Teenagers often are not looking at the long-term effects, but rather the immediate gratification,” says Maize South High School’s substance use and mental health therapist, Jennifer Mackey. “Their decisions as teens can lead them into a challenging life in the future. The lack of education increases the risk of poverty, criminal justice involvement, addiction, and other mental and physical issues.”
October is National Substance Abuse Awareness Month. According to the American Addiction Centers, 16.7% of people aged 12 and older have struggled with a substance use disorder in the past year. These addictions affect users physically and mentally, impact their interpersonal relationships, and impair their cognitive ability to function in society.
Maize High School’s Teens as Teachers club gives high school students the opportunity to visit the district’s intermediate and middle schools to teach younger students about the effects of drug and alcohol use.
Maize High senior Lexee Shipp, a member of Teens as Teachers, discusses the club’s purpose and goals.
“Teens as Teachers is a club for us older students to educate younger students about drug abuse—what it does to people and how it affects them,” Shipp says.
There are many adult-led programs designed to discourage drug use among students, such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.). Mackey mentions that while these organizations are valuable and well-intentioned, young people are often more engaged and receptive to messages from their peers.
“I think peer-led mentor programs can be beneficial. Youth are often more receptive to peers who are close to their age group,” Mackey says.
The use of drugs and alcohol drastically affects one’s physical and mental health, particularly in teenagers, experts say. The frontal lobe doesn’t fully develop until about age 25, and substances can disrupt that development. Mackey explains this disruption:
“Since the frontal lobe of the brain is still developing until around age 25, the use of substances like THC disrupts that development. Impulsive behavior and lack of decision-making skills increase the risk,” she says.
According to the National Library of Medicine, individuals are more likely to develop a substance use disorder if they begin using during adolescence. There is a reason the legal drinking age is 21—teenage bodies simply cannot handle addictive substances.
Maize High junior and Teens as Teachers member Baylee Baker shares her shock and sadness upon learning how many young kids, even locally, may be engaging in substance use.
“I’ve learned a lot about how many kids do drugs or vape, even starting as early as 5th grade,” Baker says.
Not only does drug and alcohol use have negative effects on the body and mind, but it can also be fatal. People tend to associate overdoses with substances like prescription drugs, heroin, or fentanyl—but there are many other, lesser-known drugs that can be just as deadly. Even more common substances like alcohol and THC can be laced with lethal drugs.
Ultimately, the dangerous reality is that many teenagers use substances—whether it’s alcohol, nicotine, THC, or others. This has disastrous short-term and long-term effects. Maize’s Teens as Teachers club is working hard to educate youth about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use of any kind, please reach out to your school counselor to be referred to a substance abuse therapist.
