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After reading all of the responses posted, I do not think I have anything to add. I agree with every option that's been suggested - part of being an adolescent, fitting in, to match the media's image, because that's what was modeled growing up, feeling better, feeling nothing, to manage anxiety, etc. I think I have noticed all of these at CHS except the fitting in portion, which makes me sad to know that is a culture outside of our building.

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I think our students use drugs for many reasons. Some use because they have grown up in environments where they see the adults in their lives using. Some are influenced by the media and music culture and see famous people they hope to emulate using drugs. Also, some seek an escape form boredom and/or pain. Drugs offer a perceived relief from depression and anxiety. Finally, some of our students use to fit in socially. I fear that many of our younger students may fall into this category at CHS as they try to find a group of friends.

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I think that for many people it starts with a simple curiosity. Curiosity leads to experimentation which in some cases leads to habits and addictions. The habits/ addictions can then be used as an escape mechanism for the challenges in anyone's life. I think experimentation often starts out of boredom. Therefore I think it is crucially important that we give youth other positive outlets that they truly enjoy. 

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I think that for many people it starts with a simple curiosity. Curiosity leads to experimentation which in some cases leads to habits and addictions. The habits/ addictions can then be used as an escape mechanism for the challenges in anyone's life. I think experimentation often starts out of boredom. Therefore I think it is crucially important that we give youth other positive outlets that they truly enjoy. 

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-Kylie

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I think it is natural to experiment with drugs and alcohol. I believe they become a way to escape when life gets difficult and easier to abuse if the difficult times are greater than the happy times. Peer acceptance of course is always a drive.

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In reading the responses of others, I agree with most of what my colleagues have said. I think it isn't much different than the first time most people experiment: cool factor, curiosity, rebelliousness, and honestly, we teach the gamblers. Most CHS kids (in my estimation) will take the risk to see if the favorable outcome is where they land (not getting busted), and if it isn't, this is certainly a safe place to gamble with a harsh consequence (I am talking about what we would do in terms of consequences, not something like an overdose).

Thinking beyond that first time, why do they continue? The behaviorist in me is tempted to boil it down to simple reinforcement; they can be socially reinforced (I have talked to a number of kids who took their first puff of cigs and vapes at our own smoker's corner because there is a CHS culture we are not part of, and they have stated it felt like the quickest route to acceptance into the underbelly of the CHS culture), physiologically reinforced (feels good), identity can be reinforced (I am my own person and no one tells me how to live/what to do), and so on.

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Jason                                              If one considers the history of the majority of human cultures, it appears there is some innate human curiosity, if not desire, to experiment with altering and/or expanding human perception/consciousness. The reasons why are numerous, and include but are not limited to curiosity, distraction, escape, insights, pain relief, peer pressure, etc.

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Jason                                              If one considers the history of the majority of human cultures, it appears there is some innate human curiosity, if not desire, to experiment with altering and/or expanding human perception/consciousness. The reasons why are numerous, and include but are not limited to curiosity, distraction, escape, insights, pain relief, peer pressure, etc.

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I feel it is perfectly normal for youngsters to step over any line that is drawn...it not abnormal...just a growing up thing. Teens in our environment happen to be the type to line step in the realm of drug use rather than extreme sports, computer building, etc. CHS also has a pop. with heavy "baggage" which might lead to a desire to step away from their crazy situations.

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I'm interested in knowing the answers to these questions as well as:
1) if they had a "do over" to that first time of use, what would they have done differently (if they have chosen differently)
2) What would they tell their younger self (when they first started using) regarding use?
3) What were their views towards drugs at age 5? at age 8? at age 10? at age 13? current? What caused it to change?
4) What would cause them to choose permanent sobriety?

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Their use may at first be truly recreational and turn to habitual. Their lives may be so off track that this is a way to escape

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Risk-taking behavior
Peer pressure
social
depression, anxiety, self-medicating
other disability, maybe undiagnosed (adhd, autism, etc.)

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They may start because their friends are using/ exploring- so a social reason.  Some have faced really hellish traumas and may also been looking for escape and numbing.

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I think that our students experiment for multiple reasons.

Humans are not the only species to explore consciousness and I do believe that we are naturally inclined to explore our internal and external worlds and drugs are an avenue to do this.

Students can use drugs as a way to provide increased social opportunities.

But most importantly kids use it to comfort themselves with the discomfort they experience in their lives. Unfortunately this comfort they seek is often replaced by numbness.

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I think our students use for a broad range of reason- natural curiosity to alter consciousness, need to numb out, peer pressure, desire to fit in, ignorance... I think there are so many reasons....

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In my opinion.... I think our students experiment, use and abuse drugs and alcohol because they are impulsive as teenagers AND often they begin to use because they have chaos and dysfunction in their family of origin and personal lives.  Because of this chaos, they use drugs as an escape from their reality.   Then addiction rolls in eventually.  Also, I feel that our students are often struggling with mental health, and they self-medicate.   I think that students would give reasons of not thinking it is harmful and "needing" drugs to sleep, cope with anxiety, etc.