HIGH TIDE
Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA January 27, 2016 Vol. XCVII Edition 9
D WNTHE
Anonymous teacher explains how his family’s alcohol and drug abuse has affected him
RABBIT
HOLE
by Martha Farah For confidentiality, the source is referred to as John Doe. Despite having an alcoholic father and a sister addicted to drugs, teacher John Doe has not only stopped the cycle of addiction by not using substances, but has tried to help his family get out of it. According to Doe, his father was a functioning alcoholic who was affected by leaving his family in Russia, including his mother, during World War II. Despite becoming successful in Russia with a job and education, the United States did not feel like home to him. “He had a certain longing to go back to his own country. He missed the culture and the family connections that might still be there. I think all of that was sort of aided by his drinking in a sense,” Doe said. “He was a classic example of a guy trying to escape, knowing that he could never really fully escape but trying to escape through alcohol.” In spite of Doe’s friends and sister using substances, he decided not to use them because of the respect he had for his dad.
“I didn’t want to disappoint him, and I was afraid of him. He looked at me and said, ‘If you come home high, I’m going to skin you.’ When he said that to me, I fully understood what he meant,” Doe said. “I didn’t want to face that, so I avoided [substances] constantly my whole young adult life and through my early adult life. I just didn’t want to get involved with facing him.” Doe looked up to and respected his father. “When we’re younger, we want to look up to people. We consider them heros, like your parents,” Doe said. “With some families, the parents struggle, and it’s difficult for them to get through life, so they’re not so heroic in certain ways. was my hero.” Doe’s mother did not use any substances but was sick with heart problems. She had surgery when she was a kid but had never fully recovered. The whole family had difficulties with Doe’s mother’s health, especially Doe’s father. “My dad was doing the best he could with a sick wife, who was sick to the point where she really needed attention. She functioned at home, but she had a
O BY PHOT
EDEN
AN
MILL
[Continued on pg. 24]
Inside:
pg. 2
pg. 6
City of Redondo Beach plans to further regulate marijuana use
Ediotial pushes for more drug education in high school.
pgs. 12 & 13 Anonymous students reflect on how drug use impacts their lives.