About this page

Each week, Hawaii's teenage reporters and photographers tell us about their high school. This week's school is Kapaa High School on Kauai.

Next week: Sacred Hearts Academy

COURTESY OF KAPAA HIGH SCHOOL Kapaa High School, with a current enrollment of 1,200 students, was founded in 1883 by King David Kalakaua.

Marijuana problem
set on back burner

About 35 students so far this school year
have been suspended for possession of pot

Hope shows a warm and winning outlook
Warrior facts
Student Q & A

---

By Raven Woods
Kapaa High School

One morning in December, Principal Gilmore Youn appeared on the morning announcements commenting on the recent rise in student suspensions resulting from possession of marijuana.

So far this school year, about 35 students have been suspended for possessing or suspicion of possessing marijuana. The marijuana situation gets worse every year, and most of the students who are caught are freshmen. The principal says this is because the older students are more "elusive."

"This tells us that the freshmen came to Kapaa High already having the drug habit," the principal said in an interview.

Although marijuana is not the biggest problem on campus, it adds to the biggest problems: attendance and failures. The students ultimately pay the biggest price. Their grades suffer, and few of the students who are caught have a high grade-point average.

"Whether you choose to break the law on your own time or not, school is neither the time nor the place for the use of marijuana," an anonymous staff member said.

To the students at Kapaa High School, marijuana is a problem not just at school, but a problem in the community.

However, students on campus do not take the problem seriously or see marijuana as a dangerous drug.

"When I was 14, I worked as a dishwasher in a hotel in Princeville, and every night most of the crew would go out and smoke pot and continue working," an anonymous student said.

Some students believe they can still function after smoking marijuana.

According to the Kauai Police Department, most marijuana arrests have been of juveniles rather than adults.

Of DUI arrests made in the past year, 5 percent were for being under the influence of marijuana and no other drug.

The Nov. 4 issue of Time magazine said that nationally there is an overwhelming tolerance for marijuana use for medical purposes and personal use in small amounts.

Some 72 percent of people polled felt that people arrested for possessing small amounts of marijuana should be fined and not jailed, and 80 percent felt adults should be able to use marijuana legally for medical purposes.

What studies do not say are the long-term effects of marijuana use. Do smokers who have been using drugs for 10 or more years have functioning long- and short-term memory? Are they able to function in high-stress, detail-oriented professions? Do they have problems with responsibility or motivation? These issues have not been addressed in scientific studies adequately.

Marijuana is a subtle drug. The superficial issues of whether it should be legalized for medical purposes or whether it leads to other drug use are not what is important.

What is important is whether this drug causes detrimental effects in people's lives.

And marijuana does indeed hurt students' lives when they are caught.

Marijuana may not be the biggest or most important problem on campus, but the problem does exist.

Parents need to be more involved in the lives of their kids to really make a difference.

Even if students come to school high on drugs and still can do their work, they are damaging themselves.

If the parents, school officials or even the students themselves will not step up to the plate, kids will go on thinking there is nothing wrong with their habit.

---

BACK TO TOP
|

Warrior facts Address: 4695 Mailihuna Road, Kapaa, HI 96746 Phone number: 808-821-4400 Mission statement: To provide a supportive and nurturing environment where students are academically prepared for life and citizenship; where the needs of self are balanced with the needs of others. Newspaper: The Tradewind Editor: John Fry Faculty adviser: Elen Verzosa Principal: Gilmore Youn Students: 1,200 Average class size: 27 Faculty and staff: 130 Mascot: Warrior School colors: Green and white Fun facts: >> The school was founded in 1883 by King David Kalakaua. >> School uniforms will be used starting next year.

---

BACK TO TOP
|

You asked

What do you think about how special-education students get less suspension time than regular students for drug-related offenses?

Erik Sears
Senior
"I feel that it is really unfair that people who are in special-education classes because they don't want to work and are typically 'druggies' can get away with doing something they do normally, when regular students get twice the punishment."

Vanessa Scotland
Senior
"I see no point; everyone is supposed to be equal. There shouldn't be exceptions for anyone, even if they have special needs."

Heather Borges
Senior
"It isn't fair that the so called 'special ed' students have a less serious punishment than students who attend normal classes. The administration is more lenient on them because their expectations are lower. I'm saying that they should punish everyone equally, no matter what type of education they have."

Deidra Spencer
Senior
"Each student in special ed knows what they are doing and therefore should get the same punishment as a normal-education child."

Briana Conant
Sophomore
"I feel that it's pretty unfair. You hear the faculty and staff talk about how we should treat the special-ed students equally (which we do), and then they go ahead and give them a shorter suspension than 'normal' kids. I know for a fact that most of the special-ed students aren't totally mentally challenged, so they should be just as responsible for their bad actions as regular students should be."

Martin Antonio
Junior
"I think that we should be more equal in our punishments. Just because they are special means nothing."

Marcus Punzal
Senior
"I think that the special-ed kids should be suspended for the full 90 days because just because they are special ed doesn't mean that they don't know the difference between right and wrong in smoking pot."

Trina Gerhart
Junior
"I believe that it is really dumb because everyone should be treated equally for getting into trouble for a serious thing like that."

Click for online
calendars and events.