Administration Says Issue Being Handled

Illegal drug use is statistically higher among young people, but how big of a problem is it at Coeur d’Alene High School?

The answer, according to some CHS students, is higher than you might think.

“It’s way bigger than what everyone says,” said junior Raechelle Clark. “I would say that about 40 percent of our school actually uses drugs on a normal basis.”

Other students have a much higher estimate.

“A lot of people do drugs. I mean a lot. I would say 70 percent of the students here use some kind of illegal drug,” said junior Jared Keese. “Add to that number the people who drink and smoke cigarettes, that number is probably 90 percent.”

School administrators consider drug and alcohol use a high-priority problem. And the problem certainly is not limited to the Coeur d’Alene School District.

Administrators say the drug problem is being properly handled on school property by strictly enforcing state law. That means prosecuting students and nonstudents who sell drugs within a 1,000-foot radius of any school property. The minimum sentence is five years in prison.

Simple drug use charges have been handled by either a partial suspension, or an expulsion from school and a referral to police.

“The school isn’t doing nearly enough to fix the problem,” said Clark. “It’s not really their fault. Most of it’s use is away from school property anyway.”

Some students, though, are angry about some of the more aggressive anti-drug tactics at Coeur d’Alene high schools.

At times, CHS and Lake City have used specially trained drug dogs to inspect lockers and student cars in the parking lots. The administration defends this action by stating that the lockers are school property and the parking lot is fair game as well.

Although authorities are not allowed to open anyone’s car, the tactics have angered students.

“It is a violation of rights to search everyone without suspicion, but seeing as though I have nothing to hide, it doesn’t bother me so much,” Clark said. “Whatever the school can do to stop the problem, I figure is just. Not surprisingly, the students with something to hide are the ones complaining the most.”

How do so many kids get their hands on illegal drugs and alcohol?

A CHS junior who requested anonymity explained: “Pot is the easiest to get. You can get that from practically anyone. There is always a large amount in this town, and it’s not even that expensive.”

He continued: “Opium and acid are obtainable, too, but they’re a little harder to obtain. Opium is by far the hardest to get.”

The student added that getting drugs depends on the time of year, as well.

“There’s a shortage in the summer, for some reason. I don’t know why, but it’s harder to get stuff in the summer. Once school starts, though, things become really easy again.”

One surprising thing is the casualness of the drug culture. Many students who use drugs consider it as only a social use.

“People don’t think they’re gonna get caught. There’s, like, no consequences,” Keese said. “A lot of people just do it to hang out with their friends and be cool. In many cases, it’s cooler to be using than to be someone who doesn’t. Some of the most popular kids smoke and drink, so other kids who wouldn’t normally do it try it to get into the crowd.”

“The pressures to use are not always an extreme, but there are always instances where pressure to use is a factor,” said the anonymous junior. “For the most part, it’s a social stress reliever. Only like a small percentage smoke when they’re by themselves. Most people don’t have a real problem.”

The school does employ a counselor specifically for drug and alcohol dependencies. Andrea Story, the substance abuse counselor, says she gets visits from students every day for either drug or alcohol abuse.

Students concerned about drug use wonder if schools are doing the best they can to fight the problem, and question whether it’s going to be enough.