Expressing what remains unspoken. - Lynbrook Aletheia

March 2012— Controlled Substances
Volume 2: Issue 6
Submissions
Mission
Aletheia (ah-LAY-thee-uh), which means “truth” in Greek, is a student outreach
publication that strives to provide a voice for all students at Lynbrook High
School. Inspired by Los Gatos High’s Reality Check and Monta Vista’s , Aletheia
was created to facilitate communication and overcome stigmas concerning
prevalent and taboo issues within the Lynbrook community.
About
At the beginning of the school year, the Aletheia staff designates a list of
monthly topics pertaining to the realities of high school. Each issue comprises of
firsthand experiences submitted anonymously by Lynbrook students and alumni,
professional articles relating to that month’s theme, and resources compiled
by the student staff. Finalized newsletters are uploaded online and emailed to
Lynbrook families. Back issues can be found on our website, www.lhsaletheia.
org, under Archives.
The content in Aletheia is composed by the students of Lynbrook High School
in San Jose, California. Ideas and opinions expressed within the publication are
not necessarily reflected by members of the school administration or faculty.
This is the sixth issue of Aletheia for the 2011-12 school year.
All Lynbrook students and alumni are eligible to submit stories. We publish
all submissions that adhere to our guidelines, which are posted on the website.
The Aletheia staff is committed to preserving the integrity of your content
and will not make any changes, with exception to certain profanity (which are
asterisked-out) and basic spelling errors. We do not edit stories for grammar or
syntax.
Our April topic is Rumors and Secrets; stories are due by March 10. If you are
interested in contributing, a submission box and a suggestion form for future
topics are both available online.
Expressing what
remains unspoken.
www.lhsaletheia.org
Student Staff: Aishwarya Nene,
Austin Yu, Daniel Kao, David Lu,
Eileen Bang, Erica Yin, Frances Guo,
Gloria Lin, Hana Zait, Helen Jun,
Kimberly Vaz, Jane Jun,
Jessica Cao, Steven Chao,
Varshaya Visvanathan
Advisers: Cindy Wen & Miko Otoshi

Controlled Substances March 2012
Hip hop made me do it. Well, hip hop and
just about every single one of my lunchtime
friends. Marijuana first entered my life when I was biking
past Rainbow Park with my friends during freshman
year; the pungent smell of an indigestive skunk
and the—at the time—unfamiliar sight of a bunch of
people sitting around passing around a homemade
cigarette. What I didn't know at the time though was
that within a matter of months, I would be doing the
same exact thing only with a different group of people.
What made me go back upon my firm beliefs against
drugs was a mixture of peer influence (not really pressure),
the widespread availability of weed in San Jose,
and the idea that weed was more of a benefit than a
detriment to society and individuals—an idea instilled
upon me by today's pop-culture and rap music.
It's really hard to avoid using drugs, especially when
all of your friends at school begin to use it and constantly
talk about it during brunch and lunch. It began
with only one person out of our group who had used
it and slowly expanded until I was the only one who
hadn't taken a hit before. The more they talked about
it, the more idealized it seemed, but in my heart, I still
believed that it was wrong and that it would be better
for me to avoid trying it at all costs. But as school
got harder and as I became increasingly stressed and
frustrated with school grades and the workload of my
extracurriculars, it began to dawn on me that it might
actually be worth it to try. Deep into the second semester
of my sophomore year is when I first started smoking
weed and what began as a "once a month" ordeal
slowly evolved into a "once a week", "twice a week",
and on rare, but existent occasions, "twice a day" rituals.
It was a way for me to slip away from my stresses
and worries and let me enjoy life like any other partying
American teenager. Life was good for then, but it
was only a matter of time before reality caught back up
with me.
What made me decide to quit smoking marijuana
was that it became too much of a crutch of mine.
Whenever something went wrong, simply wait for the
parents to leave or ask, "Mom, I'm gonna go on a jog,
2
“Drugs are a bet with your mind.”
- Jim Morrison
be back in 20!" and secretly smoke a few bowls from a
DIY apple pipe, or from a tightly packed joint of weed.
When weed wasn't available to me, I simply wasn't able
to cope with much by my own willpower anymore. I
would be all depressed and mopey unless I had a good
dime bag hidden in my sock drawer.
In addition to my difficulty with living without a
stash, I lost many of my friends to disappointment and
sorrow that I wasn't able to rise above the influence.
Between the loss of friends and my personal troubles,
it became painfully obvious that the effect that marijuana
began having on me was one that was benefiting
myself, but not of many of those who were around me
which was what lead me to the decision to set aside
smoking pot for good. Despite everything that happened
however, one thing is certain for me: I do not
regret my brief tango with Mary Jane. It certainly did
help me and hurt me during my period of usage, there
was a lot of lessons that I took from it that will undoubtedly
follow me for the rest of my life.
~ ~ ~
Puff puff pass, puff puff pass, puff puff pass. A
symbolic drug of our generation, and any generation
that's been born in America for the past century
or so. The green sticky herb with that pungent
smell, also known as marijuana. It's not really something
that the law looks out for, unless you're part of
the drug cartel, but it's been becoming a bigger and
bigger epidemic as of late. For me, it was hard to avoid
getting into the whole drug scene because of how it
surrounded me in all aspects of my life. Movies (Pineapple
Express, Dazed and Confused, etc.), music (Mac
Miller, Wiz Khalifa, Kendrick Lamar), and teenage
Californian-American culture. Weed is mentioned in
basically everything I do or partake in and available in
all of the parties that I go to so it only becomes natural
for me to try it out once or twice… or thrice… or so
many times that I can't even remember.
But honest to God, my usage of weed stems purely
from my addictive and extremist way of living. Once I
start something that I find is beneficial to me, I won't
bother stopping or trying to moderate it. I mean, if
it's good for me, why would I stop, right? That's how I
see my usage of weed or any other drug for that matter.
My goal for my usage isn't as much as to get hella
stoned or tweaked at parties so much as it is to find

Aletheia Volume 2: Issue 6
some time to escape into my own little world and running
away from all of my problems. My mind just goes
crazy sometimes because of all the work I have to do
for school and I use drugs as an outlet for the pent up
pressure. To cool my teapot down, just add drugs.
As far as I’m concerned, and I know this is a largely
biased viewpoint, if I’m not bothering you when I’m
doing my thing with drugs, you really shouldn’t give
a f*ck. Unless I’m out in the neighborhood and doing
some hoodrat sh*t, it’s not justifiable for anyone
to tell me that I shouldn’t do drugs. Honestly, no one
aside from my group of friends even know that I am
a frequent user. I don’t come to school high and the
few times that I have, I’ve been in complete control of
myself and haven’t given anyone a reason to question
my sobriety.
Smoke weed, do drugs if you want. But if you do, do
it responsibly and moderate yourself. Don’t make a fool
of yourself by doing it all in public and don’t bother
anyone while on that stuff. You wouldn’t want some sky
high kid coming up to YOU asking YOU for munchies
would you?
“Our national drug is alcohol. We tend
to regard the use of any other drug with
special horror.”
- William S. Borroughs
Today was quite a trip. School ended at 12 something
and everything was perfect. The sun was
shining, the birds were chirping, and we had all the
right utensils. I brought the papers and the lighter,
my friend brought the weed, and all my other friends
brought themselves; the only things you need for a
great stoning session. It wasn't unlike any other postschool
Friday, just a few kids getting high out of their
lives after a week or stress to unwind and have a great
time with a few great friends. many people tell me
that weed is just a waste of time and money, but the
many that tell me that really have not even tried it
themselves. They are just reading off of whatever our
freshman p.e. program taught them. Basically, in the
minds of most people, weed is a super addictive drug
that will kill your lung cells and destroy your brain, but
in reality, weed is nothing like that. Sure it might take
a toll on your lungs, but when compared to cigarettes,
weed barely makes a dent. And in many scientific
researches, weed has been found to reduce the chances
of cancer because of how it kills off old cells to prevent
them from degenerating into cancer cells. Quite amazing
stuff… so why is it still illegal? Now, I'm not going
to go off and preach to everyone why weed should
be legalized and how everyone should get high 25/8,
but what I can say is this: do your mo fuggn research.
Weed is no elixir of life, but at the same time, it's not
the root of all evil and the devil of all herbs. Katt Williams
said it best, "it's just a plant! it just grows like
that and if you just so happen to set it on fire, there are
some effects!" For me personally, I smoke marijuana
on the sixth afternoon of every week in order to leave
life for a few hours. Unwind after all of those hours
spent fighting and toiling over my loads upon loads of
Lynbrook homework. LHS and Cupertino in general is
such a high stress environment, many people just blow
up and breakdown when things go wrong. I just prefer
to sit back, relax and escape for a few hours, and come
back and face the world when my head is clearer and
my mood is… quite happier. It brings out the optimist
in me in times that seem hopeless here at LHS.
And weed is just so f*cking cheap… living in San Jose
means we're literally in the weed capitol of the world
where getting caught seems to be a nonexistent thing
so long as you're smart about it. $10 for a gram and $5
for half, you cant really go wrong with prices like that.
At the end of the day it doesn't hurt nobody; it's just a
tool that some people use to escape. There aren't any
fights at school for weed, there aren't any incidents of
people dying because of weed irresponsibility. If anything,
some people just pass out, but they wake up a bit
later (again as Katt said), "hungry enough to eat everything
in your house. That's the side effects, hungry
happy, sleepy, THAT'S IT!"
Now don't go out to your local drug dealer and ask
for a dime bag quite yet. Weed isn't for everyone, and
I'm just trying to justify why I do it, and prolly why my
friends and other do it at Lynbrook.
“When you smoke the herb,
it reveals you to yourself.”
- Bob Marley
3

4
Controlled Substances March 2012
“Alcohol is a very patient drug. It will wait
for the alcoholic to pick it up one more
time..”
- Mercedes McCambridge
am not, nor will I ever will be, involved in using
I controlled substances, but I grew up in around
moderate use of alcohol and tobacco. I cannot recall
a single moment when I have seen someone from my
mom's side of the family take a single sip of an alcohol
beverage or smoke a cigarette, but my dad's side of the
family is very alcohol-oriented. Even when I do something
as simple as going out to dinner with my dad's
side of the family, we would all go to one of my uncle's
house where the adults would down at least two bottles
of Tsing Tao beer. I dislike the bitter, unpleasant smell
of alcohol, but due to the typical enjoyment of drinking
among my family, I was forced to get used to the
smell.
As little as two years ago, my dad still had his drinking
under control; however, within the past year or so,
my dad has dramatically increased his alcohol intake.
His increase of alcohol first started when my dad
would lose a significant amount of money when doing
online business trading. He would be stressed throughout
the day, and he would come home after work and
drink a very small amount from the new 1 liter bottle
of Asian rice wine he bought. As time went on, my dad
drank when he earned money while drinking twice as
much when he lost money. Eventually, my dad would
come home with random bottles of beer or wine, and
he could finish 1 liter bottles within one to one and a
half weeks. My mom and I were very displeased and
worried about my dad's drinking, so we would sometimes
hide his beer or wine bottles as an attempt to
make my dad stop drinking. Even if my mom and I
begged my dad to take some responsibility and control
his mindless drinking, he would still have at least 1-2
drinks per day. Whenever I talk to my dad, the bitter
smell of alcohol lingers in my dad's breath. His room
and clothes started to accumulate a stronger smell of
alcohol everyday, and sniffing the lung-burning odor
leaves a horrible idea in my mind that my dad is on the
edge of having a minor drinking problem.
Although I know that my dad drinks to relieve his
stress, it saddens me to think that my dad would rather
turns towards a controlled substance for comfort
rather than his own family.
“Drugs are a waste of time. They destroy
your memory and your self-respect and
everything that goes along with your self
esteem.”
- Kurt Cobain
It's 3am and my roommate is banging a jar of
dip as hard as he can on his mattress. I'm trying
to sleep, but he's eating chips so loud I can hear
them through both earplugs and noise cancelling
headphones. He gets high practically every night and
keeps me up by cramming his mouth full of food. He's
already been cited twice for possession by the police
here, and it's only been one semester. I have nothing
against the use of marijuana, as long as it's being used
far away from me. I'm very sensitive to strong odors,
so the first time I walked in on my roommate and his
friends smoking in our room, I couldn't breathe at all.
After exaggerating my suffering in front of them all, at
least now they don't use our room... but occasionally
he'll fart significantly louder than usual when leaving
the room and say something along the lines of, "I
hope you don't get nauseous," before closing the door.
He's walked over to me and breathed right in my face
without warning, afterwards asking if I could smell pot
on his breath. It made me feel sick. He didn't do it with
malicious intent, but he has horrible judgment skills
when he's high. He likes his alcohol too. I think he has
about twenty cans of beer in his refrigerator and occasionally
I see him stashing a huge jug of whiskey in
his backpack. He's come back drunk quite a few times
and each time it's been a catastrophe. He'll fall out of
bed and knock over anything in his way to the door,
and if I'm lucky he'll figure out how to open it before
he releases a torrent of urine in whatever direction he's
facing. Other times he'll throw up all over the sink, in
the recycling bin... or everywhere. I'm the one who has
to clean any sort of mess, since I don't trust him with
proper sanitation, and I really don't want urine saturating
and drying on my homework or clothing.
I don't care if you use them, just don't use them
carelessly.

Aletheia Volume 2: Issue 6
tried pot a couple of times. There, I said it. Pot is
I so prevalent in our pop culture today that I just
had to, I was just so curious.
What was it like?
Underwhelming. I think a lot of people have the
misconception that when you're high you have no
control over yourself. That's what being drunk feels
like. Being high is a controlled feeling, you can choose
whether you want to act totally stupid or completely
normal. It's practically undetectable by parents.
It also mellows you out. Suddenly things are f*cking
funny, you're in a great mood and all your troubles are
gone.
Then there's the usual side effects—time takes so
long to pass, food tastes f*cking great and the feeling
like you're walking through a dream.
Though I did like the feeling, in the end I decided
it wasn't really worth it. However, I did become a lot
less judgmental about it. Honestly, people who do pot
aren't bad people. Pot is the least physically addictive
out of all the drugs, and when you're high, you're still
in control unlike when you're drunk. People need to
stop stigmatizing and judging. If someone uses pot,
it doesn't make them a bad person. It doesn't harm
anyone but themselves. It's just a choice they made
with their body. Unless they're using it responsibly—as
in not letting it take over their life and not trying to get
others into it—then don't judge so harshly.
“Character is determined more by the
lack of certain experiences than by those
one has had.”
- Friedrich Nietzsche
I've never done drugs before. Never wanted to.
And I doubt I ever will.
But I've always wondered how that high feels. How
it feels to escape reality. And I've always wanted to find
that escape, maybe not in drugs but in some other way.
I feel like kids at our school do them to escape the
pressure. The pressure from parents, teachers, friends,
everything. It's their way of building up this wall that
screams "I don't care what people think!" even though
they really do.
My best friend built that wall, and now I can't talk to
her. It's been a few years, but I miss her.
We used to be so alike and do everything together.
Drugs changed her. But at least she found her escape.
She used to be my escape. The one I told everything
to. The one who didn't judge me for my b*tchy
thoughts or embarrassing stories. What do I have now?
“I don't do drugs. If I want a rush I just
stand up when I'm not expecting it.”
- Dylan Moran
am determined to avoid controlled substances, no
I matter what kind of judgment I receive. I am fully
aware that numerous students at Lynbrook use controlled
substances quite frequently. Most people know
exactly who these people are. They do a terrible job of
hiding the fact that everyday they sit at Rainbow park
and smoke weed. We can even smell it from several
yards away.
The use of controlled substances, no matter how
"harmless" they seem, is plain wrong, no matter what
anyone else says. Though most people are under the
impression that marijuana is a harmless drug and it's
non-addictive, they are completely misinformed. It is
widely known that there are harmful chemicals in marijuana,
and the amount of tar in one joint is horrifying.
There are other ways to relieve stress besides smoking,
though it appears nobody is aware of this. Normally,
when I am stressed, I listen to music, ride my bike,
exercise, read, paint. There are so many ways to relieve
stress about school or about home issues without doing
harm to your body. In fact, going outside and just wandering
is doing your body good. Though drugs may
seem like an escape to these problems, they are making
them worse. By ignoring the issues and using drugs
to escape, problems become intensified. New ones are
added. It is also important to consider your future. Do
you want to have healthy children? How important is it
to you to have a long and fulfilled life? All these questions
should run through a person's mind before they
smoke even a cigarette or decide to do drugs. Because
the truth is, there are more opportunities and freedom
offered to those who refrain from drug use. In the end,
though, it is a person's own decision what they are getting
themselves into.
5

6
Controlled Substances March 2012
My friend Excalibur (not her real name) encourages
me to seize the day, carpe diem and
enjoy life. And one of the ways I will be doing that is by
going outside to visit restaurants, shopping and NOT
using any controlled substances. Life on this earth is
dangerous enough without having to drink alcohol and
absinthe and whatever else they consume these days.
Richard Dawkins once said "We are going to die, and
that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never
going to die because they are never going to be born.
The potential people who could have been standing in
my place but who will never see the light of day outnumber
the sand grains of Sahara—more, the atoms
in the universe. Certainly those unborn ghosts include
greater poets than Donne, greater scientists than
Newton, greater composers than Beethoven. We know
this because the set of possible people allowed by our
DNA so massively outnumbers the set of actual people.
In the teeth of these stupefying odds it is you and I
that are privileged to be here, privileged with eyes to
see where we are and brains to wonder why." I am not
going to tread those odds by drinking. That is what
motivates me.
“Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is
the destruction.”
- Bob Marley
find it relaxing, the high I get from smoking weed.
I All through life all I get is stress and sometimes I
need to relax and my body doesn't allow it. So I smoke
and I feel myself relax and any headaches fade to the
background, my muscles one by one lose their tenseness
and I feel content. Even when I become hyperactive
I am still relaxed, it feels as if my life is spent
with my mind curled in a protective ball too tense to
do anything. And when I relax it unfolds and I feel
at ease, I don't even care about the impairment as it
never makes me lose control, I just revel in the feeling
of complete abandonment of care even if it is just
for a short while. I tried drinking with much the same
result, I drank just the right amount and I simply felt
happy, not tipsy or impaired, everything was just happy.
When I talked I felt an actual laugh always on the
verge of bubbling through my voice because I was so
happy. I don't get hangovers, I just wake up a little tired
and shake it off, I make sure I still retain control and I
never hurt anyone in an impaired state. I may even be
more careful while I am not in my right mind, I have
always feared hurting someone and my basic instinct
is to preserve and help at any cost, so I don't do things
that could end with people hurt. My life was ruined by
people who could not let go of their drink, so I make
sure to never become dependent or addicted. I would
hate myself if I ever had to rely on something beyond
myself, so I take everything in moderation, smoking
occasionally, drinking rarely. I wish everyone were like
this, it would make the world so much nicer. There
would be fewer drunks and burnouts, less addicts and
less money wasted on controlling substances that control
their user. Maybe then I could feel relaxed when
needed and I wouldn't have to wade through so much
just to make my body do something it can't do itself.
“You realize that people take drugs
because it's the only real personal adventure
left to them in their time-constrained,
law-and-order, property-lined
world. It's only in drugs or death we'll see
anything new, and death is just
too controlling.”
- Chuck Palahniuk
My parents graduated from Stanford, my mother
with a PhD. My sister is majoring in Astrophysics
at Yale University. Current GPA? 4.0. Current
classes? All AP's.
But you know what? I love LSD, and I'm not talking
about Lynbrook Speech and Debate.
My sister first introduced it to me when I was in
middle school. Life was hard and I was frustrated
with my B in Woodshop, so my sister took me outside
and introduced me to a world of beautiful sights and
sounds, colors and sensation... a place where gravity
was a mere figment of my imagination.
But I'm not a rapper.
I keep up my grades, lead a healthy (for the most
part) social life, and don't let my substance usage get in
the way of high school.
The only time my LSD usage has caused a problem
in my life was when I almost killed my boyfriend, by

Aletheia Volume 2: Issue 6
accident of course. We had just come back from an
intense debate tournament and wanted to relax with
a nice Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds session, so we
drove to an empty parking lot to have some fun.
Once we started feeling the full effects of the drug,
we got out of the car and started running around the
parking lot, taking interest in the smallest and mundane
things. My boyfriend started playfully pushing
me around, and in response, I pushed him into the
street. He fell down hard and couldn't move (an effect
of the LSD), but we just started laughing uncontrollably,
not seeing the imminent danger of a 3-ton truck
approaching. To us, at our current state, the situation
could only have been made better in I also jumped into
the street and started rolling around on the ground.
Luckily, the truck driver saw us and swerved around,
honking at our stupidity. Yet this experience hasn't
encouraged me to quit LSD, instead it motivates me to
do it even more! Life is a collection of learning experiences,
and how can I learn from my mistakes if I don't
take a risk once in a while?
~ ~ ~
am a Lynbrook alumni. My exposure to controlled
I substances didn't really occur until I came to college.
Coming from Lynbrook I feel, no wait, I KNOW
that I lived an extremely sheltered life. I didn't even
know "pot" and "weed" were the same thing until I
came here. I guess I should have paid better attention
during Drug/Alcohol education in PE. But honestly,
learning about these things from a handout and experiencing
it in person are two very different things.
A lot of students in college smoke and drink. The
majority of us are adults and we are old enough to
make decisions for ourselves. It took me a while but
I can finally recognize the smell of marijuana if it is
being smoked in the dorms. The smell is strong and
lingers for a while and I find it very unpleasant. RAs
have a certain radar for trouble and all they have to do
is follow the scent of the "pot" or alcohol.
I do not smoke or drink. I choose not to drink
because I am underage, and I choose not to smoke/
do drugs because of its negative effects on the body. I
don't mind people who do as long as their habits do
not interfere with me or my personal property (for
example, as long as they don't throw up on my bed or
something after a night of partying).
My first semester of college was rough and unpleasant
because of my roommate, who was paired with me
at random. He smoked cigarettes in our room (which
is illegal), attempted to tamper with smoke detectors
(also illegal), and drank excessively (illegal in dorms,
plus he is underage). I wanted to be a good roommate
so I compromised and told him that he could drink
in our room by himself and not with a group of 20
people, at the risk of my own record being tarnished
(when someone is caught for doing something illegal,
everyone in the room/suite gets written up by the
RA, regardless of whether they were involved in the
act or not. I could be sleeping while my roommate is
drinking and if he were caught, it would still go on my
record).
Several times, he came home extremely intoxicated,
with a girl, to the point where he would not notice my
presence in the room (although the lights were on).
They would proceed to take steps towards fornication,
resulting in my forced exiling from my own bedroom
(hence the term "sexile").
He broke many agreements between the both of us
and was discourteous in every area imaginable—he let
his friends sleep in my bed one evening when I was not
home. I returned to my room to find it a melting pot of
booze and cigarette smoke.
My experiences with substances has been quite
negative, as they have greatly influenced how I see college
and some of the people I'm around.
Of course, I do have friends who use controlled
substances/drink and it is not a bother to me in any
way because they are courteous and smart about it.
My boyfriend told me he tried alcohol and weed; it's
really damaged our relationship. I don't know, but I
wish I could turn back time. Then I would have told
him he doesn't need to experience either. I know some
may say that's stupid of me and that teenagers "do that
stuff," but what the heck! It's against the law for one
thing, and what do you gain from it? A cockeyed view
of popularity? Do you FEEL good? Alcohol tastes disgusting
and weed smells horrible. There are other ways
to have fun, and if you think getting high and drunk
are the means to entertainment—you're just a boring
person.
“First you take a drink, then the drink
takes a drink, then the drink takes you.”
- F. Scott Fitzgerald
7

8
Controlled Substances March 2012
smoke 2 packs of cigarettes a day. I blaze a few
I times every week to be social. I drink copiously
at parties. And I still have nearly a 4.0 GPA. There's a
stigma that people have of those who frequently use
controlled substances: we're stupid, lazy, and not going
to get anywhere in life. And, to be fair, many of my
friends fit that stereotype. But just looking at me, you
wouldn't guess that I've even gotten near drugs or alcohol.
I have no regrets about my choice in lifestyle, and I
hope you won't judge me for that.
“Today's students can put dope in their
veins or hope in their brains. If they
can conceive it and believe it, they can
achieve it. They must know it is not their
aptitude but their attitude that will determine
their altitude.”
- Jesse Jackson
There's a reason why people say "Don't do drugs."
It f*cking messes up your life. I have never done
them myself (except this one time during the summer
but that doesn't count because it was just hookah and
it didn't get me high or anything. It's basically flavored
water vapor), but I know someone who did and it
completely changed him. It turns you into a person
that doesn’t care about anything except when your next
hit is going to be. You stop caring about your appearances,
your grades, your life in general. You turn from
a eloquent bright-eyed kid into this hairy, disgusting,
smelly caveman. Why would anyone voluntarily do
that to themselves? If you can’t live a life without drugs,
what are you living for anyway? Is that hour of fleeting
happiness so important to you that you would sacrifice
your entire life for it? If you work hard, have goals,
and have love and people you care about in your life,
you could have the chance to make that happiness be
everlasting, and isn’t that better than that superficial
high you could get from drugs? And besides, no girls
are attracted to druggies.
I've only ever done drugs twice in my life, and only
out of curiosity. Before I tried it, I was wondering
how I would feel afterwards. Everyone else seems
to enjoy getting high, and hallucinations can only be
fun, right? I wanted to experience that, I guess. After
I took the pills, I did not feel any different, but my
friends told me otherwise. I suppose that talking about
raining grapes and running around the pavement
with your laptop held over your head is not exactly
something a fully rational person would do. Whatever.
I had fun. My friends had fun. I did not die. In
fact, I slept very well that night. Obviously, I can have
fun without being high, seeing as I've only ever been
high a few times but have had fun many times, but the
sorts of fun a person can have are entirely different.
Drugs give you a more heightened sense perception,
and help you think and see things you probably would
not have seen or thought if you are not stoned, and to
be honest, that feeling is fun. I want to ramble about
nonsensical philosophical sh*t and see the universe
inside-out. I want to fool around without caring. I like
drugs. Big deal. They have never affected any of my
relationships, seeing as I am not a stoner, and most
of my friends do not even know that I have experimented.
It is actually rather nice being able to rant on
Aletheia with anonymity, because if I dared to say half
the stuff I've said here in front of my friends/family, I
will surely be judged negatively, grounded for life, and
deprived of my dessert after dinner. Some people are
complete idiots when it comes to drugs though. Apparently,
some kids smoke pot only because their friends
do it? Lame. Do drugs because you like it, not because
other people do. And apparently, they use over and
over and over again? Stupid. Drugs are like alcohol, or
calorie-packed, fat-people food–fine in moderation,
and terrible when you overdose, and DIE. So, I guess
the lesson to be learned is, do what you want. Don't
kill yourself. Don't kill anyone else in a crazed frenzy
of unjustifiable, stoner rage. And, preferably, don't get
caught.
“It's only in drugs or death we'll see anything
new, and death is just too controlling.”
- Chuck Palahniuk

Aletheia Volume 2: Issue 6
I'm a good kid. A really good kid, actually, and a
studious one at that. But fortunately or unfortunately,
I was introduced to controlled substances
towards the end of junior year (which most people
would call rather late, but maybe not so much at Lynbrook).
What motivated me to do it was not a desire to
be "cool", not a will to prove anything to anyone, not
an escape from all of the stress from school. Rather, it
was just another way to have fun, but a different kind
of fun.
Substances like weed and alcohol do different things
to different people. For me, they just make me more
social and talkative, which helps me interact with
people in a way that I might not otherwise interact
with them. I guess you could say I drink and smoke
just to be more friendly around people. Also, smoking
or drinking makes ordinary things seem funny or
exaggerated, which I like. It also allows me to do or
say things that I otherwise wouldn't (good or bad, of
course, but I'm still always sober enough not to cross
the line), which just makes for an even better time for
me and my friends.
Obviously, not everyone needs to do these things
for the above reasons, and I usually don't NEED to do
these things around my friends to have fun, but I think
these things definitely do make gatherings or hangouts
less awkward and more fun. I'm not advocating
either way, but I'm just explaining my reasoning for
using substances.
Maybe you think I'm stupid for doing it, maybe you
agree with me. But whatever the case is, I encourage
everyone to try it before judging others who use it, or
just stop judging others, period.
~ ~ ~
once thought that Lynbrook was a place where I
I could be safe from drugs, safe from all of the horrors
associated with them. My freshman year, I only
knew a couple of people in my grade who used controlled
substances. As I moved on to higher grades,
the amount of people who use controlled substances
started to skyrocket, and I noticed more of my friends
were slowly starting to fall into that pit. I sometimes
ask myself why I don't follow them in; I ask myself
why I don't take the easy way out of all of the stress
placed on a Lynbrook student.
I believe the main reason why I do not used controlled
substances is that I've seen what these drugs
can do to people first hand, and how they can change
the people you know/love so dearly. I've seen my
siblings change drastically; the people who were once
so caring, loving and dedicated to studying suddenly
turned into people who just cared about partying. I
think it's interesting how people start to use controlled
substances, and I think it is absolutely absurd that
people start using these hazardous drugs to be "cool"
or be accepted in their crowd.
Bitter experience has taught us how fundamental
our values are and how great
the mission they represent.
- Jan Peter Balkenende
can’t write hooks, but let me tell you this is the
I best essay in this issue. Anyways,
Weed? It’s probably a topic many people can talk
on end about, whether it’s for or against it, there’s no
denying controlled substances like this are a topic of
great debate. My experience with them hasn’t been too
out of the ordinary. I began with smoking weed about
a year ago, drank a couple times here or there, quit
weed, smoked some more, quit again, and as of now…
to be honest, I’m writing this alone, in my room, high.
So do I support weed? Do I support weed and not
harder drugs? Am I one of those “weed’s not a drug
man,” people? The answer to all these is a simple, but
contradictory, no. I believe certain drugs have benefits,
however, all of them have their pitfalls. I would like to
start however, by stating that health wise, I could care
less about the effects of weed and it’s safe to say people
don’t blindly do drugs without knowing their health effects.
With this out of the way, this proposition is kind
of left open ended.
Just to get it out of the way, weed IS a drug. Can I see
it has helped my life? Yes, and very much so. Without
seeming too much of a stoner/fan boy (you know what
type of people I’m talking about), marijuana has completely
broadened my horizons. I learned about many
people and things through this questionable curiosity.
This drug provides open-mindedness, something kids
of this age lack. It is rare however that even people that
smoke weed apply this way of thinking into their life
positively. This is because unlike most people,
9

10
Controlled Substances March 2012
I did most of my weed alone. Alone in my house,
with no parents, no friends, no Facebook. Nothing.
It was just me and whatever thoughts inhabited my
mind. Through this mediation of sorts(without seeming
like a preachy, Bob Marley worshiper), I learned
one of the most important things to this day.
Before this experience, I used to blindly learn things;
Nothing wrong with that. I would read things, absorb
knowledge, and just learn. Whether it be from teachers,
parents, students, or anyone. These are often things
that are praised but I believe, they shouldn’t be. With
weed, I realized this. I think we shouldn’t be focused
on reading and learning, but rather asking. Questioning
everything. Wondering why things are and thinking
for oneself instead of blindly following. It opened
my mind to EVERYTHING. Why do I believe in some
god? I never met him. I’ve never seen him. Why? Why
am I putting countless hours into my schoolwork? To
be an engineer? To make it to the college of my (parent’s)
dreams? And why do I blindly follow rules?
Because they’re rules?
I started to put my time to use, trying to gain knowledge.
Ironically enough, now I actually spent time
LEARNING. Learning about life, anything I wanted to
know. I learned about Islam, Buddhism, the cosmos,
quantum physics, astronomy… I learned about time
and space, crystal meth, prisons, Jeffery Dahmer…
there’s too many to name. Probably not what you
would expect to see in somebody’s Google Chrome
history.
Most importantly, I saw my own life through an
observer’s eye. I realized all the flaws I have been living
with. I realized that we all enter this world bare, no
money, nothing. We leave in the same fashion, with
nothing. Why am I surrounding myself with these
people I don’t even like? Just some guys and girls that
would look good talking to me… on Facebook. People
that don’t even like me more than my jokes. People
that probably wouldn’t scratch my back. I really questioned
the way I was living and the reason I was as well
(not in the depressing way). This really opened my
eyes to what, and who really mattered in life. I started
to hang out with the people I genuinely liked, and
the people that cared for me as well. Funny enough,
I actually stopped smoking. That was a fun couple of
weeks. I started learning things, enjoying myself, really
appreciating my parents, and just experienced a better
quality of life in general. There wasn’t much that could
go wrong.
Okay. Now for the fun part. Weed hasn’t been a walk
in the park this WHOLE time. In fact, it has probably
brought me to my lowest of lows. I can thank weed
for the days I have come to school quiet and sad, for
the loss of trust with my family and me, and lastly, for
amounting to nothing. Yep, for being nothing at all.
To be honest, this is my life right now. 3.2 GPA, no
extracurricular activities at the moment, same amount
of community service hours a lamp, and for having a
boatload of wisdom… there sure isn’t a lot to show for.
All this I can thank weed for. Without a doubt. After
all I have said, you’d think I was some smart kid. Some
weird weed using, but yet smart guy. One of those
liberal, “Occupy Wall Street” kinda guys. Far from it.
I would be too busy watching Gangland and eating
Coldstone to go protest anyways. I digress. Now there
is no denying I have learned so much and that I find
myself arrogantly thinking I am smarter than everyone
else (honestly, I am). But, knowing the path is only half
of it; you have to actually hike it. Like I said, I can attribute
marijuana for the great knowledge I have gained. I
learned how to go about life, how to accomplish everything
I ever would want, how to live life, but it takes a
different man to go through with these ideas.
Late at night, you’re working on a project. You have
to finish it by tomorrow. You have two options, to
work hard and finish or just blow it off. Well, weed
really pushes that seconds option. It becomes hard to
pass up. It gives you no ambition and lets you justify
everything by thinking you are smarter than everyone
else. Instead of admitting you are weak, you will tell
yourself that its not “gonna affect my life in the future.”
Pretty funny how it works. I’m not just speaking for
the time in which one is under the influence but even
afterwards. It changes the way you think, but also the
way you act, or lack thereof.
Because of this “great plant” I have understood the
world. I understood the people around me, the things
around me, everyone’s purpose in life, everything. I
have understood everything. Like I said before, my
mind was open to EVERYTHING. What have I become
of it? nothing.
Should you go try weed? Be my guest. I couldn’t give
a rats ass to you. Hell, I don’t even know you. BUT at
least take this from me. If you want something in life
the way to get it isn’t through drugs, it’s through hard
work and doing what you don’t want to do. It’s through
the boring stuff in life. It’s hard to pass up drugs these
days, but know that whether or not you take it has no
effect on what you become. None. Just keep in mind
that if your reading this (or wrote this), you probably

Aletheia Volume 2: Issue 6
don’t know sh*t.
We all don’t know anything and we all have yet to
live at ALL. I’ve hit this specific road block many times
and it’s a good thing I KNOW the solution. I’ll prolly
go smoke some more. never infer, keep hypothesising.
it's life.
“All experience is an arch to build upon.”
- Henry B. Adams
don't do drugs.
I But I wonder how they feel. I wonder if they
really do make you happy. Is it worth it? Is it worth that
moment, when you get to forget?
If it does, maybe it is worth a try. Maybe all this
pressure we get for straight A's, 2400s on the SAT, and
keeping a social life can be cured by it.
I'm probably not going to do drugs. I don't have the
balls to, and I'll probably end up hurting myself somehow.
But a girl can dare to dream, right? To dream of a
moment when she can forget everything.
~ ~ ~
I've never smoked pot before, but I know a bunch
of people definitely do smoke it. For those of you
who I am referring to, and you know who you are,
please do not smoke during school. Save it for the
weekends, because to be honest, pot smells like sh*t,
and I do not want to breathe in that stench while you
are sitting next to me in class. It does not even seem
fair that you get to feel high and happy, while I only get
to feel nauseous. Furthermore, when you smell bad, I
smell bad. Do you know? Because clothing ABSORBS
smells. And I do not want to smell like pot, though you
treat it like your cologne of choice. Be considerate is all
I ask. If it is absolutely necessary for you to be stoned
to feel good, then pick an odorless drug, for god's sake.
11

Tamara Wade LCSW is a therapist
with a private practice in Los
Gatos serving teens, families and
women. In addition, Ms. Wade is
employed by the County of Santa
Clara Alcohol and Drug Services,
Children Family and Community
Services division. The focus is providing
services to Adolescent girls
and their families. Ms. Wade has
extensive training in substance use
and abuse, trauma, families, and
mental health disorders.
You can contact Ms. Wade at
twadetherapy.com for information
or services.
12
Controlled Substances March 2012
Tamara Wade,
LCSW
This subject of Controlled Substances submitted to Aletheia seemed to be a
very spirited debate/discussion full of opinions, admissions, negative and positive
influences, need for development of healthy coping skills and a clear thread
of students stating either way, they did not want to be judged. As I read through
the submissions with the group and over the next several days after the meeting
with the group from Aletheia, one thing is clear that there is no consensus
among the submissions. I appreciated the candidness of the submissions and
hopefully this article will provide you with information and resources in order
for you to make an informed decision of whether or not to use controlled substances.
In addition, to provide students and parents with clear and appropriate
information and resources.
I am sure most teens know that their parents do not want them to use drugs
or alcohol, as it may have a negative effect on your current and future decisions.
I am also sure that most of you know using drugs and drinking alcohol is illegal.
I am also sure that most of you know on some level that using substances
can have an effect on your physical and emotional health in some way. I am
also thinking that the majority of students at this school have chosen not to use
substances of any kind for many of these reasons.
The bulk of the submissions to Aletheia spoke to using marijuana, alcohol
and tobacco. These three substances are the most commonly used among adolescents.
The reasons for the use of these three substances vary from availability,
peer acceptance, popular cultural influence and curiosity. Throughout this article
I will encourage all of you to use an open mind.
Why would someone choose to use substances? In addition to reasons listed
above, basically substances are mood altering and make us feel good. Substances
affect neurotransmitters in the brain. Not only do drugs make us feel good
but also they sometimes help people escape for a brief period of time, have fun
with their friends, and satisfy a curiosity. All drugs that are addicting (yes I
am including marijuana as it is possible to become addicted) can activate the
brain’s pleasure circuit. So what happens if you use drugs for a long period of
time? This causes changes in the brain in fundamental and lasting ways. Problems
with memory, concentration, and judgment have been associated with all
drugs, including marijuana and alcohol. When someone becomes addicted,
they cannot control their use any longer, use for longer periods than intended,
experience withdrawal symptoms and continue to use despite negative consequences.
For teens these negative consequences may include declining academic
performance, change in mood or behavior, negative peer associations, loss
of important relationships, family issues, depression, anxiety or other mental
health issues. It should be noted that casual users of substances could experience
a lot of these negative consequences as well.
Education:
What do we mean by controlled substances? A controlled substance is generally
a drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession, or use are regulated
by a government. Controlled substances are substances that are the subject of
legislative control. This may include illegal drugs and prescription medications.
I will also include alcohol into this discussion and although it is not considered
a controlled substance by the DEA, it has a high potential for abuse.

Aletheia Volume 2: Issue 6
Marijuana: Marijuana is a mixture of the dried and shredded leaves, stems,
seeds, and flowers of the cannabis sativa plant. Marijuana’s strength or potency
is related to the amount of THC it contains. Some people mistakenly believe that
“everybody’s doing it” and use that as a reason to start using marijuana themselves.
According to NIDA’s 2010 Monitoring the Future study, about 8 percent of
8th graders, 17 percent of 10th graders, and 21 percent of 12th graders had used
marijuana in the month before the survey. In fact, marijuana use declined from
the late 1990s through 2007, with a decrease in past-year use of more than 20 percent
in all three grades combined from 2000 to 2007. (drugabuse.org).
Alcohol: We know you’ve heard how dangerous drinking alcohol is, especially
if you’re underage. You might even hear from those who pressure you at parties
and out-of-school gatherings that “everyone’s doing it.” But the truth is, not everyone’s
doing it—take it from the scientists who know. NIDA’s 2010 Monitoring
the Future Survey of teen drug use and attitudes shows that alcohol use, especially
among 12th graders, declined significantly in the past year. The large annual study
notes that alcohol use among 12th graders is now at the lowest reported percentage
since the study began in 1975 (drugabuse.org).
Tobacco: In 2010, rates for smoking in the past month were reported as 19.2
percent for 12th graders, 13.6 percent for 10th graders, and 7.1 percent for 8th
graders (drugabuse.org).
For parents:
How do you talk to your teens about drugs and alcohol? It is very important to
keep an open line of communication with your teen. Usually parents are the first
to notice changes in their teen and may be hesitant to talk with them about the
changes. Your teen may be frustrated with you, however they will certainly thank
you later. Parental involvement is the single most important factor in determining
whether or not teens use substances. So parents do not underestimate your influence
on your children.
When to seek help? If you notice any changes, negative consequences as listed
above, had your teen admit they are using or have seen them under the influence.
All of these may be signs that your teen needs help. Is it time to panic? Absolutely
not, call a professional for a consultation; go online for information, or look to
your school, which may have counseling resources available on campus.
For teens:
Think about the effect substances will have on your physical and emotional
health, how it will fit in with your image, how it will effect your relationships with
others, how will drugs and alcohol interfere with your academic performance,
and your ability to participate in sports or other clubs on campus. If you are already
using and want to stop, you may be able to do so on your own. However if
you are having difficulty stopping, you can talk to a parent or responsible adult in
order to seek help.
Use positive coping skills: participate in substance free activities with friends,
choose friends that don’t use, do fun things that make you happy, act your age,
stay focused at school and on your future goals.
What if you think a friend is in trouble? Talk to your friend, talk to a responsible
adult, talk to a counselor, or talk to a teacher.
I would like to thank all of the students who submitted to Aletheia. I hope this
article was not only informative but will provide a conversation for parents and
teens.
Additional
Resources
National Institute on Drug
Abuse
www.nida.com
National Institute on Alcohol
and Drug Addiction
www.niaaa
Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Act
www.samhsa
Santa Clara County Department
of Alcohol and Drug
Services
www.sccdads.org
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
www.pamf.org
Parents the Anti-Drug
www.theantidrug.com
13