naive.

Where did I say that Wakefield is the only school that has a drug use problem? Why on earth would you make that assumption?

As for policies this is an example:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-new-d-a-r-e-program-this-one-works/

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (a government agency) maintains a national registry of evidence based programs and policies that schools can use. The NIH also has a publication where it reviews evidence based interventions for preventing drug abuse in youth that relies on the registry I mentioned. My cousin is a mental health counselor in New York and told me that the SAMHSA is a great resource that is under utilized by schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's always gonna be an overdose in Wakefield. It's the new normal. No-one actually cares to address the root cause so I guess we will now just have to stick to short term solutions such as narcan.

Schools can only do so much. Generally speaking, they aren't the cause; but everyone seems to expect them to solve the problem.

No one is expecting them to solve the addiction crisis and drug crisis plaguing our society. However they can implement policies that decrease the chance that drugs will be used on campus.

Please give examples of such policies. Also, if you think Wakefield is the only APS high school with drug use, you’re very naive.

Where did I say that Wakefield is the only school that has a drug use problem? Why on earth would you make that assumption?

As for policies this is an example:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-new-d-a-r-e-program-this-one-works/

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (a government agency) maintains a national registry of evidence based programs and policies that schools can use. The NIH also has a publication where it reviews evidence based interventions for preventing drug abuse in youth that relies on the registry I mentioned. My cousin is a mental health counselor in New York and told me that the SAMHSA is a great resource that is under utilized by schools.

Forgot to add, other than Keeping It Real, Lifeskills and Project Alert are two other evidence based programs that work. The key is that all three of these programs, as well as the ones recommended by SAMHSA do not focus on specific drugs or adopt scare tactics. Instead they empower kids and help them develop the skills they need to avoid drug use. There is a lot that APS can do that doesn't involve them turning the schools into prisons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's always gonna be an overdose in Wakefield. It's the new normal. No-one actually cares to address the root cause so I guess we will now just have to stick to short term solutions such as narcan.

Schools can only do so much. Generally speaking, they aren't the cause; but everyone seems to expect them to solve the problem.

No one is expecting them to solve the addiction crisis and drug crisis plaguing our society. However they can implement policies that decrease the chance that drugs will be used on campus.

Please give examples of such policies. Also, if you think Wakefield is the only APS high school with drug use, you’re very naive.

Where did I say that Wakefield is the only school that has a drug use problem? Why on earth would you make that assumption?

As for policies this is an example:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-new-d-a-r-e-program-this-one-works/

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (a government agency) maintains a national registry of evidence based programs and policies that schools can use. The NIH also has a publication where it reviews evidence based interventions for preventing drug abuse in youth that relies on the registry I mentioned. My cousin is a mental health counselor in New York and told me that the SAMHSA is a great resource that is under utilized by schools.

Forgot to add, other than Keeping It Real, Lifeskills and Project Alert are two other evidence based programs that work. The key is that all three of these programs, as well as the ones recommended by SAMHSA do not focus on specific drugs or adopt scare tactics. Instead they empower kids and help them develop the skills they need to avoid drug use. There is a lot that APS can do that doesn't involve them turning the schools into prisons.

Ok. So more programs, not policies.
Are you proposing to add these programs into the health/PE curriculum, or what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's always gonna be an overdose in Wakefield. It's the new normal. No-one actually cares to address the root cause so I guess we will now just have to stick to short term solutions such as narcan.

Schools can only do so much. Generally speaking, they aren't the cause; but everyone seems to expect them to solve the problem.

No one is expecting them to solve the addiction crisis and drug crisis plaguing our society. However they can implement policies that decrease the chance that drugs will be used on campus.

Please give examples of such policies. Also, if you think Wakefield is the only APS high school with drug use, you’re very naive.

Where did I say that Wakefield is the only school that has a drug use problem? Why on earth would you make that assumption?

As for policies this is an example:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-new-d-a-r-e-program-this-one-works/

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (a government agency) maintains a national registry of evidence based programs and policies that schools can use. The NIH also has a publication where it reviews evidence based interventions for preventing drug abuse in youth that relies on the registry I mentioned. My cousin is a mental health counselor in New York and told me that the SAMHSA is a great resource that is under utilized by schools.

Forgot to add, other than Keeping It Real, Lifeskills and Project Alert are two other evidence based programs that work. The key is that all three of these programs, as well as the ones recommended by SAMHSA do not focus on specific drugs or adopt scare tactics. Instead they empower kids and help them develop the skills they need to avoid drug use. There is a lot that APS can do that doesn't involve them turning the schools into prisons.

Ok. So more programs, not policies.
Are you proposing to add these programs into the health/PE curriculum, or what?

No not more programs. Better, evidence based programs to replace the ones we currently have in the health curriculum which are ineffective. This would be in addition to hiring more substance abuse counselors (which they already did but need more) as well as introducing disciplinary measures for students who get caught selling drugs on campus. There is a lot that can be done. Apparently you don’t believe there is though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's always gonna be an overdose in Wakefield. It's the new normal. No-one actually cares to address the root cause so I guess we will now just have to stick to short term solutions such as narcan.

what's the root cause?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's always gonna be an overdose in Wakefield. It's the new normal. No-one actually cares to address the root cause so I guess we will now just have to stick to short term solutions such as narcan.

Schools can only do so much. Generally speaking, they aren't the cause; but everyone seems to expect them to solve the problem.

No one is expecting them to solve the addiction crisis and drug crisis plaguing our society. However they can implement policies that decrease the chance that drugs will be used on campus.

Please give examples of such policies. Also, if you think Wakefield is the only APS high school with drug use, you’re very naive.

Where did I say that Wakefield is the only school that has a drug use problem? Why on earth would you make that assumption?

As for policies this is an example:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-new-d-a-r-e-program-this-one-works/

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (a government agency) maintains a national registry of evidence based programs and policies that schools can use. The NIH also has a publication where it reviews evidence based interventions for preventing drug abuse in youth that relies on the registry I mentioned. My cousin is a mental health counselor in New York and told me that the SAMHSA is a great resource that is under utilized by schools.

Forgot to add, other than Keeping It Real, Lifeskills and Project Alert are two other evidence based programs that work. The key is that all three of these programs, as well as the ones recommended by SAMHSA do not focus on specific drugs or adopt scare tactics. Instead they empower kids and help them develop the skills they need to avoid drug use. There is a lot that APS can do that doesn't involve them turning the schools into prisons.

Ok. So more programs, not policies.
Are you proposing to add these programs into the health/PE curriculum, or what?

No not more programs. Better, evidence based programs to replace the ones we currently have in the health curriculum which are ineffective. This would be in addition to hiring more substance abuse counselors (which they already did but need more) as well as introducing disciplinary measures for students who get caught selling drugs on campus. There is a lot that can be done. Apparently you don’t believe there is though.

I believe it's limited what schools can do and am genuinely interested in learning otherwise.
Instead of the schools providing more SA counselors, the County should provide more and base them in the schools. Schools should be able to direct resources primarily and as much as absolutely possible on curriculum and instruction. I naively believe that really engaging students in learning and giving them something to accomplish and feel good about can do a lot for kids otherwise tempted by drugs.
I fully agree about disciplinary measures - but that's something I believe in general, not just to the dealers and not just about drugs.
I have no problem replacing existing programs and curriculum with better. I just didn't equate "replacement" with "more."
My sense is your answer is: more counselors and improved programs/policies (including existing referral programs and policies), and consequences for the dealers on campus.

[Anonymous]

Another overdose.

https://www.arlnow.com/2023/10/03/breaking-two-charged-after-more-overdoses-at-wakefield-hs/