MARCH 2011
BRUNSWICK SCHOOL
MONTHLY MAILING A MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER Why We Feel As We Do The degree of “recreational” drug use by adolescents tends to ebb and flow over time. At the moment, the general consensus is that there is more “flowing” than there is “ebbing” due in large part to public discussions of the potential legalization of marijuana in some states and a lack of understanding among parents as to how different (and far more potent) marijuana is now as compared to 20 years ago. There is also, due to budget cuts, a dearth of public service announcements outlining the dangers associated with drug use. The bottom line, and of great concern to me, is that there seems to be some confusion as to why drugs in general and marijuana in particular are very dangerous when involved in the life of our students. I doubt I need to emphasize to any parent that “confusion” is not a good thing when it comes to helping young people navigate an issue as important as this. Confusion, thinking that smoking pot is no big deal, risks their own health and welfare and causes otherwise good young men to make mistakes in judgment and attitude that, with greater understanding, they would otherwise avoid. So, in an attempt to clarify any possible confusion, what follows are some key reasons why, at Brunswick, we have a “no tolerance” policy for our students should they ever be found to be involved with drugs as opposed to a “one chance” policy in the event they are found to have been involved with alcohol. Alcohol, with all its manifest dangers, has nevertheless been around since ancient times and like it or not is a part of our society, part of our civilization. It is even an integral part of several of the world’s leading religions. This is not to say that we encourage our students to drink; obviously we do not. However, unlike liquor, drugs have no such place in our society. Liquor is a legal substance used illegally by people the age of our students. Drugs are NEVER legal, at any age. So often we talk about role models and positive examples. Most adults in most communities can offer examples of responsible, social alcohol use. On the other hand, there are literally no adults who any of us would categorize as “responsible” drug users, let alone hold up to our sons as positive role models. Your son might ask: Why is this? What are the effects of drug use? What do drugs do to the user that is so bad? The answers to these questions are not confusing or unclear and, unlike many things in life, hold true in virtually every case. The changes we see in students who use and/or begin to use drugs are uniform*:
They do less school work of poorer quality, never more work of better quality.
They engage in fewer activities and those that they do participate in they do less well (sports, etc.).
To an ever-increasing extent, their activities and their friends revolve around drugs.
They are tougher to engage and tougher to interest.
They begin to associate with potentially dangerous people in potentially dangerous places.
By the very nature of the activity, they become practiced liars to their parents, to their teachers and to their non-drug using friends.
Saddest of all, they uniformly think that they are doing better and thinking more clearly than they did before their exposure to drugs, when in fact, they are doing less well and thinking less clearly. The drugs cause them to lie to themselves, as well.
All of these are changes we see in individuals who use drugs. Sadly, one of the most detrimental effects of drug use is not specific to the user. Rather it affects the entire community. Specifically, the specter of potential drug use erodes the student/faculty trust that exists in schools such as Brunswick. Drug users lie. Teachers know it and the three pillars of a Brunswick education suffer as a result. Drugs simply cannot be a part of the life of any Brunswick student; drugs don’t mix with Courage, Honor and Truth.
* Portions of this list are paraphrased from The Headmaster’s Papers by Richard A. Hawley