NnoaoamMA7z~AmMADre=Ee PACD OU Presented by DHS VO DITION THE RITEX SUBMIT ORIGINA CONTENT TO BIT.LY/BNS VORTEXDHS has mental health and substance abuse services available for you. As a school social worker, when talking with Miss Ashle, everything is kept confidential (unless you are a harm to yourself or others, or someone else is hurting you). Miss Ashle can help you address your addiction (or other challenges) in a supportive, non-judgemental environment.statistics HOW MANY STUDENTS AT DHS USE SUBSTANCES? STUDENT PERCEPTION " Question: Do you eurrently vape, smoke, drink aleobol, or do any other bstances? Panes reac ® Stats are Inaccurate Races “People weren't honest on Freshman (pink) 142 142 100% —34/142- 24% this~ it's great that some aa were, but a lot just weren't. Sophomores (blue) 61 47-77% 20/47— 42% Honesty is the best policy until one of us gets caught." - — CGO: juniors (green 7 — 100% 7 54% “the teachers mighe think this is high, MO eee") bur we see it all the time! Not vei many get caught buts happening all Seniors (purple) 56 56- 100% — 30/56~53% the time. This is hardly anything” ® It Starts in Student Substance Use at Dayton High Middle School wae, yy "I started in 7th grade." "They all hang out at the comer store to smoke or vape. You can also buy fake piss at the comer store. ""Lremember someone smoking weed ri the backseat of the bus-- I'm not going to say as who, but they didn't get caught." "Once you're 11-12 years old, you start seeing this stuff at school." © Students Use on Campus Freshman Sophomores Sanlors all the time Metho. "They know they can get away with +Students from Journalism Il requested permission it, They're so many fences they can from admin to go to advisory and pose one question jump over and get out of it." “do you currently use any substances?” "They smoke in APEP all the time, +45 advisory classes were randomly selected for Tknow kids were having bong surveys and a scripted question was read by parties in the boys bathroom." Journalism students of different grade levels for neutrality and consistency. "There is always groups in the parking lot smoking and stuff. Or they just leave campus. “Colored Yes/No slips were given to students, no Parents buy stuff for them." names to ensure anonymity. Slips were folded and put in a bag. ' don't like using the bathroom. There's always way to many people in there and I don't want to *Based on total students in each class and total see what they're doing.” participation, Yes/No slips were tallied. Continue reading at next page >PREVENT DRUG ABUSE. February 2023 DHS PRESENTS. Disclaimer: The following anonymous letters icts. We did not change their words or were submitted by student ad edit their grammar. We wanted to present their story as THE TRUTH it was presented to Journalism staff. This is the raw truth. My addiction, come from a family of addicts when Iwas abot years old irealized that, it wasn't until earlier this year that i completely understood. When i was 12 years old thats when my drinking problem started, i would start drinking beers all day over the weekends and summertime, my young mind didnt think anything of it, i thought "im just having some fun’. | bega developing a habit of drinking and couldnt bring myself to stop. After the summer when school started again i was sober, | think the only reason i was, was because i had nothing to drink and no one to get me any alcohol, that was until| became friends with the "druggies" of the school. I thought itd make me cool and popular, i fell for the social popularity. | 2egan to drink even more than before, id go to school crunk, come home drunk, drink at bedtime, id go to hangout’ with friends but really i was going to the store stealing bottles. No one knew or realized what had become and nar did i. |was now 13 drinking by. myself, not to look "cool anymore. would have very bad mood changes anytime i wasn't intoxicated, | was always tired and at some point i wasn't eating anything for days, the only thing going into my body was liquor and occasionally juice as a chaser. My grades dropped to all F's and D's, i wes late to every lass, | felt like i was In a body looking through the. eyes but not in my own, i dont know if that makes sense but Its the only way to explain it i guess. After a while of drinking the alcohol just wasn't doing It for me anymore, ithen resorted to marijuana. started smoking everyday and i began to eat again. An anonymous letter from a student addict SAMNSA NATIONAL NELPLINE 1-800-662-4357 i still was doing a drug and ruining my body but i was also in a different head space when Iwas high, a better ‘one than being drunk. A couple months later it once again wasn't doing enough for me sa i falt the need to experience other stronger drugs. | got noticed by my sister, she knew! was doing drugs. Once the word spread and my parents found out the other things i had done i was sent to RBH. | finally got help, How it was effecting others. While this was all happening i wasn't paying attention to how it was affecting others, i only saw the after effects. | don't think I've ever seen my brother so upset in my life, he was confused, sad, and mad, he told me he felt like a failure as an older brother because he cidn't know and couldn't stop me. My step dad thought this was all his feult and he was the reason for my failures. My mom also thought it was her fault, as for my two little sisters, they knew what was going on but acted clueless so they wouldn't have to face the truth. My older sister knew i was smoking but didn't say anything cause she didn’t wanna face the truth either. she didn’t tell anyone. At the end of the day what | did was no ones fault, only my own. | am clean and sober now end doing much better. Iwas at the lowest point ill probably ever get to in my life and i overcame it If you or a loved one is struggling with drug abuse call 1- 800-662-4357 for help, | believe you can get through It, you just have to reach out for helo.