It’ll Never Happen to MY Kid…
In modern society, addiction has a different prevalence in our country now than in the past. Throughout the years, addiction has moved away from the stigma of only being an issue that affects public schools. In fact, even recent studies have shown that teens who go to the best private schools are more likely to wind up with drug and alcohol addiction later in life. The privileged students who attend these elite schools and live in affluent areas are more than likely to experiment with designer drugs such as prescription pills, weed, and cocaine, according to a study conducted at Arizona State University.
I can recall this being very true for myself when I attended a private school for 8th - 12th grade. The reason drugs are more prevalent in such high schools is due to a variety of factors. The first is because of the supply of money from the parents. Everyone wants to be considered cool in high school, so they tend to do things that wouldn’t exactly match their character. I grew up with a wonderful, loving family who always had my best interest at heart, hence the reason I was sent to such a school in the first place. I had great grades and a good head on my shoulders. I got into as much trouble as the normal student in elementary school and I was a social kid who had a passion for electronics. When I started the 5A private, all-boys school in 8th grade, things weren’t exactly what I had expected. I met a bunch of new people and made a lot of new friends, some of which weren’t the most savory characters. Fast forward a few years and I became a full-blown drug addict, leaving my family to question where everything went wrong. When you are at such a young age no matter who you are, where you live, or where you are from, you have an insatiable desire to be liked and admired.
The thing about private schools is, there the students have money and a decent amount of it. What goes along with the money is an extreme sense of entitlement. Most of them believe that they never have to work for anything and life should just be handed to them. The false idea that the parents of the teenagers have is they believe their children would never fall into habits like drug addiction. The shocking truth is that just as many drugs and a higher quality of drugs are sold in affluent communities.
When a person envisions a drug dealer, they imagine a rough-looking individual in a shambled part of town. However, when I think of a drug dealer, I imagine a kid in my class or a gentleman with a mansion who offers a glass of scotch when you purchase your drugs. People believe that affluent communities are safe from drugs when in all actuality it is just as bad, if not worse without the violence that goes along with drug dealing.
The schools themselves also turn a blind eye to everything and have a “sweep it under the rug” viewpoint. This is a problem that needs to be addressed or the statistic will rise in teenage drug addiction. If you are a parent and your child goes to an elite school, don’t assume that they will keep their nose clean. Telling yourself there is no way your son or daughter could do something “like that” is foolish. Don’t make the same mistake many families have made. Stay in communication with your child and become more involved in their lives.
Zach L - Narconon Suncoast Staff Member
