Anonymous wrote:Not comfortable revealing which school as i don't feel its fair as some of those parents could be on this chat. It is considered to be by pretty much all one of the best. But I am hearing this from others in other schools, as in its worse than ever but very concealed. Especially with prominent more high profiles families. My friends sister is a counselor at another top school and told us this is a huge issue going on right now and that tons of kids are buying kratom at their local gas stations has not idea why it was until today! Bottom line is this appears to be a huge epidemic that not many are openly discussing. One of the kids is a friend of mine and she was the one who opened up my eyes- I was so shocked as they are a very well respected upstanding family and i had no idea about her son, I was shocked. still am and it makes me think about testing my own kid, something i never thought to do. I am educating myself on all of this especially the ability to buy the synthetic kratom which is terrifying.

Classic lines of naivety. Classic lines of coverup. Classic lines of us vs them, assuming that money and respect will protect from the ills of the world.

yes cocaine is widely used but its not killing kids the way the opioids are (many laced with fentanyl) that's the truly horrifying part. NO SCHOOL is exempt from this, so please stop clutching you pearls and understand this does not discriminate.

Slightly different topic but I have heard of SO MUCH COCAINE USE in college this year. I can probably name 20 kids I know personally who have done it or do it regularly. Good kids, wild kids, smart kids, dumb kids. Ivies, publics, privates. Top schools, mid schools. It's everywhere and so many are doing it--many of whom I would never, ever expect to do it.

Anonymous wrote:Top school

lol

So many parents with their kids at top schools, so many stupid parents. It really disgusts me how ignorant so many of you are. You have teens you need to learn about it.

Anonymous wrote:I live on the west coast so can’t give you any info that this is somehow more prevalent there but can tell you it’s all over here. At every school. Do I think it’s somehow a new problem? No. However my experience :

-rich kids are going to have more drug access. All kids can find anything if they want it. Poor kids do not have the money to make that happen regularly.

-rich behavior problems go to rehab, poor behavior problems go to juvie. Sometimes the first aren’t even strict addicts just side users, it’s more mental health or affluenza, but sending your kid away for someone else to deal with, rather than work on it with out patient therapy, is on brand.

-teenagers love drama and gossip. Take their stories with a grain of salt. “Larlo went to rehab!” Could be Larlo is depressed and stopped going to school and someone ran with that bc they know he’s a pot head.

-class of 2026 has been off the chain for years - covid made it worse but it was there since preschool. I’ve heard this from parents/teachers in other areas too. Something in the stars, being the babies born right before the Great Recession so have hidden trauma from tough times?? Idk but there’s been vaping, drinking, dating and partying since 5/6th grade, many kids in legal trouble and sent to rehab, and none of that from my Class of 2028 and her cohort. Even preschool it was evident. My 2028 goes to parties and these kids are just better behaved. Curious if you all see this on the east coast too.

But none of this matters, but what your kids doing. Do you see signs?

Check your kids cards and check for cash withdrawals and random Venmo to people. It’s not hard to see the pattern once you look for it. Teens have zero need for regular cash.

Are his grades good or declining? Does he have a weird sleep schedule? Is he irritable a lot? Conversely does he seem to be a kid easily influenced? There’s no sense worrying about something if it’s not presenting a problem. Have honest conversations, don’t drug test him without any just cause. He’s going to college and you want to assume he will do these things and knows how to handle them and the risks so he can choose to abstain on his own rather than bc he’s afraid of his parents finding out.

That is so interesting about the class of 2026! I have a '27. I have ALWAYS said the the boys in his cohort were wilder than his 2 older bothers (22 and 25) ever were, starting in PK and even at different schools.

Anonymous wrote:My kids attend a top school. Son is a senior, have 2 younger ones. In one year 4 kids in his class have gone to rehab. We just heard of 2 more over the holidays. This is so frightening. A lot of people saying the school works very hard to keep this under the rug but it lately has a lot of people talking. Not to say it is exclusive to our school as I know this is widespread. This is scary though, as i really didn't know it was happening in these numbers. I have a few friends who even now give their kids weekly drug tests. Makes me wonder if I am being naive to not do the same?

It’s Langley I know this one

Anonymous wrote:Are you at Langley? So much pressure on those kids. An alarming number of suicides and suicide attempts too.

I am guessing Langley also. Rich kids and lots of drugs

I live on the west coast so can’t give you any info that this is somehow more prevalent there but can tell you it’s all over here. At every school. Do I think it’s somehow a new problem? No. However my experience :

-rich kids are going to have more drug access. All kids can find anything if they want it. Poor kids do not have the money to make that happen regularly.

-rich behavior problems go to rehab, poor behavior problems go to juvie. Sometimes the first aren’t even strict addicts just side users, it’s more mental health or affluenza, but sending your kid away for someone else to deal with, rather than work on it with out patient therapy, is on brand.

-teenagers love drama and gossip. Take their stories with a grain of salt. “Larlo went to rehab!” Could be Larlo is depressed and stopped going to school and someone ran with that bc they know he’s a pot head.

-class of 2026 has been off the chain for years - covid made it worse but it was there since preschool. I’ve heard this from parents/teachers in other areas too. Something in the stars, being the babies born right before the Great Recession so have hidden trauma from tough times?? Idk but there’s been vaping, drinking, dating and partying since 5/6th grade, many kids in legal trouble and sent to rehab, and none of that from my Class of 2028 and her cohort. Even preschool it was evident. My 2028 goes to parties and these kids are just better behaved. Curious if you all see this on the east coast too.

But none of this matters, but what your kids doing. Do you see signs?

Check your kids cards and check for cash withdrawals and random Venmo to people. It’s not hard to see the pattern once you look for it. Teens have zero need for regular cash.

Are his grades good or declining? Does he have a weird sleep schedule? Is he irritable a lot? Conversely does he seem to be a kid easily influenced? There’s no sense worrying about something if it’s not presenting a problem. Have honest conversations, don’t drug test him without any just cause. He’s going to college and you want to assume he will do these things and knows how to handle them and the risks so he can choose to abstain on his own rather than bc he’s afraid of his parents finding out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:*cough*. Big fat troll

Who cares if it’s a troll. Drugs are widely available. You need to work really hard, early and often, at educating your child so they avoid drugs at all costs.

My child has a friend who is experimental. This friend’s parents were proudly “hands off” from an early age. The father even encouraged risky behaviors. Their child now engages in terrifying behavior. I hear all about it. He’s not the only one. Privilege and a desire for excitement combined with dullness/loss of purpose is a dangerous combination.

Parenting plays a role but kids are who they are and some are risk takers and some are not. I will not pat myself on the back for my kids who don't do drugs. You can see this in many families - 1 or 2 kids will have a problem while the others won't. Same parents, childhood, etc.

I don't know about harder drugs but vaping various forms of THC is as common as smoking cigarettes used to be when we were in hs. It is very bad.

At W&L we heard of something called “the bunker”. Just off school property in an office area where the kids store alcohol and edibles and vape.

Drink there for football games or whatever- but it graduated to a basic crack house without the crack. No idea how schools or police do not know about these things.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make sure your kids carry narcan and know how to use it. And put the fear of god into them re: fentanyl. It is so, so scary.

Pushing back on this. As scary and horrible as it is, I don’t think minors have a responsibility to take it on themselves to have narcan at the ready.

Maybe not all minors but those in the same social circle as OP’s kid? Yeah, they should.

I also agree that parents’ inclination to keep their kids’ drug troubles quiet contributes to a rotten atmosphere and lets more drug use proliferate because everyone thinks it’s not their (or not all) kids. Until one of the kids in the circle ODs and dies. Yes, from good families. Yes, with money.

My kid is at TJHSST and no drugs - alcohol yet (sophomore), but my guess is the fact that the kids are all over the place reduces the party risk anyway.

At our base school, Meridian, he knew of friends drinking in 8th grade.

You’re naive to think it doesn’t happen at top schools

Anonymous wrote:*cough*. Big fat troll

Who cares if it’s a troll. Drugs are widely available. You need to work really hard, early and often, at educating your child so they avoid drugs at all costs.

My child has a friend who is experimental. This friend’s parents were proudly “hands off” from an early age. The father even encouraged risky behaviors. Their child now engages in terrifying behavior. I hear all about it. He’s not the only one. Privilege and a desire for excitement combined with dullness/loss of purpose is a dangerous combination.