A hidden epidemic of heroin in Cave Spring?
Psychonaught | Wikimedia Commons
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Bassford:
“We have had a major uptick with kids at Cave Spring High School and places like that using heroin, and it’s spreading.”
Read the heartbreaking story by my colleague Laurence Hammack.
October 13, 2011 - 3:14 PM
Blasphemy! I have it on good authority from conservative bloggers right here in this forum that county children also come from solid conservative stock and would never do such things.
My sympathies to both families. Heartbreaking for all involved. Drugs and addiction are not just problems of the poor as some want to blindly believe.
I’m sure all high schools have a drug problem on some level. The only difference between these schools is how well it is hidden. Some high schools like to offer comfort and assurance to parents that their children are getting the best education and are being well looked after. Then they tend to sweep the drug problems and incidents under the mat. What they should do is be extremely open and public about the drug use. Make parents start being more proactive in their kids life if they aren’t already. Kids will do drugs and get drugs if they want it bad enough. That will never change. But making it harder and having tougher consequences could make a difference of sorts. Turning high schools into mini police states…not sure how effective that is. Patrick Henry’s statistics would be interesting to see regarding that.
So, now they know where the heroin came from. What is next? Who was Mumpower’s supplier, and who was the supplier’s supplier, etc.? They gotta kink that chain up!
Dan,
You need to make a correction to this post immediately; apparently you meant to type Patrick Henry H.S. but you must have been spacing out because you typed Cave Spring instead. We all know this is an error on your part because of course it’s common knowledge that Cave Spring kids don’t do drugs or have premarital sex or any of that horseplay. I’m sure you were already aware of this but apparently someone pulled the ol’ switcheroo on you and brewed decaf instead of high test this morning and you must have just spaced.
Anywoo, hope you get this message in time to make the necessary corrections to this glaring oversight before someone important and well-connected sics a state senator on you for this outrage.
Steve,
There’s probably more drugs at Cave Spring High because there’s more money there.
HV has most certainly had its heroin problems in recent years, no matter what certain folks might want to believe. It’s a terrible story all the way around.
SteveC, North Cross is known among the kids as “The Pharmacy”. Drugs tend to follow money.
This is a horribly sad story, and HS kids getting into heroin is a different animal than smoking a joint. Weren’t these two boys out of HS already though?
Re: #3
I’m sure all high schools have a drug problem on some level. The only difference between these schools is how well it is hidden.
———–
belle,
Although your first statement is likely true, I do believe you may well be kidding yourself with the second statement.
To the extent there are illegal drugs at PH, it’s mostly a weed school. But whatever illegal drugs there have, those are far outstripped by alcohol, which also is a drug. This is probably true for all the schools.
The children will not believe that their supplier is really a pusher. Its often their best friend supplying because the pusher makes sure they are the child’s best friend. It is a money making business that is pushed on the children.
Folks, Steve C, was being sarcastic. I assume he was giving a troll we know a hard time.
Sadly, the pusher kid grew up in a troubled liberal household.
Re #7, these two may have been out of HS when this unfortunate situation happened but heroin has been the “choice” at HV pretty much since the school opened.
Re #8 DaveH, you are very right. This is not a hidden problem, it is an “out of sight, out of mind” problem. Both my children graduated from HV and could tell you who/where to find whatever you wanted. Hopefully this incident is the beginning of dealing with this in all the schools.
Re #9, alcohol is a huge problem, but until the authorities do more than smack the kids on the hands when caught nothing will change with that.
Dan,my sources have always told me that weed is more prevelant than alcohol because it is easier to get. As I have been told, weed is delivered to you anytime of the day or night at any volume you want, anywhere you want. Obviouly, illegally obtained alcohol can only be gotten during business hours, subject to heavy control and risk. It only comes in set volume and is hard to conceal. High schoolers prefer weed.
My biggest concern though is that Parents will now push for drug testing and additional police in the schools. That would be a mistake. A drug record for a child experimenting is devasting to his reputation,, student aid, future job opportunities, college application. You risk ruining a child long-term in your attempt to stop what is often a harmless and temporary. The schools and police do keep records and your child is stigmatized and it is not just the bad kids that try drugs and alcohol.
The answer remains education of your child of the true risks, of the true damage drugs cause, and for you to honestly deal with your child. If a problem arises, take care of it yourself, not in the school system. There are many dangers for you child, trying to limit the danger is not possible and doing so subjects the child to even more danger. Trian them to deal with the dangers, to know the facts about friends that push drugs on them and the money behind it. Discuss the risks to their future jobs and careers. Help them learn to make good decisions instead of being acting like the DEA and asking the school system to be NARCS.
I don’t understand why it is so hard to imagine adolescents doing hard drugs?? Teenagers are one of the most prominent forces of economics. They have expendable income, and are looking for a good time. Sure, kids used to stick to pot and hash, which are pretty inexpensive, but times have changed and so have their spending power. More money leads to harder, more expensive drugs like coke and smack. It is sad, but in a society such as ours, where drugs are glamorized and demonized at the same time, it is inevitable.
Yes, blame the suppliers. If there is no demand for the product, there will be no suppliers. Look in the mirror people. Same as our gov’t, same as our economy, etc, etc, etc.
@14 – Yea don’t expect them to deal with the problems and penalties that result from their own behavior. I’d bet if that HV kid had tested positive and the fact that he was using had been brought to light – he would still be with us. Maybe – heroin is hard to kick.
I’m sure his parents and educators all explained the risks to him as well…
Also – its good to know that people are finally taking notice of the heroin/oxy problem that has existed here for the past 5-8 years with these wealthier kids. I heard about it several years ago and was shocked, but was told that that was the new thing with these kids and that I wouldn’t believe how many of them were using. All of this was not that stunning to me as I grew up in that demographic and had several issues with addiction earlier in my life, but never crossed into heroin although I had friends that did. A few of them didn’t make it out alive.
I don’t know if schools should test? But the parents should if they see the signs and suspect drug use.
So, I go to Cave Spring High and there is no heroine problem. The usage way well be, as it is in any high school, realistic, but it is not more signifigant than any other local high school.
I think it’s interesting Steve and Gdad jumped on the ‘SWCo conservative values” bandwagon, then the pusher turned out to be a big Democrat’s kid – broken home and all.
Leftwingers can just never seem to get one on Suzie, and it galls the hell out of them.
“You risk ruining a child long-term in your attempt to stop what is often a harmless and temporary. The schools and police do keep records and your child is stigmatized and it is not just the bad kids that try drugs and alcohol.”
I could not agree more. One of my big fears as my daughter gets older (she’ll be starting middle school next year) is that she will experiment with something relatively benign like pot, get caught, and have a criminal record before she even becomes an adult. The “zero tolerance” policies don’t help…they sound good on paper but all they do as they create a situation where circumstances are not taken into account at all.
There seem to be no easy, simple answers to the drug problems (particularly among the young) in our country. Two observations are that whatever we’re collectively doing (prohibition) isn’t working very well, and that some families apparently are very successful at raising children who grow up without addictions and become successful, productive adults. When I look at my own family, and at others, I see the same basic formula can produce drastically different results. Sometimes conservative parents raise children strictly and end up visiting them in prison or graveyards, sometimes liberal parents who let their children do mostly as they choose arrive at the same destinations, but other times both models achieve very successful results from their parenting. One size doesn’t fit all. Arbitrary prohibition of some drugs and legalization of others (such as alcohol and tobacco) doesn’t make much sense to me, though. If the deceased had died from alcohol purchased legally at the corner store, or if he died at age 60 of lung cancer from smoking tobacco, we wouldn’t even be commenting about it on this blog.
Re: #21
Well put!
Didn’t we learn anything from Capital “P” Probation?
When are folk going to learn that “One size doesn’t fit all” when raising kids — and that neither conservative or liberal parents have a monopoly on raising well-adjusted, law-abiding, successful, productive, dependents.
Ok I have two teens who live here and I’m stunned by this. I honestly thought it only went as far as beer, pot, and maybe some cocaine.
Re: #20
VT Hokie,
BTDT. Got lucky. Our kids turned out to be well-adjusted, law-abiding, successful, productive adults.
Now for the bad news. Your concerns don’t go away, for very long. My wife and I had/have the same concerns about grand-kids and great-grand-kids.
It is part of being a loving, realistic (not self-delusional) parent.
16. Ernie, yes I blame the suppliers because anyone is subject to a good sales pitch. Do you think a kid goes out and says, I think I’m going to try herion today, wondeer where I can get some. No, he or she is approached by someone who gives them a used car sales pitch, an appliance sales pitch. parents and children fail to realize this is a big business that has to talk the kids into using the product; to tempt them, to say everybody else is, to make it the only way to dit in. They use peer pressure because at that age, what your buddies think is all that’s important. The drug business knows this and uses it to get your kid, good kids to fall for it. So the parents have to help their child understand that it is a sales job they are falling for. A used car salesman selling a broken car. They have to help the child see what they are up against and how bad the repercussions will be.
Suzie
Sadly, right now, today, I kow a pusher kid from a deeply conservative home who is going to jail for being caught for the third time. This is not a problem that comes from a liberal home or a conservative home. It is a problem for all homes and kids of all socio-economic levels and homes where parents areof varying political persuasions. And for you to attempt to turn it into a conservative vs. liberal thing is unconscionable. Of course, that is what we expect from you- unconscionable unverifiable, indefensible crap.
That’s know instead of kow.
for those of you who believe your child is a good child and would not get into drugs, get real. Good kids are under more pressure to try drugs than the bad kids. The bad kids are street wise. They have seen the drugs and they have seen what they can do. They know the guys selling the stuff and they know what kind of person they are. its the good kids that are pushed into trying it just once. The good kids who want to fit in with the cool kids. The pressure on them is intense, so be aware of that and make sure your child understands what is out there and that it is pushed to them to make money, not to help them be cool. And realize it starts as soon as your shild hits middle school if not before and it is indeed all schools, public, private, church.
The answer lies with the parents, not the schools, not more police, not drug tests, not Dare. Talk to your children about how getting caught can ruin their financial future in so many ways. it is just not worth the risk.
And for you to attempt to turn it into a conservative vs. liberal thing is unconscionable. Of course, that is what we expect from you- unconscionable unverifiable, indefensible crap.
Actually Steve C. started it in post #4. I finished it, as I usually do.
26. Dave, you are so right. i have seen at least fouur from very well off conservative religious homes be destroyed by heroin. They had everything going for them but were sold a bill of goods and have never been able to get out. One was set up to take the fall for the dealer, two are so hooked, they eill never break free of the addiction, the other is in and out of trouble divorced with a baby that had birth defects from the parents drug habits. Their parents never believed their child was doing this even when their kid’s friends told the parents straight up.
I feel compelled to weigh in on the concept of “pusher.” As a teen-ager at the time, I felt further disconnected from adults when they used that term because my experience was that there were plenty of dealers but very, very few pushers, and adults’ misunderstanding of that fact just built the wall higher. It was almost (not entirely, but almost) unheard of for anybody who sold controlled substances in any significant quantities to push them on anybody. Introduction to initial drug use was, and probably still is, typically done by a well-meaning friend who wanted to introduce someone to something they felt was fun. Not much different, especially in an adolescent’s mind, from playing some cool new music or introducing someone to a great new video game…or an adult sharing a great Australian wine with a fellow adult. Later, when the new user wanted to buy his or her own weed or other substance, it usually meant asking others if they had any extra to sell, or if they knew anybody who did. The initiative was almost exclusively taken by the consumer. Now, years later, I doubt that has changed much.
I’ve known two local kids who’ve become addicted to heroin. One wound up in prison (he got caught dealing, turned informer, but still had to do some time). The other wound up on methadone, which he’s still on, and which is more addictive, and harder to quit.
It’s a profoundly sad thing, both for the kids and their future, and for their parents, who I count as friends.
“The “zero tolerance” policies don’t help…they sound good on paper but all they do as they create a situation where circumstances are not taken into account at all.”
“Zero tolerance” rules are why we end up with stupid things like 5th graders getting suspended from school for trying to kiss a little classmate on the cheek or bringing a nail clipper to school.
Back to the original subject of the thread, there’s undoubtedly widespread heroin use among Cave Spring students. Whether or not it qualifies as “hidden” depends on how open one’s eyes are. Obtaining the substance in any high school in the Roanoke Valley is, I’m told, no more difficult than obtaining weed, and easier than alcohol. Of course it’s tempting simply to forbid kids to use, and it’s tempting to support harsher law enforcement, but neither approach seems particularly effective, and the latter seems to do far more harm than good. Simple laissez-faire isn’t good parenting either. Maybe just making sure kids know they’re loved and have plenty of opportunities for constructive activities, educating them about the potential dangers of drug use, and making clear we’ll support their efforts to quit if they get hooked and need that support, is the best we can do.
Wow. To read in here, you’d think conservatives’ kids do all the drugs. This is from those who claim outrage when somebody brings up politics into it. The fact is, most drugs and alcohol are done by kids in troubled families with no religious values.
Re: #26, #28, & #32
Right on target.
FWIIW, it goes well beyond just drugs (including alcohol). I have seen kids (of both conservative and liberal parents) ruin their lives by all types of criminal action.
I known a number of LEOs to say that, other than child abuse and other crimes against children, seeing a child throw his or her life away is the most heart wrenching aspect of the job.
Ok I have two teens who live here and I’m stunned by this
Not really surprising.
Five groups of teens:
1) The bad in-crowd kids who do drugs and premarital sex. These can include some athletes.
2) The good in-crowd kids who go to church regularly, know what’s going on, but refuse to go-along. These include the smart kids, some athletes, class leaders.
3) The weird kids (loners, Gothics, rockers) from messed-up homes, have their own peripheral group of like-minded druggies. Not in the in-crowd. They can also include kids from OK homes who decide to rebel.
4) The motorheads and farmers. They drink and have premarital sex, usually drop out of school and settle in obscurity in a nice rural single-wide.
5) The rough black kids – Single-parent homes. Do all the bad stuff.
6) The geeks who don’t do drugs and such, primarily because they’re oblivious. These are the pencilnecks who may play soccer or some other non-descript activity. Band kids. Video gamers.
7) The ciphers: Quiet kids. Plain backgrounds. Poor to average students. Nobody really knows what they do.
Ooops 7 groups.
#26 Dave, she thrives on being called contemptible and unconscionable. She loves contempt like a drunk loves booze.
Unless you have kids you have no right to comment on this subject.
sarcasm font on….
I’m glad the guy posting as “Suzie” uses that stupid avatar, it makes his posts easier to skip over. You should try it.
stupid avatar
Is there anything more humiliating for guys than getting laughed at by women they couldn’t have in a million years?
obviously art hill reads all of Suzie’s posts because he responds….what a loser
no there isnt Suzie except for ed..lol
Well there you go. You learn something new every day; Democrats actually live in Roanoke Co, too. Who’da thunk it? I thought only good God fearing republicans live in the R.C.?
Wow. Just freakin’ wow. Next thing you know, we’ll be reading about how those sterling right winger parents raise perfect kids that don’t have babies out of wedlock or raise colossal screw ups like you.
Oh, wait…
Oh, wait…
#19 Are you predictable or what, suzie? Sad.
#42 Actually what’s really sad, suzie, is an anonymous poster of indeterminate gender like you pretending to be a desirable female imagining that a bunch of anonymous guys posting on a blog want to “have” her/him/it because he/she/it was supposedly hot once upon a time.
Whatever gets you off, I guess, suzie. Seems pretty sick, though.
Yup; more evidence of solid moral upbringing that suz and her ilk contribute to our culture. By all means tell us more about the youngsters you use for your avatars. Just please make sure you don’t share with us anything you could get prosecuted for, k?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/15/us/kansas-city-bishop-indicted-in-reporting-of-abuse-by-priest.html?_r=1&hp
Such a tragic story. As I’ve grown older I feel more for those who won’t get the chance to live a full life than I do for myself.
By all means tell us more about the youngsters you use for your avatars
They look very much like the ones who laugh at you at the night spots, don’t they ace?
Well there you go. You learn something new every day; Democrats actually live in Roanoke Co, too. Who’da thunk it? I thought only good God fearing republicans live in the R.C.?
No, there are apartment complexes in SWCo for the libbie transients.
#19 Are you predictable or what, suzie? Sad.
I bet you’re sorry you tried to ridicule SWCo over this sad incident, Gdad. You and Steve tried to politicize it and ended up with egg on your faces. I guess you should have researched the kid’s background a little before popping off.
Actually what’s really sad, suzie, is an anonymous poster of indeterminate gender like you pretending to be a desirable female imagining that a bunch of anonymous guys posting on a blog want to “have” her/him/it because he/she/it was supposedly hot once upon a time.
Whatever gets you off, I guess, suzie. Seems pretty sick, though.
I think it speaks volumes about the misogyny of leftwing men in here who think if someone can knock their blocks off, it can’t be a woman.
“it can’t be a woman.”
Nothing feminine about you, bub. You’re even obnoxious for a guy.
Nothing feminine about you
That works for you, doesn’t it, ace.
Suzie is kind of a jerk, no?
Suzie….
It looks to me like you are “dominating the thoughts” of a lot of these regs in here….I guess they stay up at night thinking of ways they can twist any subject to ridicule you.
It really IS pathetic and sad, as Dan stated. But, hey at least he is getting paid for it…maybe you should demand a salary too.
What I found interesting while my children were growing up is that the drug dealing kids were the ones that Suzie would least suspect. The church going athelete that got good grades, the son of a local Republican businesswoman who had plenty of money and a nice Rke County home, the son of a Rke Co businessman that also had plenty, son of one of the most conservative parents at the School who coached rec club for years. All the conservative, church going, goody good made great cover for the dealing activities. That was the joke of high school for the kids when the drug tests and drug dogs were brought in. These kids were always tipped off ahead of time or ignored by the police because of their reputation. John, you did not see this as a business when you were in school, but it is and those friends getting another involved were indeed set upto be pushers. So happy my children are past all of this. For those with children in middle and high school. Love your children, talk to them, and trust them to do as you have taught them. Warn them of the dangers and pray they make it through these dangerous years. But remember, drugs and alcohol are less of a danger than automobiles. Autos are the greatest threat to your teenager.
#52 No egg on my face, suze. I knew who the kid is before I posted, but you’ll notice my post doesn’t refer at all to this particular incident. I was referring to numerous cases of a heroin problems at HV in recent years. If this were the only case of heroin at HV, I wouldn’t have called it “problems.”
Don’t know much about HV, do you? Boy do you look like a dolt now — as usual.
#53 “It” can’t be a woman?
Glad you’ve come around to my description of you.
BTW, I see you’re now taking on the same juvenile macho BS as Jony, DD, and MMM. Pretty bad company.
#57 Sharon, I know that you worship and idolize suzie, but you might want to note the despicable way she operates. I made a true and and serious comment about heroin problems at HV. It’s a comment I’ve made before. I did not refer to Mumpower and I did not refer to it as a liberal/conservative thing, because it’s something that affects liberals and conservatives. I did not mention suzie.
Her reply was to allege that I have egg on my face because Mumpower is a Dem. In this case, I appear to be dominating HER/ITS thoughts.
Sharon, I know that you worship and idolize suzie, but you might want to note the despicable way she operates.
I think Sharon understands I merely give back in kind what is given to me. Leftwingers aren’t used to that, especially from a woman. They expect all women to be doormats like liberal women are.
#652 Notice that suzie realizes she has been utterly destroyed once again so she fails to address the subject of how she either completely misread or flat-out lied (as usual) about my original post. She also fails to address the main subject here — the serious drug problem at places like CS and HV.
Suzie is nothing more than a pitiful troll.
It’s a shame that this was published with the sole intent to tarnish the golden reputation of SW County’s students.
I am eagerly awaiting your mandatory public apology. May the angels that roam the halls of Cave Spring have mercy on you.
Perhaps we should stone Mr. Casey on the front lawns of the campus. Only then will he learn his lesson to not drag Cave Spring through the mud.
34.”Back to the original subject of the thread, there’s undoubtedly widespread heroin use among Cave Spring students. Whether or not it qualifies as “hidden” depends on how open one’s eyes are.”
I’m curious how you have come to this conclusion. After numerous phone calls concerning this, I was unable to obtain any statistics from local law enforcement or the school system. I think you should think a little more before opening your mouth and showing your ignorance.
Now am I saying there aren’t drug problems in our local schools? Absolutely not. Neither was the author of the original letter to the editor. All that was said was that it was ‘unprofessional’ to single out one particular school when this is a problem in all of our local schools. If the Asst US Attorney and Laurence Hammack were going to single out a school, maybe they should have backed that up with statistics/evidence to support the claim.
The author of the letter based her complaint in such a way that it wasn’t ‘whining’ about poor Cave Spring but simply asking that it not be singled out when this is a problem in all schools and could have been stated as such. What is so wrong with a student making a stand for their school? What is so wrong with a high school student standing up for her beliefs and letting her voice be heard? Instead of ridiculing that it’s someone griping about Cave Spring being dissed, could we not applaud her for letting her voice be heard?
Cudos to a young person stepping up to be a leader and going out of their comfort zone to be heard!