Drugs in Chugiak High School
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January 26, 2010 • Tyler Greensfelder, Guest Contributor
Filed under 2009-2010
The number of drug and alcohol suspensions at Chugiak High School this semester is increasingly higher than it has been in previous years. According to Colette Marshall, the disciplinary principle at Chugiak, there have been 31 suspensions due to drug and alcohol consumption or possession so far this semester.
“I would say this is a big problem, definitely not a minor one,” Marshall said in a concerned tone. “Yes, I support drug testing in the work place which means for students, teachers and staff and yes, I would support it for sports as well,” added Marshall adamantly, “but because that’s not an option yet, the only way to stop this and prevent it is that kids need to use more common sense.”
Marshall, who has been the disciplinary principle for five years, said that these numbers are as high as they were when she first came to Chugiak and there were 2,200 kids.
The main drug of choice for juniors and seniors seems to be marijuana, but for the freshmen and sophomores it is alcohol and prescription drugs. These drugs are usually oxycontin, aderol, percocet, and oxycodone.
“The scary thing is those kids don’t know how these prescription drugs will affect them, or if they will have an allergic reaction,” stated Marshall.
This uncertain reaction can also happen if you are high from smoking marijuana as one student found out. “I got high at lunch, went to class, stood up to get the pass to go to the bathroom and blacked out and passed out right there in the middle of the classroom. Going in and out of consciousness, I remember waking up in the nurse’s office, and then my sister came and picked me up from school,” said an anonymous source.
The source let us in on some of the ways kids get away with this. “I got my drugs locally from people in Eagle River and at school I would have it in my coat which would always be on me and I would just use Axe cologne to cover up the smell.”
The procedure after getting caught with drugs or alcohol is the same. The disciplinary actions are well organized with a chance for rehabilitation.
First offense: 10-day suspension, but if the student takes a rehab class called “Prime for Life” the suspension is cut in half to where they only have to be suspended for five days.
Second offense: Automatic recommendation for expulsion and if they are not expelled it’s a 45-day suspension. “There’s a big difference with the types of offenses too. If a student is using drugs the procedure is the 10-day suspension; however, if the kid is dealing or selling drugs, they are immediately recommended for expulsion,” said Marshall. Chugiak’s student resource officer, Officer Wendy Shakleford, also stated that possession of drugs or alcohol is a misdemeanor and if they are drunk they are charged with MIC (minor in consumption.)
“I don’t know why they didn’t charge me; they said they were going to but ended up not. I guess I was just lucky,” says our anonymous source, “I had been caught before by my parents, and this was the last straw. After this happened, I went to the MYA (the Military Youth Academy) where I was not tempted or around people that smoked and now I have been clean for around six months.”
When Marshall was faced with the question of, “What was the deal with the dogs a while ago?” She responded with, “Well, it was simply to elevate awareness, show that we are tired of playing this game, and we were hoping to find some stuff. The dogs did hit on a hat but nothing other than that was found or confiscated.” Marshall also stated that, “I haven’t ruled out having the dogs come back and search cars after lunch either. It will get drugs out of our school and it’s good training for the dogs.”
Marshall concluded, “The final statement I would like to leave the students at Chugiak with is that you think you’re indestructible when you’re impaired, but when you’re impaired so is your judgment. I don’t want to be responsible for a kid that leaves this school impaired and gets behind the wheel and endangers themselves and everyone else out there.”
