Marijuana Use On The Rise Among Local Students

Oneida, TN (2011-03-18) Since its inception in 2001, the STAND program has been tracking illegal drug use in our local school systems. From 2001-2009, the use of marijuana by middle and high school students has shown a steady decline; however, over the last year, the use of marijuana has shown explosive growth—jumping nearly 1,000%.

“Most of the drug related cases we see among adults still involve prescription drugs. We are not seeing a significant rise in marijuana cases,” said Jerry Wilson, Probation Officer for Scott County General Sessions Court.

Primarily, the rise in marijuana use appears to be isolated to high school students. Why officials aren’t certain for the reason behind the surge, the prolific problem with prescription pain medications and methamphetamine may be exhausting all available resources. “I think there are several possible reasons behind the rise,” commented Kevin Byrd, Principal of Oneida High School. “The relatively low cost of marijuana appeals to those seeking to get high. Further, I think law-enforcement has had to focus a lot of attention on meth and prescription drugs, making marijuana use a less risky proposition among our youth,” he added.

The use of marijuana in the Oneida and Scott County School systems peaked during the 2003-2004 school year, as nearly 70 positive results were reported. In 2009-2010, the total plummeted to less than five. Over the course of this school year, marijuana use has spiked, as more than 30 students have already tested positive for marijuana use.

Marijuana, as Tennessee’s number one cash crop, exceeds the value of the other 9 crops in the top 10 combined. This, combined with the remoteness of certain areas in the county makes marijuana access difficult to control.

“I think we can do things to reduce its use, but we are going to have a very hard time eliminating it completely. That would require the entire community strongly focused on that one goal,” stated STAND Coordinator, Dale Owens. “There are things we can do right now, but in order to see meaningful reductions we are going to have to get everyone working together,” he said.

Parents can be proactive in preventing their teens from experimenting with drugs. STAND suggests you monitor your children closely, catch problems quickly and, if it happens, make a big deal about it.

For more information about the STAND program, visit their website www.standprogram.org.