According to Chalkbeat.org, New York City teens have been dealing with an ongoing mental health crisis which has caused drug usage to increase during school hours. Marijuana has been the most commonly used drug so far. Students turn to this substance in hopes of relieving their anxiety, depression, and stress which relates back to the start of the pandemic. 

“It’s apparent that students are looking for an answer and a way to escape the feelings and thoughts that are going through their minds and hearts. Unfortunately, substances such as marijuana are much more readily available to the youth than actual mental and emotional help,” stated WJPS SAPIS teacher, Mr. Uchenna.

Mr. Uchenna also claimed that many students may not be able to afford mental and emotional coaching or assistance, which can lead to barriers in communication, and he thinks the “individuals that need it the most are deprived of the resources.”

WJPS sophomore Frenesi Reyes said, “I think there needs to be more of a control towards it, and there’s not much staff can do because drugs are so accessible to teenagers nowadays that they could easily purchase them outside of school hours. More action needs to be done in favor of teens to steer them away from drug usage.” 

“Drug Free Zone? Free Drug Zone?” by byungkyupark is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.