Drug Use in Cherry Hill

I found this article on drug us in the town where I live. http://cherryhill.patch.com/articles/report-drug-use-up-slightly-at-cherry-hill-schools. There is always a question about the value of catching a few drug users against the need to protect kids from getting into serious drug problems. When students are separated from their peers, as often happens with kids who get in trouble, it increases the risk for them of more serious consequences down the line. Obviously, we have to balance the need to protect the school body from negative influences and for keep young people to feel hopeful and as part of the group. I wrote the following email to the author of this article, referring to my thoughts on how unfair homework pressures can contribute to substance abuse.

"I read your Patch article on the incidence of drug use in the Cherry Hill Schools. I'm a Cherry Hill resident who practices psychology in Haddon Heights, and would like to share some thoughts with you. Although the incidence is up, it is important to keep in mind that the differences, in real numbers, is not particularly great. To the best of my knowledge, there is a far greater problem of drug addiction, among Cherry Hill youth, than can be captured by those small numbers alone. I consider it important to go beyond the numbers and consider the longer term implications for our kids. In the end, we are not just concerned about "bad behavior" at school, but its longer implications on the child's future life. The kids who get caught up in serious drug use later on are typically those who feel outside the mainstream and lose interest in school. They leave school without the tools they need to manage adult life.

"I've written on this before and see a direct connection between educational practices, homework policy in particular, and the risk of drug problems. Let me direct you to an article I wrote on my blog, Homework Relief: The Anti-Drug. I would enjoy furthering this conversation."

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Dr. Kenneth Goldberg, is the author of The Homework Trap: How to Save the Sanity of Parents, Teachers, and Students, published by Wyndmoor Press.