Teen Summit
May 12th, 2017
"Juul Get Lost in the Clouds"
The epidemic of juuling has taken over
Butler High School. Students walk
around with juul pods that contain .7ML
of fluid with 5% nicotine, which is
equivalent to a pack of cigarettes.
Students can be found sneaking around
juuls, hitting juuls in bathroom, and
sometimes while teachers look away in
class. It is out of hand and needs to be
stopped. Awareness needs to spread to
make students aware of the harm of a
trend that can affect them for the rest
of their lives and do irreversible harm.
“He thought he would be cooking in a
gourmet kitchen however, 1 puff and 30
years later he’s cooking in a newspaper
stand.”
#learnfrompeoplenotpain
Like the bottle stuck in a tree, a person
who falls into drug and alcohol abuse is
fixed in place.
As the tree presses in on the bottle, the
addiction consumes a person’s life. But,
this addiction does not have to break
the bottle for it to be freed; support
from family, friends and the community
can help alleviate the crushing weight
of addition.
With resilience, addiction can be
ended.
Our thoughts, our mindset, our life.
Young men and women trying to survive
while our community is at war. At war
against alcohol, tobacco and drugs. We
will stand behind it all and still fight.
Some see us as weak individuals, while
others see us as some of the most
powerful. HEAR OUR VOICE.
The water may be clean but the kids
are not...
Not everyone will encourage good
things, some will try to drag us down
into drug abuse. What makes us
students so desensitized to drug abuse?
Like we have never seen someone we
love fall to misuse. What makes us turn
the other cheek? Why is our will weak?
As an outsider, we seldom consider that
their mentality is bleak. What is it that
stops us from speaking up? When they
reach through the bars of addiction,
tainted by inward affliction. When they
watch you with careless eyes. The lack
of expression are the veil of painful
cries. When will we join and take a
stand? It is today that we can take a
stand and lend out a helping hand.
Thirsty? Reach into the fridge and grab
a drink. What will you choose? The Diet
Coke? The contents of the Spiderman
cup? The Frozen themed tumbler, or
perhaps one of the two open bottles of
wine mingled among the children's
beverages? Everyday children open a
fridge and choose a drink. Such a
simple action can have lasting
consequences. Early exposure to
alcohol and addictive substances leads
to an increased risk of future
dependency. Let us take another look in
our fridge. What are we promoting with
the choices at hand?
EMPTY BOTTLE, EMPTY HOPE
Living, prospering, and flourishing in an inner city where
substance abuse is substantially high and inevitable; it is
our obligation to offer a helping hand to the people
whose lives are being destroyed by alcohol abuse. In this
photo, alcohol is not only seen as empty and used, but it
reinforces a negative image for our youth and growing
community. Substance abuse is a daily struggle.
However, it is up to us to use our significant voice to
reach out for a positive change by being open minded
on this unconscionable matter. Liquor stores are open,
bright and functioning at every corner in the city of
Passaic luring in our youths. Our youth are more likely
to stop at a liquor store and purchase alcohol which may
lead to a life of destruction. Let’s make changes and
have hope for our community.
IS THIS YOUR DAILY STRUGGLE?
We are all here to help.
Everyone has choices in life about whether or not
to use potentially addictive substances. Some
people, however, may have a genetically based
tendency or a predisposition that creates an
addictive personality. Addiction to alcohol has
been found to have both genetic and
environmental causes. Children who are raised in
families where one or both parents are alcoholics
have a greater chance of becoming addicted to
alcohol themselves at some time in their life. As
portrayed in the image above, a young girl
watches as her guardian drinks an excessive
amount of alcohol. The hashtag,
#ididitbecauseshedidit perfectly depicts the role
alcohol plays in families where alcohol is always
present. The risk for becoming future alcoholics
is greater for children raised in an alcoholic home
for they are negatively influenced in an unstable
environment. Children can't control the events
that lead up to future choices, but their
guardians can ensure that their future is better
than their own!
"A lot of people tend to limit themselves and
the things they can achieve. Many think these
streets that raised them are the streets they're
meant to spend the rest of their lives at.
However, they're extremely wrong. There's a
bigger, much different world outside of this
city's borders. The outside world holds people
of all kinds, adventures, life lessons, and many
more things that shape a person. However, if
we refuse to reach our full potential, only
because we think our current location is where
we're supposed to spend the remainder of our
lives, there's no way an individual can grow as
a person. Although this is someone's home, it
may never be yours. So open your eyes, open
your heart, and open your mind. Brace
yourselves for the different world you're about
to step into, and remember where you came
from."
Prioritize the positives – it is your choice.
Shown in this picture are the results of a
young teenager with much potential brought
down by drugs and alcohol. She has let the
healthy, positive aspects of her life fade into
the background while illegal substances began
to take control. Many youth fall to the
pressures of their peers and feel like that is
their only option. It is our job as the Pompton
Lakes High School Health and Wellness
Coalition to show students and youth that
there are other ways to have fun while
avoiding drugs and alcohol; it is your choice.
H.A.W.C works hard every day to encourage
the youth of our community to live a clean
and sober lifestyle free from drugs and
alcohol in order to avoid situations like the
one pictures here.
If you think your habits don’t influence
the precious ones around you … Think
Again.
What we see here is a child leaving
behind his innocence and reaching for
the influence left behind by his parent.
Parents tend to forget that their actions
not only affect them, but their children
as well. Alcoholism takes a toll on
everyone around you, especially
impressionable young kids. Parents have
the biggest impact on their children’s
lives. If you are a parent struggling with
alcoholism, get help — not only for your
future but also for the future of your
children.
The biggest drug in our community many consider
“harmless.” This drug, vaping, has become a fashion
accessory at Wayne Hills. Too often, students reach for
their vape pens before their ball point ones. Vapes
contain harmful ingredients such as nicotine or any illegal
drug that can be liquified. According to the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention, the number of high
schoolers who vaped rose from 1.5-16% in 2015. Vapes
generate addictive qualities in teens that may be hard to
shake later in life, which can facilitate future addictions.
Our intention is to move kids away from vaping and
towards more beneficial pastimes, such as sports and
extracurriculars. These practices can enhance a child’s
future rather than harm it. Through the spreading of
information on the dangers of vaping, we hope to
discourage vape use in our school in order for students to
start focusing on what is important in their lives. We
need to remind the students at Wayne Hills that vaping is
not the answer that you should be writing down.
Every day, the choices we make as teens
hold the power in shaping our identity.
Drinking and driving still exist, in closer
proximity than we even think. 2 out of 5
alcohol-related fatal car crashes involve
teens. But that does not mean they were
the ones under the influence. It’s a
proven fact that driving while drinking is
a severe risk. But it’s the same risk, in
clear sight, to simply be a passenger of
someone under the influence. Next time
you get in a car, think about yourself,
your passengers, friends, and family.
Because all it takes is one choice, and
your identity is permanently changed – in
a blurred black and white, or a clear
“Wayne Valley Blue”.
This picture was taken in a bathroom in
West Milford, NJ. The picture highlights
the easy access to prescription
medications that students experience.
The medicine chest is a source of unused
and expired prescription and over-thecounter medications that can be abused.
Teens often view the use of prescription
medication as safer than illegal
substances; however, they can be just as
dangerous. Two thirds of teens who
report abuse of prescription medicine are
getting them from friends, family, and
acquaintances. Adults should monitor,
secure, and properly dispose of medicine
in the home.