Consequences of using drugs hit home when three Stayton High School students recently overdosed in back-to-back incidents on Nov. 18 and 19.
Two of the students were transported by ambulance to area hospitals.
“The vast majority of the students at SHS are not involved in illicit drug use,” Principal Vicky Storey said. “While I can’t speak to other schools, I would assume this is true of all schools in our district. In fact, most of our tips that allow us to catch students using drugs on campus come from students who do not want these substances on campus.
“It’s important to note that last week’s incidents involved approximately eight of our 683 students,” she added. “The majority of our students are not involved in behaviors like this and are proactive in notifying adults when they see things that concern them.”
Santiam High School policy on minors and an ongoing Stayton Police Department investigation prevent identification of the students involved.
“We may never know exactly what was used,” Storey said of the overdoses. “We do know that alcohol and Adderall played a role in at least one of the situations. We suspect that Adderall or other prescribed medication may have played a role in other situations.”
Storey said SHS has no evidence that links the two incidents, but believes the problem is increasing.
“While we’ve had an increase in incidents requiring medical care, we know that mental health played a role in at least two of these incidents,” she said. “We have had incidents involving drugs like nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, as well as prescription medication like Adderall and Xanax in the past.
“Since the legalization of marijuana for adults over the age of 21, we have noted an increase in the availability of marijuana for our students,” she added. “We also have seen a dramatic increase in the use of nicotine products – vapes – with our students in recent years. Unfortunately, these products are readily available online to youth and some take them from home.”
Storey believes COVID-19 has played a role in the increase of adolescent drug use, including nicotine.
“Students who use these products were able to do so without school interference for over 18 months,” she said. “My suspicion is that we have many young people addicted to nicotine products right now across the country.”
Since SHS is primarily an educational system, Storey said limited resources within the community are available to support youth addiction. The high school works closely with the Stayton police when students are caught with illegal substances, she said.
“Our focus is primarily prevention,” Storey said. “We have found that parents, for the most part, are very supportive of school actions. Unfortunately, parents often face the same limited resources that the school faces when trying to support their students in stopping.”
So, what are the consequences for students who have violated the district’s drug and alcohol-free stand?
“The administrative team looks at district policy first and foremost,” Storey said. “When appropriate, we work with Stayton PD and students are often cited for minor in possession, or worse, depending on what is found and the student’s background. Students who violate our policies typically are suspended from school for a period of time. Discipline can vary depending on if it is a first offense or a repeated offense. Students who have distributed drugs or alcohol to other students can face expulsion.
“We are working to find more resources for our students and hope to have more available in future months as we continue to support families as the pandemic eases,” said Andy Gardner, North Santiam School District superintendent.
