By Staff
Teen substance abuse is a problem with no easy answers. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to solve it.
Earlier this week, a local high school student was arrested and changed with possession of marijuana on campus.
While he is innocent until proven guilty, the incident is a stark reminder that even our schools are not safe from the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
There is no one group - not law enforcement, not teachers, not parents, not administrators, not students - who can be responsible for solving the crisis alone.
But together, those groups can make strides in the battle against drugs and alcohol.
Education, of course, begins at home. But that education must continue at school, at church and in all other areas in which children and teenagers interact. Law enforcement officers in our community have long partnered with parents and teachers to educate against the dangers of drug abuse. We need that partnership to continue and to grow.
We also need to remember that one incident at a local high school does not indict everyone at that school - and it certainly doesn't absolve anyone at any other school. Drug abuse is, unfortunately, present at all schools - and it does not discriminate.
What incidents such as these should remind us is that we have to continue to work to fight against teen drug and alcohol abuse, one student at a time.