Issue 19

TOWER the

A WEEKLY TRADITION SINCE 1928

Wednesday, March 16, 2016 Volume 88 Issue 19

BREAKING THE

CYCLE

Starting conversation essential to understand effects of substance abuse

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n the past few effects on both mental and years, innumerable physical health, but that is instances of substance almost entirely insignificant abuse have come to when everyone’s doing it light in the Grosse and hardly anyone is getting Pointe community. Because hurt. of this, it is imperative we The presence of drugs start conversation about and alcohol on students’ the decision to abuse social media platforms substances in order to glorify its use and even spread awareness and make it seem cool. It’s reduce the problem. nearly impossible to scroll “The Tower” has covered through Instagram on a everything from underage Saturday night without drinking to deaths of seeing at least five pictures graduates who have passed with conveniently-placed away from overdose. While red Solo cups and their it is easy to minimize the accompanying captions latter as isolated incidents about amazing nights. of people who didn’t know In addition, many their limits, there are students use Snapchat as many people just like them a place to be less discreet struggling with substance about their “amazing abuse and often the mental nights.” Videos and pictures health issues that causes it. of blowing smoke or taking It is important to note shots of alcohol may seem that this is not just a harmless in the 24-hour problem with our school or Grosse Pointe. It’s a cultural problem that has made the decision to abuse drugs and alcohol increasingly casual, and it needs to change.

The decision to abuse substances has become so casual because it is made to seem like the positive outcomes heavily outweigh the negative outcomes.

This is a direct result of misinformation.

It has been pounded into our heads since fourth grade health class that drugs and alcohol can CARTOON BY JEN TOENJES ’16 have detrimental

confine of a Snapchat story, but for anyone slightly hesitant to try drugs or alcohol, seeing their friends having a great time while under the influence can be enough to drive them towards it. It’s just for fun, right?

When it becomes fun and exciting, it becomes normal.

When it’s only about the good things that happen as a result of taking a drug or drinking alcohol, it’s easy to turn a blind eye to the dangerous effects that loom overhead. That’s the true issue with the casual culture surrounding drugs—it leads to an invincibility complex.

OUR VIEW // EDITORIAL

Students are aware of the effects excessive use of drugs and alcohol can have on their quality of life from a young age. We’re told story after story of people drinking and driving or ingesting laced marijuana or getting unexpectedly addicted to a hard drug.

We know these things, yet we still think it can never happen to us.

It has been shown time and time again that these stories are virtually ineffective when it comes to deterring students from trying drugs and alcohol, though.

All of these people are exactly like us, and all of these people thought it would never happen to them and their stories are horrifying and tragic. But, their message still doesn’t

fix the problem. So how do we fix it?

The only way for the casual culture to truly change is to start conversation. By talking, sharing stories and understanding the effects substance abuse has on so many people is the only way around the invincibility complex.

In order to get people to understand the gravity of the decision to abuse drugs or alcohol, they need to be shown that they aren’t invincible and that the issue of substance abuse is something they should feel comfortable talking to adult about.

By starting an open conversation, the culture will slowly begin to change, and then it won’t take the injury or death of a loved one to show people that this is a serious, urgent problem that will not go be going away anytime soon.

In light of recent events, “The Tower” has comprised this issue full of stories, facts and advice from students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members to spark the conversation about the negative effects of substance abuse and begin on the path to changing the casual culture surrounding illegal abuse of drugs and alcohol in students.

In light of recent events, “The Tower” has comprised this issue full of stories, facts and advice from students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members to spark the conversation about the negative effects of substance abuse and its relationship to mental health. We hope this issue will help begin the path to honest conversations about mental health and illegal abuse of drugs and alcohol in students.

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TEEN SUBSTANCE ABUSE

BY THE NUMBERS

7.3

thousand emergency department visits in 2005 involved the use of cocaine

per 100,000 adolescent deaths in 2011-2013 were from a drug overdose

34.9 percent of 12th graders have used marijuana in 2015

thousand people over age 12 used heroin for the first time this year

INFORMATION BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS.

Courtesy of National Survey on Drug Use, Trust for America’s Health Report, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

HUMANS OF GP

We spoke to members of the community, including alumni, staff and students. Here are their stories of how substance abuse and mental health issues have affected them personally. We hope you can learn from these stories and continue the discussion we hope they provoke.

jackie stevens ‘09

carl sachs ‘16

Photo by SYDNEY SIMONCINI ‘16

Freshman year I had a 1.1 GPA, I was into weed and bars at that time.

When my parents found out, they sent me to boarding school, so sophomore year I was there. Boarding school did not work. I relapsed a week after I got home. If you take someone away from something and they’re not voluntarily sober, they’re obviously going to want it. Boarding school was very bad for me. That’s where my desire to do hard drugs kicked in, because all these kids who were my best friends kept talking about them, and I was like “hmmm maybe they aren’t that bad.” I respected everything they said. When you’re on drugs, you don’t wanna hang out with your friends who are like “Oh let’s make him a better person,” because then I’m like, oh, I am a bad person. The whole time you feel like a bad person. When I was a drug addict, I didn’t care if I died. A lot of people were trying to get me off everything, and I would try. That’s the kind of stuff that got me thinking like maybe I need to stop, and I did stop for weeks at a time, but I relapsed every time, every single time. The day after I overdosed, I came home from the hospital and (the doctors) told me, “You can never take it again or you’re gonna die.” I went home and I was like “Oh my God, I just lost everything I loved.” Not only was I addicted to the drugs, I was addicted to the lifestyle. There are so many kids out there like I am. Parents send them to rehab and then they go ... they suffer for a whole year ,and then they go back home and all they wanna do is cocaine, and they end up dying because they go way harder than they did before, because that’s what rehab does. You don’t really care about the consequences. As long as you’re high, you’re high. You know that 50 years from now you’re gonna be stupid, but you don’t care because you’re having good nights now. Basically, you just don’t want to shun the drug addicts. They don’t need isolation. They need attachment. They’re attached to drugs. You need to find them something else or someone else to tell them to get their stuff together.

You‘ve got to be nice to them. They love people talking to them. Openness is key.

Thinking about it is hard, but you gotta do it.

Information courtesy of OLIVIA BARATTA ‘16

I began drinking in high school. It was a social thing that I did on the weekends with friends. It really picked up after a group of my high school friends lost a very close friend. The amount I would consume each week gradually increased. I made some pretty stupid decisions, got easily offended by people while drinking, never had legal repercussions but easily could have more than a handful of times. I started blacking out in high school, and it became a normal occurrence throughout college. It was scary not knowing what I did the night before and having to retrace my steps with friends and strangers. I regretted a lot of decisions I made. It was a heavy weight which is ironic because I was drinking so much because I thought it would help me feel carefree. In reality, it created more stress, shame and stripped me of control. I always knew in the back of my mind that it wasn’t healthy, and I couldn’t control myself. There wasn’t a defining moment, but I gradually slowed down and relied on alcohol less and less as I pursued my faith and realized God had better things in store.

My identity was no longer rooted in my party and so-called carefree nature but in Jesus. I always thought it would be really difficult to stop, but as I got to know God’s goodness and the freedom in Him more and more, it was easier to live in alignment with what was right and healthy. My life has changed a ton. It’s filled with better and more satisfying things. I don’t have to wake up feeling fear about what happened the night before. I still will go out to dinner with friends and have a drink here and there, but it’s not something I need anymore. In college I wanted to drink as many nights as possible, and now it’s not necessary in order for me to have fun. Everyone’s story is different, and everyone has to set different boundaries in order to make life changes. This is just my story. The thing that made it easiest was filling my life with other, more satisfying things, experiencing the love and realness of God was the solution to my problem.”

Photo courtesy of JACKIE STEVENS ‘09 Photo courtesy of JAKCIE STEVENS ‘09

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archer hauck ‘14 I would say that the drug culture at South is definitely stronger than at other places in the country. Now that I’m in college I’ve seen that.

(College) feels not that different from high school, which is a lot different than a lot of people’s experiences. I don’t necessarily know if that’s a bad thing because a lot of people are more prepared when they get to college for the intense drug culture that is present. But it is definitely stronger at South than a lot of other places.

But the nice part about South is that there’s great support programs in place, and there’s a lot of places to reach out for support. And also for the administration for teachers to shine students who need that support but can’t reach out for it, so I wouldn’t necessarily phrase it in that way.

Absolutely (South’s focus on excellence) has something to do with it, that the amount of work students are doing affects their disposition to let off steam afterwards. It’s a high-stress school and high-stress environment and an affluent community. Two and two makes four. That makes sense to me.

Know your limits. Everything is on a personal scale. There is no one-size fits all solution to anything. With drugs and alcohol you have to be exceptionally careful. And it’s easy to make bad decisions that can seriously affect your life. The one thing I took away from South in that respect is that the consequences are real ... Not punitive consequences, real life consequences. I don’t really need to go into it, but I’ve seen what real-life consequences are now, and it’s not fun.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARCHER HAUCK ’14

PHOTO BY JACK HOLME ’17

jon dean deputy superintendent of educational services The mental health initiative, which is a group of primarily adults, which has members from public safety, including our chiefs of police, some of our local judges (also) has school administrators like myself and Mr. Hamka. It has school mental health professionals, like some of our counselors ...

The primary focus of this, and there is two, is to prevent and deal with substance abuse amongst our youth and to prevent suicide.

I think in general, in fact, I think universally, as a community we believe that substance abuse is a bad thing, and it is. I think though that there are times when around certain substances we’re very strict in viewing. For example, universally across the community we consider heroin as a negative thing ... but there are times when we have a more permissive culture around alcohol and marijuana and prescription drugs. And I think that that is not a good thing for our community. I think we need to have more people universally in our community realize that, yes, the quote ‘hard drugs’ are certainly bad but that those gateway drugs, those drugs that kids tend to start with such as marijuana, alcohol and prescription medication, are really serious things in our community. And while I think there are times when a parent might think it’s OK to have a party with alcohol at it, or it’s not as bad as a thing if a kid takes extra Adderall, those things in many ways are just as bad as quote ‘the hard drugs.’ That’s one of our community shifts that we need to understand. It is not OK for our young people to be using alcohol, marijuana and prescription medication. While most people say that those are bad, I think for some people there is a more permissive culture. And I think that’s true for students.

audrey hass ‘16 Someone very close to me has, and still continues to, abuse drugs. He’s never really realized the impact it has on those of us who love him.

Watching his struggle and the way it tears his relationships apart, I never want to put anyone through what he put me through.

PHOTO BY LINDSAY STANEK ’16

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INFORMATION BY LAUREN PANKIN AND LINDSAY STANEK BOTH ’16 AND JACK HOLME ’17

chris pratt choir director

What really has kept me up at night is what the students could have had in the consumables, because no one really knows where any of that comes from ... I think the reality is, drugs affect everyone. It doesn’t necessarily affect a certain class of kids; it’s not a certain type of student.

It can be anyone at anytime, and it’s about choices. Students get involved, and it gets bigger than they ever anticipated it being. You’re basically playing a game of Russian Roulette when you buy something from a person you barely know, and they’ve gotten this from who-knows-where. What’s in there could be toxic. It could be deadly. Think about the future. What happens ‘if?’”

Photo by SHANNON MCGLONE ‘16

Photo by LAUREN PANKIN ‘16

ann cacia

mother of south students I grew up watching my dad just drink beer at night. I thought, because I wasn’t told any differently because my parents didn’t know to tell me any differently, that’s what you do when you’re an adult. I was so awkward when I hit college. The first time I drank, I drank with my head tipped back and my nose plugged because I thought it was what I was supposed to do. I just got really involved with it much too much, but it took the edge off. When I realized that I had turned the corner, I knew I had, I knew that it had officially taken me hostage, and I was aware of it. It’s miserable. Now, I get to tell my children things like, ‘You have to look out for drinking, especially when you’re in college.’ My dad has forgotten that I actually had a problem, since it was 18 or 19 years ago. That’s what time does to your memory, but it’s important to remember and for me to tell my daughters, ‘Watch out. Don’t do what I did. I’m lucky I came out on the other side.’ The percentage of people who are addicted and come out with long term sobriety are 3-5 percent. I think the reason that is, is that the only way you can really be OK is if you say, ‘OK, Jesus, take the wheel.’”

Photo by SYDNEY SIMONCINI ‘16

alex manchester ‘14 I’ve known for a long time God doesn’t want me smoking weed, and it was really hard to grow up and to realize this is not something I’m supposed to do, and before that finally clicked. I was having a lot of anxiety about it. I wasn’t really enjoying myself when I was getting high with friends, but I would still do it every day because, I don’t know, I felt like I had a bit of a mental dependency on it. I tried a couple times before to stop smoking weed, but I mean they were all unsuccessful. During the winter of junior year, I didn’t smoke for about four months just because I was feeling a real conviction from God, and I was just like I’m just going to stop. I didn’t hang out with anyone that winter. I would just go to wrestling practice and then go home. I definitely would call this depression. I got a good spurt of seasonal depression that year probably from not smoking, and my body chemistry was trying to realign or whatever. All and all, what weed did to me was it dulled me-- it dulled my full potential.

Information compiled by LAUREN PANKIN, SHANNON MCGLONE, AND OLIVIA BARATTA, ALL ‘16

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maria mitzel

activities director My brother was killed by a 17-year-old drunk driver. The worst part was, it was my other brother’s wedding the next week, and he was supposed to be the best man. How can you tell 300 people that a wedding is canceled a week before? That 17-year-old had no idea how much he would affect my entire family. My parents separated six months later, and my family would never be the same. Life is full of irony because my younger siblings would later battle alcoholism and thankfully have been sober for many years now.

Photo by JENNIFER MAIORANA ‘16

Photo courtesy of KELSEY NEWA ‘14

kelsey newa ’14 I don’t have one single extraordinary memory of Khaled that I feel I need to share. Instead, I have a sequence of a thousand small memories that was the foundation for a long-term friendship I came to cherish so much. We sat side-by-side in our second grade classroom. We had recess together every day. We attended the same park in the summers. We attended the same first awkward middle school dance. He came to my house to assist his friend in asking me to prom. We went to the same house parties.

We graduated on the same stage. We shared the same laughs and lived out the same memories. Khaled was one of few individuals with whom I shared many of my life milestones with, and for that I consider myself incredibly lucky. It’s impossible to prepare for the loss of someone who has been so present your whole life, and while I grieve for his leaving so soon, I am eternally grateful for the time I had the privilege of spending with such a special, warm-hearted person.

grant hudson ’14 What it took for me was getting arrested and having the police take me back to my house and say, ‘Mrs. Hudson, your son is a heroin addict,’ which she didn’t know until then. It was basically the distress and pain that it caused her that made me think about getting sober for the first time. I was on house arrest for a while after that. Once the drugs finally left my system, I mean it was the only time I’d been chemically sober for years, and when that finally happened, I found myself able to think more clearly. As I stayed sober for weeks, months, just kind of white knuckling it, I saw the people who were there to help me if I just asked them to, and I never noticed them before. I never really sought out those resources, but now that I have this motivation of not wanting to hurt my mom anymore, it kind of grew into starting to care about myself for the first time. That’s what it took, man. Just pain.

Photo by HALEY VERCRUYSSE ‘16

Information compiled by HALEY VERCRUYSSE, JENNIFER MAIORANA, AND BRENNA BROMWELL, ALL ‘16

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Daily struggle with depression, anxiety provides perspective on others’ lives MY VIEW Riley Lynch ’18

One hundred milligrams of Zoloft, 65 milligrams of iron, 5 milligrams of Abilify, 1000 micrograms of B12 and 100 milligrams of Sumatriptan for when I really need it.

That’s the routine. Wake up. Eat a few bites of toast (this step isn’t always necessary, though “highly recommended” according to my psychiatrist). Drink water. Take the pills.

One after another.

Sometimes they get stuck in the back of my throat, and I can taste them all day. A few milligrams of a bitter reminder that I’m depressed, anxious and terrified of the hours ahead.

I know I’m not the only one in the school who’s on drugs.

I mean, they’re not drug drugs. They just help me be more stable than I am on my own. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’m just getting help like any other person would.

Eleven percent of Americans age 12 and up take antidepressants according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control.

Sometimes it’s easy to tell who else is in on the little secret of “happy pills.” The kid with furiously dyed hair who keeps to himself. The kid who only wears black long sleeves and listens to the loud music. But then there are less obvious ones. The choir showgirl who always has a smile on her face.

The preppy boy decked out in Vineyard Vines.

This should offer some comfort, but it doesn’t.

Sometimes the routine changes. Usually I go to school after the pills. But when I really feel up to the challenge, I’ll tell my mom I’m sick so I can stay in bed all day.

I’m not lazy. I do other things, I promise. I’m just very, very depressed.

I think my mom really knows that deep down I’m not sick. I’m just sad. I don’t want to come right out and say it, though, because I don’t want her to feel bad.

She’s not ashamed of me either, I know, I’m just worried about disappointing her for some reason. She says she doesn’t want me to open myself up to scrutiny, but at this point, I don’t care who knows about what. I’ll be out of here in two years.

Other times when the routine changes, I have to go to the doctor. Not the openyour-mouth-and-say-AH doctor but the we-need-to-up-your-dosage doctor. The psychiatrist.

I guess my psych is helpful, save for the fact that she’s almost always late by at least 20 minutes. But I always try to be fast with my appointments. I don’t want to make the other kids in the waiting room late, so I just give brief answers.

“Riley, are you happy?”

No. “Riley, are you still depressed?”

Yes. Thank you for noticing.

“Riley, are you suicidal?”

No. Sometimes I just want to take a very, very long nap for a few years. Maybe I’ll be happier in college.

“Is there anything else you want to tell me before your mom comes in?”

No. This is always the worst part. My mom comes in to talk about my emotions and what she observes. I wish they could do this without me in the room. But no, I need to hear how I’m hurting other people. Or at least that’s how it feels.

So after listening to the mothership, the psych writes something down on her notepad and hands my mom a prescription paper to bring to Henry Ford Medical Center. And that’s that. We pay for the new medicine and leave.

I’ve always wondered what would happen if I was given too much of some kind of med. Would I pass out? Oh God. Would I die? I don’t want to die. I just want to live more than I am now. That’s my personal tragedy.

My mom hates upping the dosage on my meds because she doesn’t want me to overdose. I’m 90 pounds of anxiety that just builds up, but that’s a very bad ratio of body-topills. She mentions this frequently, and a part of me agrees with her. But another part of me just wants to feel normal.

Don’t get me wrong, I do feel normal sometimes. There are perfect days where I can laugh and hang out with people and do my homework. But there are also days where I fail tests because I couldn’t sleep the night before because I was spiraling, and there are days where I can’t even pick up the corners of my mouth.

Those are the days when I forget that I’m depressed and ignore the pills, thinking, “maybe this’ll be the day I feel cured.”

Spoiler alert! It isn’t. Am I reliant on the medications?

Maybe. I can’t seem to have a good day without them. Will I ever take too much? Maybe.

But I wouldn’t ever kill myself with the pills, or with anything else for that matter. I’m too scared of hurting the people around me. They don’t deserve to be as sad as I used to be.

But don’t call me brave or noble for thinking like that. I’m not. I actually have no control over my emotions, so I haven’t done anything to deserve a hero title. It’s not my fault I have to take drugs, but I guess to some extent it’s a personal victory to have not overdosed. I never will, I know that. I’m going to get happier as the years go on, and someday, I won’t need pills.

Sometimes I think about all the kids these pills have killed, and I freeze. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 44 people in the United States die every day from overdose of prescription painkillers and even more get addicted.

I wonder a lot if it could ever be me, but I try to ignore the thought.

I don’t want to think about my own death. But I can’t ignore the teenagers like me who get hurt because of an illness they couldn’t control.

And trust me, I’m never going to forget.

GRAPHIC BY RILEY LYNCH ’18

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Looking beyond expectations Let me tell you about my friend.

She seemed to have it all. She possessed a seemingly flawless balance of confidence, intelligence Jennifer and compassion that Maiorana ‘16 showed through everything she did. I always envied her. Everything seemed to come so easily to her: grades, boys, sports.

I never thought I would almost lose her, but I should have seen the signs.

She was completely engulfed in all of her school work and constantly stressed out about balancing her excessive outside commitments. Little did I know that she was having severe panic attacks where she wasn’t able to move until she calmed down.

She told me she was trying out Prozac to help with the anxiety that came with her workload. Little did I know she cried multiple times every day and had been dealing with sharp waves of depression for years.

She had a habit of being gone for an abnormally long time when going to the bathroom. Little did I know she was making herself throw up.

She slowly began to blow me off to “relax at home.” Little did I know she was swallowing painkillers with shots of vodka by herself on Friday nights.

She told me that she had a rough night when I asked about rumors I heard in the hallway. Little did I know she had an out-of-body experience nearing a full-on manic episode from mixing too many substances.

She told me that she was ready to leave. Little did I know she meant her life.

Her story is a wake-up call to me. Even the most seemingly stable people deal with difficulties and everybody copes differently. It is not just a certain group of kids who struggle with substance abuse; it is much more widespread than that.

My friend told me she would have never imagined how desperate she became to escape. With each pill she took, she desperately wanted another and another until she numbed out and just forgot everything.

This desire is detrimental. Escaping is not permanent. Reality always crashes back.

My purpose in telling this story is not to evoke pity, rather, it is to show people that teaching students how to cope with stress or tragedy in forms other than a pill or bottle is vital no matter the type of student.

Everybody deals with negativity at times and you never know what somebody else is dealing with; you will never be inside somebody else’s head or know exactly what they’ve experienced. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be a shoulder to cry on and a supporter even when you don’t understand the situation entirely.

It is easy to avoid talking about mental health, substance abuse or anything uncomfortable in nature. But ignoring these issues will only instill a greater sense of solitude in those suffering, something that magnifies the intensity of one’s pain. Be open-minded, aware and supportive of the fact that anybody, despite the smile on their face, may be struggling.

Everybody has their own challenges.

Nobody is perfect.

MY VIEW

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Correlation between mental health, drug abuse is undeniable

Why do high schoolers drink?

Why do they do drugs?

In a culture where the decision to do so is treated casually, most kids just try it when they’re bored. Most kids aren’t depenHannah dent on these substances, and Connors ’16 most will grow up to be healthy adults who don’t seek fulfillment in them.

Others, however, will turn to drugs and alcohol habitually, addictively. And oftentimes we have no idea which kids fit which description.

I have always been extremely passionate about mental health, which is closely tied to addiction. We spend so much time focusing on the effects of drugs and alcohol, and the punishments that follow in an attempt to “correct the behavior.” But in doing so we miss out on important conversations about the root causes of such behavior.

The decision to turn to substances, while sometimes impulsive, is not accidental, and we would do much better to address the reasons behind it.

Oftentimes when someone commits dies from suicide or dies from an alcohol or drug-related incident, nobody saw it coming. We cry because we didn’t intervene, we didn’t prevent this or we didn’t do more to help. But how could we have done anything if we didn’t know? Should we have known? Were there signs we missed? Or did the person hide it too well?

When you’re physically sick, people know when they look at you.

You’re coughing or sniffling and your illness is transparent. As a high school student, your parents will tell you things like “get some rest,” “take this medicine.”

But mental illness is the invisible killer. You can’t tell by looking at someone the wars that wage on in their mind, that maybe smoking or drinking are the only ways they know how to calm down.

People who deal with mental illness can oftentimes still be extremely high-functioning people, doing well in school or sports where everyone around them remains oblivious. The students struggling many times won’t reach out to anyone because we haven’t taught them that’s it’s OK. We haven’t had those important conversations in school about what it means to be depressed or have anxiety or struggle with addiction, and most importantly, how to get help. We haven’t driven the point home that if you admit your problem and seek assistance, you won’t be punished--only supported on a road to recovery.

I recently watched a TED talk where the speaker, Johann Hari, said the opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety, it’s connection. He said most addicts rely on drugs because they lack deep, close relationships with others, or a fulfilling passion. If we begin to examine addiction from this lens, not focusing on the drugs but on the people struggling, I believe we will have more success in tackling this issue.

Many students reading this will think “this doesn’t apply to me.””.

They’ll think “I only drink once in awhile” or “I only smoke when it’s offered to me.””. To them I say, don’t be so quick to dismiss this message. Look out for your friends and look out for yourself. Be aware. No one wants to admit they have a problem, and certainly no one wants to be the one who snitches on a friend. But I would also maintain that no one wants to die due to substance abuse, and no one wants to watch that happen to someone they love.

Don’t wait until it’s too late.

MY VIEW

Second-hand exposure to drug culture shifts perspective MY VIEW Lauren Pankin ’16

cy

*Name changed to protect priva-

When pills started to appear in Henry*’s dreams, he knew he was addicted.

He told me it all started after wisdom tooth surgery, when he was prescribed pain pills. He didn’t mention how he procured a second bottle of Vicodin, nor a third or a fourth, and I didn’t ask. When personal tragedy struck, Henry’s coping mechanism came in doses of 300 mg.

Meeting Henry was my introduction to the prevalent problem of prescription drug abuse in high school and in the community at large. Before sophomore year, I believed drug abusers were grungy, “Trainspotting”-esque burnouts. But as I started to open my eyes to South drug culture, I realized that some of the most notorious users, on the facade, looked more Ralph Lauren than Lou Reed.

The kids doing drugs weren’t the kids anyone would suspect, and they were glorified in rumor for their “double-life”: “So-and-so smoked a whole bowl before the ACT, and he scored a 35.”

“Did you hear how so-and-so blacked out on vodka and Xanax the night before his tennis match, and still won at singles?”

“After taking some of her friend’s Adderall, so-and-so finished a quarter paper three hours before it was due, and she got an A.” These stories spread throughout

all social circles at South. While this does not mean that every group or individual is abusing substances, it does mean that we find the abusers to be oddly heroic figures worthy of our stories and conversations.

Who is to blame for the glorification of drugs, specifically opiates?

I could point fingers at pop culture, the Grosse Pointe “cocktail community” permissiveness, a stressed-out teenage population, a too-harsh or too-lenient administration. But none of this blame would amount to any substantial positive change.

Time and time again, adults have lamented to me, “Teenagers simply don’t listen to older people.” And as a teenager myself, I agree. This is why I think it’s important for high schoolers to learn about addiction, not through a “Mean Girls”-esque health education course, but through opening our eyes to reality.

It wasn’t until I attended a journalism camp seminar on opiates that I really came to grips with the gravity of addiction. At this seminar, a panel of Lansing-area people, ranging from a recovered addict to a sheriff to an addiction counselor, discussed the rabbit hole of prescription pill abuse, which frequently escalates into heroin addiction. It was haunting to meet a man only a few years older than myself who found himself behind bars, his life corroded.

Shortly thereafter, while eating dinner at a local restaurant, my mother struck up a conversation with our waitress. Somehow, the discussion ended up on prescription pills, and the waitress told us several members of her high school graduating class had overdosed and died. Over the summer, as a Detroit Free Press apprentice, I interviewed homeless men and former addicts

Remember the Lotus-Eaters LAUREN PANKIN ‘16 // A POEM by SUPERVISING EDITOR In Homer’s Odyssey, a ship of warriors crosses the wine-dark sea, headed home from Troy. On the ninth day of sailing, the crew lands on an African beach, and the captain draws straws for which men he will send to find fresh water inland. Three men go, none return. The captain straps himself with axes, swords, shields, spears, arrows, only to find his lost men lolling like lazy waves of desert sand, their sloth-slow hands peeling and mouths chewing opiate lotus buds, dreaming awake among a chronic field of like-acting thousands.

They did not respond to their names, nor to the names of their children, wives, mothers, fathers, gods, and not to the call to glory, mission, purpose. All this, the cost of narcolepsy.

The captain ripped the silken petals from his men’s hands, and they wept like a squall as he dragged them back to the boat, lashing them to the oars with a command to row.

But where would the story have ended if the captain had left his men for dead? undergoing rehabilitation at Mariners Inn. The more I looked and listened, the more stories I heard just like the men at Mariners Inn, just like the waitress’, and just like Henry’s.

This isn’t just a localized problem, even though we have decided to explore addiction close to home in our “Humans of Grosse Pointe” series.

During the New Hampshire primary, one of the main issues was opiate addiction in the community. On March 13, Rhode Island was awarded $650,000 by the federal government to fight opiate addiction in the state, according to a WCVB Boston article. Our community is just a capillary of an overarching problem

which has invaded practically every town in the United States.

I sincerely doubt that there is one panacea for opiate addiction. But, as Principal Moussa Hamka, Vice Principal Terry Flint and Counselor Beth Walsh-Sahutske told me during our interviews and conversations, our community can and should do something about this issue, even if it is simply being a good friend, practicing what we preach, or facing consequences intended to help us. There is no easy way out of addiction, and there is no easy way to discuss addiction, but South students, including myself, can start by refusing to glorify substance abuse.

Use of drugs on school choir trip changes outlook on future actions One-fourth of a damn cookie.

That’s all it took to set off a series of events that would forever change Scarlett Constand my sense of self’16 worth.

I’ve experimented with marijuana and alcohol before, much like most other teenagers.

That doesn’t make me, or any of them, a bad person or unworthy of respect.

My parents have always told me the best way to get people to stop gossiping behind your back is to address the gos-

MY VIEW

sip head on.

So that’s what I’m doing. I’m owning up to my mistakes.

I ate part of an edible before I went on the January choir competition trip to Findlay, Ohio. The school found out, and I was punished accordingly. Take a look at the student code of conduct if you don’t believe me. My consequences were just and still impact my life. I didn’t get to go on the mid-winter break trip to Ireland, and I couldn’t travel on March 11 with the rest of the choir to the overnight trip to compete in Fort Wayne, Ind. What makes me different is how I’ve reacted to the entire Findlay ordeal. It was a wakeup call. It made me finally realize that I couldn’t keep slipping into a downward spiral.

Some people may use substances in order to feel happier, relieve stress or just to forget about life. What they probably

don’t know, or care about, is that marijuana and alcohol are depressants. You may feel relaxed and jubilant in the moment, but afterwards you feel empty and far worse than before you started. Whatever you think alcohol or marijuana will fix--trust me--it won’t. Things just get worse.

Before you accept a drink or a hit, stop and think about the consequences. They’re never worth it. Don’t put yourself at risk just to feel a moment of ignorance.

I’m currently digging myself out of a horrendous hole, but I know with time and perseverance, I can prove to everyone, including myself, that I’m more than my mistakes.

These mistakes have taught me a valuable lesson: the only person who can make me happy is myself. It’s up to me to make or break my life. It’s my responsibility to set a good precedent.

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Q&A

HOW ADMINISTRATORS ARE ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE

TERRY FLINT

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Q: HAS

SUBSTANCE ABUSE BECOME AN INCREASING PROBLEM OR HAS IT REMAINED PRETTY EVEN OVER TIME?

A: I would say that it (drugs) has been a concern ever since I’ve been here. I think it’s a con-

cern at all high schools, but as of late the concern has shifted from an awareness of some possible expanded use of lesser drugs to that continuing with a very small portion of our kids dabbling with hard drugs.

Q:

MOUSSA HAMKA PRINCIPAL

Q: YOU ARE KNOWN FOR A ZERO-TOLERANCE DRUG AND ALCOHOL POLICY,

AND YOU CALL THE POLICE WHENEVER AN INCIDENT HAPPENS AND YOU SAY IT IS YOUR DUTY. DO YOU THINK THIS POLICY HAS BEEN HELPFUL TO STUDENTS AND WHY?

A: My philosophy is always from a place of compassion and a place of caring. I am a father of three kids. You always want to show someone your love, but also sometimes you have to give them

that tough love. It’s never easy to put your foot down. It’s never easy holding down the line, but what students and parents and the community has to understand is it’s not that we’re trying to get you. It’s not a “I got you.” It’s were trying to save you. The Grosse Pointe Farms police department has been instrumental in helping us get kids into a deferral program rather than putting them through the criminal justice system to get them to a deferral program which includes some community service, but also includes getting into a substance abuse or a treatment program to help you overcome your addiction and your difficulties. So I think it has to be a community partnership and so working with the police I think we’ve developed that in the last year and a half.

Q: WHAT DO YOU THINK IS SOUTH’S BIGGEST SUBSTANCE ISSUE, ALCOHOL OR DRUGS?

A: By far the biggest abuse problem in Grosse Pointe is alcohol. I’ve heard this from parents.

ARE THE KIDS WHO COME IN REPEAT STORIES? I’ve heard this from many people since I’ve arrived. Grosse Pointe is a cocktail community. It’s not OR IS SUBSTANCE ABUSE BROAD THROUGHOUT THE uncommon to see an adult walking with their kid and an alcoholic beverage. I’ve gone to many homes throughout the community for various reasons, and I’ve seen alcohol not locked up in SCHOOL?

A: There are a few kids, it seems like every year, who walk in here and will sit down and shut my door and will confess to me their struggle,

crying out for help. When that happens, I am out of my chair grabbing every possible resource that I can plug that kid into to try to get them help. I have had kids sit right across from me and say, “I’m addicted Mr. Flint,” and I don’t more aware our kids are of the potential terminal entanglement of dabbling with some of these substances somehow kids have become more educated with keeping themselves away from a place like that. In some cases, one time experimenting with some of these substances can permanently lock a person in on a road where the only end is destruction. I don’t know that some young people believe that.

Q: HOW CAN THE AVERAGE STUDENT HELP TO MAKE SOUTH AND THE COMMUNITY DRUG FREE?

A: It has to start with me. We can preach until we’re green and maybe we’ll touch a few people, but what’s really powerful is the life

lived the way I’m describing it. There’s something undeniable about encountering a person who has joy in the midst of difficulties, and they’re not using substances to escape. I think about one young person who’s story I just became aware of recently. They’ve gone through a lot for such a young person, but they’re learned not only how to embrace joy, but to give joy out. It’s contagious. It’s what the world wants. It’s what we’re looking for, and it’s got to start with me. We have to find peace within ... at a personal level it is innately spiritual.

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cabinets, and we know there’s curiosity and there’s temptation. Then regarding drugs I think marijuana is something that we’ve seen. I think we’ve had a couple dozen incidents. We haven’t had heroin or opium reports since I’ve been here. Again, what I hear from students, from talking very openly with students, even the ones who are caught, there may be a handful of students who are using some harder drugs. I have seen a few instances of prescription drug abuse. Specifically Xanax and Adderall where a student may sell it to another one of their classmates or give it to a classmate who has not been prescribed. Some of that comes from the stress. Some students have several AP exams and have a lot going on in their lives, and to be focused they feel Adderall, even though they aren’t prescribed it, they think it will help them.

Q:

When you first came to South what was your impression of drug and alcohol culture in the school and in the community at large?

A: It’s important when you walk into a new situation to do a lot of learning and observing, and I tried to

come to Grosse Pointe without any preconceived notions, so I came with an open mind. However as you guys know, it didn’t take long until we started having some drug cases earlier last year, and that uncovered to me an unfortunate mentality amongst some in the community where they would rather sweep it under the rug or not really tackle a very difficult issue facing both adults and youth in the community.

Q&A

SUPERINTENDENT, COUNSELORS ADDRESS SUBSTANCE ABUSE, MENTAL HEALTH

GARY NIEHAUS

BETH WALSH-SAHUTSKE COUNSELOR

GROSSE POINTE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM SUPERINTENDENT

Q: WHAT IS THE CORRELATION BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH AND

Q:

Q: IS OPIOID ABUSE EDUCATION A NEED OF THE COMMUNITY? A: I think that you don’t have to look very far, nationally, regionally, to see how the use of opioids has become a skyrocketing statistic. It has regularly doubled and

WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN IN REGARDS TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE?

A: Initially, we know that there has been issues, for instance, at South with regard to two years ago with

Homecoming when we had high school administrators and the police officers come aboard the buses. This year we had the marijuana with the choir kids on the school trip. We have reports of kids going into Detroit to pick up probably heroin or harder drugs. Our borders are full of the medical marijuana shops. As far as I know and have been told, to go into with fake IDs, just like whenever we had them. I grew up with fake IDs buying alcohol. You can do the same thing with medical marijuana cards. I think the availability is much or more than we have in the past.

Q:

WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP TO TACKLING THE PROBLEM IN GROSSE POINTE SCHOOLS?

A: Student and parent awareness. Making people aware we have an issue. We have a problem. It’s a crisis scenario. We have too many lives lost, arrests made, situations that happened inside homes.

Q:

HOW DO THE SCHOOLS HELP STUDENTS DEALING WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE?

SUBSTANCE ABUSE?

A: As a member of the Family Center, I am on the program planning community, and we try to respond to what the needs are in the community. Mental health is part of the needs of the community, so opiates fit into that broader picture.

tripled the amounts of abuse, death and overdoses. It’s a need that’s out there. Sam Quinones beautifully lays out some of the reasons for this (in his book “Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic.” I think it happens in our community as well.

Q: HOW DO YOU SEE THE COMMUNITY MOVING FORWARD? A: One of the things I love about Grosse Pointe is that we truly do have a great community. People talk to each other, we have neighborhood schools,

neighborhood teams and people get to know each other very well. I think that’s a huge blessing for us that we need to capitalize on. We need to understand that we are all in this together and get on the same page. If I could make a wish for the community, it would be to think of all of our families as extensions of our own families. And have that sense of responsibility where they say, “I care about your health, I care about your safety,” and have the courage to actually allow consequences to happen and to prevent trouble when it happens. And I think it’s a lot easier said than done. When we have families hosting parties, looking the other way when their kids are drinking or smoking marijuana, or justifying with one story or another. Or families that are using, themselves. Alcohol is a big problem in our community. It’s a matter of acting as a community and allowing our students to experience consequences, so they can grow from that.

A: We have to have an opportunity. They look up to their coaches. They look up to their activity director. If they look up to them and a teacher says something to them, they are going to take it in and is usually reflected on, and it’s the same way with friends. If you’re a friend and know that something is going on and care about you friend, you need to let them know you’re not comfortable with what’s going on.

Q: WITH SCHOOL THAT BOASTS EXCELLENCE AND PUTS A LOT OF PRESSURE ON STUDENTS, HOW DO YOU PLAN ON RELIEVING SOME OF THIS PRESSURE?

A: Two parts: one when we as a school and a district have high expectations, and two when parents have high expectations for their kids. We want you to do the best you can and get into the best colleges. There has to be communication with the students who is feeling that pressure and feeling that stress that they can say, “I need to back off.”

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Q&A

HOW DO OTHER SCHOOLS EDUCATE THEIR STUDENTS ABOUT SUBSTANCE ABUSE?

ALI HAMKA

BIRMINGHAM SEAHOLM HIGH SCHOOL ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

PETER GAINS

UNIVERSITY OF LIGGETT UPPER-SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Q: HOW DOES YOUR SCHOOL EDUCATE STUDENTS IN REGARDS Q: HOW DOES YOUR SCHOOL EDUCATE STUDENTS IN REGARDS TO DRUGS?

TO DRUGS?

Community Coalition and Youth Action Board as well as presentations about drug addiction and finding help.

place around our community as well.

A: Seaholm educates students through our health curriculum, grade-level assemblies with our police liaison, and through our Birmingham / Bloomfield

A: We educate students and families through programming that we have offered here at school and by sharing information about programming that takes

IF STUDENTS ARE CAUGHT USING SUBSTANCES ON OR OFF Q: DO YOU FEEL YOUR SCHOOL ADEQUATELY ADDRESSES THIS Q: SCHOOL GROUNDS, WHAT ARE THE REPERCUSSIONS TAKEN? ISSUE? A: We have clear policies that result in disciplinary consequences for any use or A: Yes, to the best of our ability, while maintaining mindful and realistic possession of substances at school or school sponsored activities. expectations.

Q: WHAT CHANGES COULD BE MADE TO IMPROVE THE

Q: WHAT ARE THE PRECAUTIONS TAKEN WHEN CONFRONTING

CURRENT SYSTEM?

STUDENTS WHO DO THIS? WHAT DO YOU ADVISE TO STUDENTS WHO STRUGGLE WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE?

communities dealing with drugs and alcohol.

disciplinary response.

A: I believe the improvement can come from the community, which is a societal A: We do our best to take a counseling approach when we can if students issue, stemming from the fact that our community is not much different than other come forward to share information with us and there has not been grounds for Q: ARE THERE SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO HELP STUDENTS STRUGGLING WITH DRUG-RELATED PROBLEMS?

Q: AS THE SMALLEST GP HIGH SCHOOL, DO YOU THINK LIGGETT HAS FEWER STUDENTS INVOLVED WITH SUBSTANCES?

A: Seaholm has professional drug and alcohol assessment by an outside agency A: I think we benefit from having many adults at school who know our as well as random drug testing by parents or agency with results reported to Crisis students very well. This helps us to counsel students and families when we become Counselor.

aware of an issue or need.

JULIE BREWSTER GROSSE POINTE NORTH SOCIAL WORKER (EDITOR’S NOTE: THESE RESPONSES WERE APPROVED BY THE NORTH PRINCIPAL BEFORE THEY WERE SUBMITTED TO THE TOWER)

Q: HOW DOES NORTH EDUCATE THEIR STUDENTS ABOUT SUBSTANCE ABUSE? A: Substance use continues to be an issue in high schools across the country. At North, the administration and counseling staff work in a variety of ways with students who have substance use issues to provide the appropriate support they need. Students may be referred to their counselor, or our Choices

program with the School Social Worker, for individual or group meetings. Students, in collaboration with their parents, may be referred for substance abuse counseling and other community resources for additional support. In my experience at North, our staff and students are very concerned about this issue and will refer students for assistance to their counselor. North also has a very active SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) Club that provides supportive messages and service to the school thereby helping students make healthy and positive choices in their lives. This is a complex issue that always needs attention and care in schools, the family and the community.

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cold hard facts

here are some of the most commonly abused drugs, their effects, what they do and deaths per year

ADDERALL

What is it? A powerful blend of four amphetamines that include Dexedrine and Benzedrine; it is a strong stimulant to treat ADHD typically.

What does it do? Adderall works by disrupting how neurons, or brain cells, use dopamine and norepinephrine, to transmit information. The brain uses dopamine to send messages about rewards and movement, and norepinephrine for fight-or-flight responses.

What are the effects? Increased blood pressure and heart rate, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, chest pain, paranoia, fever, seizures, sleeplessness and changes in appetite.

Estimated deaths per year? 19,000.

COCAINE

What is it? An addictive drug derived from coca or prepared synthetically.

What does it do? Constricts blood vessels, dilates pupils, and increases body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure.

What are the effects? People who use cocaine can suffer heart attacks or strokes, which may cause sudden death.

Related deaths are often a result of the heart stopping followed by an arrest of breathing.

Estimated deaths per year? 10,000.

MARIJUANA

What is it? Drug made from Cannabis sativa plant.

What does it do? Causes red eyes, dilated pupils, slow reaction time, dizziness and increased appetite.

What are the effects? Suppression of immune system and has been found to have various effects on fertility including birth defects if mother smoked while pregnant and decreased sperm production.

Estimated deaths per year? Unknown (mainly laced marijuana).

OPIATES (HEROIN AND MORPHINE):

What is it? A group of drugs that are used for treating pain. They are derived from opium which comes from the poppy plant What does it do? Produce a sense of wellbeing or euphoria that can be addictive to some people.

What are the effects? High dosages of opiates can cause death from cardiac or respiratory arrest.

Estimated deaths per year? 9,000 (prescription pain) and 10,500 (heroin).

ALCOHOL

What is it? Alcohol is produced by the fermentation of yeast, sugars, and starches. It is a central nervous system depressant that is rapidly absorbed from the stomach and small intestine into the bloodstream What does it do? Molecules in alcohol are so small that they fit through the gaps between your brain cells. Then the molecules inhibit the neurotransmitters in your brain.

What are the effects? Impaired judgment, brain damage, memory loss, vomiting, liver problems and many more.

Estimated deaths per year: 88,000 (excessive use).

XANAX

What is it? Xanax is a powerful benzodiazepine drug that is used typically for anxiety disorders.

What does it do? Works by slowing down the brain?

What are the effects? Drowsiness, dizziness, insomnia, memory problems, poor balance or coordination, slurred speech, trouble concentrating and irritability.

Estimated deaths per year? 500 (most intentional overdoses). information compiled by MAGGIE WRIGHT ’16 from WWW.DRUGABUSE.GOV AND WWW.HEALTHLINE.COM/GRAPHICS BY RILEY LYNCH

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Tuesday, April 19th 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Grosse Pointe North Gym Representatives from over 100 schools and military organizations will answer questions and educate students and their parents.

Monday - Thursday 4:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. Friday - Saturday 4:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M. Sundays Noon to 9:00 P.M. Dine-In, Carry Out, Delivery and Catering

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symptoms of addiction HELPLINES

1 2 3 4

Spending less time engaging in hobbies, or sacrificing hanging out with family and friends to use alcohol or drugs. Skipping school or grades dropping also raises red flags.

Taking serious risks in order to obtain drugs.

Relationship Issues: Acting out towards people you’re closest to, especially if they’re trying to confront you with your substance abuse problems.

Secrecy: Making extra efforts to hide your consumption of drugs.

PARADIGM MALIBU TREATMENT CENTER Malibu, CA (855)780-TEEN About: Utilizes talk and group therapy, as well as medication (if needed). Offers dual-diagnosis treatment for those also struggling with mental health.

Considered one of the top teen programs nationwide. Addresses the problems that led to addiction as one of the main components of treatment. http://paradigmmalibu.com

5 6 7

SAMHSA’s (Substance Abuse Changing appearance: wearing unclean and Mental Health Services clothes or not showering -- a complete Administration) deterioration in appearance.

A free, 24/7 national helpline.

Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) A family history of addiction increases chances of addiction. Children of addicts are eight times more vulnerable to developing a substance abuse addiction, according to addictionsandrecovery.org.

SAFETEENS.ORG A free hotline specifically for the needs of teens struggling with substance abuse Call 888 4 AL-ANON (888-425-2666)

Withdrawal: Feeling anxious or jumpy when attempting to abstain from drugs.

Other symptoms also include shakiness, trembling, sweating, nausea, loss of appetite and headaches.

OTHER RESOURCES: RECOVERY.ORG, an online forum where teens can talk to other teens about their substance abuse problems.

REDCLIFF ASCENT WILDERNESS TREATMENT PROGRAM Utah (435)414-6222 About: Uses a program where they first disrupt a teens current behavioral patterns, then reintegrate the teens at the appropriate developmental level www.redcliffascent.com

INFO ACCORDING TO NCADD.ORG

TEN16 RECOVERY NETWORK 1213 E. Isabella Rd, Midland, MI 48640 (800)835-5611 About: Includes a specialized program, helping people to identify why they turned to the substance, and what healthier outlets can be used to recover from their addiction. www.1016.org

WHERE TO GET HELP

SELF-HELP ADDICTION REHAB (SHAR) 1852 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48208 (313)894-8444 About: Helps around 6,000 people per year, and works specially with those in prison and veterans, and the program runs on a therapeutic-community model, that also combines dualdiagnosis treatment for those with mental health diseases www.sharinc.org

DAWN FARM 6633 Stony Creek Rd, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 (734)485-8725 About: A residential rehabilitation program striving for family affordibility, according to its official website. Programs at Dawn Farm range from inpatient rehabilitation to outpatient services as well. www.dawnfarm.org

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