Step it up, Clovis Unified, think rehabilitation not retribution for teens on drugs

Drug use among adolescents is an issue in today’s society that will only get worse if we don’t take action now.

I am a high school student who witnesses this rising problem every day. You can’t blame a teen’s young, curious mind because all they really want is to fit in, or escape the stress of reality; so who is to blame?

After all, teens do spend the majority of their time attending school. Schools need to realize what’s occurring on their campuses and do something to resolve this issue. Educating teens couldn’t hurt anyone right? Clovis Unified School District has a zero-tolerance policy, meaning that when students are caught with substances, they are expelled and sent to an alternative education school.

Teens are then in a worse environment, and at a higher risk for addiction. So instead of ignoring the problem, why don’t we try to prevent it by educating teens and focusing on rehabilitation not retribution. If you, too, agree that this is a serious problem, then Clovis Unified, it’s time to step it up and make a change. Let’s make a positive change before it’s too late.

This story was originally published December 8, 2017 at 3:01 PM with the headline "Step it up, Clovis Unified, think rehabilitation not retribution for teens on drugs."