HCPSS Grad Discusses Substance Misuse in High School

I’m a college student who graduated from HCPSS a few years ago. I regularly heard stories from friends and saw posts on social media about teenage parties. Despite not attending these parties, word quickly got around of everything that happened. Drinking, vaping, and smoking marijuana were all popular activities. Typically, a few people would bring these substances and share with partygoers. 

During the school day, I also saw teens vaping in the classroom, bathroom, and outside of the school building. I graduated high school before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and when vape devices were more available to teens. 

A recent study funded by NIH suggested that although high school seniors’ use of alcohol and marijuana did not have any significant change during the pandemic, vaping decreased among this population. View the NIH news release for this article. The authors attributed some of the decline in vaping to the age restrictions of purchasing vape devices (from 18 to 21) and the negative publicity surrounding teen vaping. In addition to limiting the supply of these substances, educating teens is an important step to raise awareness of substance use and abuse.

Read other blog posts written by Ho Co youth.

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