Yippee!!! Senior Year

Senior year!!! What is supposed to be a breeze was so stressful. But don’t let the stress get to you and try not to procrastinate too much. As I get ready for college, I know I’m prepared. The Howard County Public School System has prepared me education wise, by allowing me to take all honors,…

To Incoming Freshmen:

Do NOT feel pressured to experiment with drugs. Many around you will smoke or Juul and the long-term damage is not worth it. If your “best friend” pressures you into trying, reject it. A real friend wouldn’t.

Dear Maryland/Howard County Parents, Teachers, Adults:

We are now in an age where widespread drug and vape usage has increased; now it is not an uncommon sight for school bathrooms or classrooms to be shut down because of needed cleaning or prevention of rapid drug use. Soon where students leave high school environments or go to college there will be more…

What I’ve Seen at HC DrugFree Teen Advisory Council (TAC) Meetings

I have been an HC DrugFee TAC member for the past half year. Attending meetings has helped me see the issues students of different grades, schools, and genders have experienced because they’re very different from mine. I’ve learned that an issue like drugs is not only about what my eyes see, but about the experiences…

Howard County Police and MD State Police Conducting DUI Patrols

According to a press release from the Howard County Police Department, Driving Under the Influence (DUI) patrols result in 10 arrests overnight. Police see improved results replacing traditional DUI checkpoints with increased patrols for impaired driving. The Howard County Police Department and the Maryland State Police conducted joint supplemental patrols as part of a grant-funded DUI…

Teen Advisory Council at Korean Fair

Teen Advisory Council at Korean Fair

Members of HC DrugFree’s Teen Advisory Council (TAC) volunteered at the Korean Fair to answer questions about the organization’s services and recruit more teens from across the county to TAC. The fair was held at the Charles E. Miller Library in Ellicott City. Pictured: TAC member Calvin Lee, Joan Webb Scornaienchi and TAC member Tim…

Locked School Bathrooms

In high school, the presence of drugs is definitely inevitable. There’s always going to be that “bathroom” in school that is infamously known as a place for drugs and exchanges. For students, it becomes a serious issue. People have to avoid these spots that are meant for a simple human necessity. It’s important that teachers…

Smoking Marijuana in School Bathrooms

I find it both frustrating and surprising that bathrooms are being locked in high schools because teens are smoking marijuana in them. The distinct smell fills the bathroom and makes it hard to stay in there for more than 15 seconds. I shouldn’t have to walk upstairs or across the building just to use the…

Vaping at School: Teen Perspective

Vaping has become an epidemic in HCPSS schools. From foggy cars to locked bathrooms, not a day goes by where I don’t see another reminder of this growing trend. First, it was cars. Then, it was the bathrooms. Now, students are taking hits from their Juul or vape pen in the middle of the classroom.…

Living Free: Breaking the Chains of Addiction and Whatever Is Holding You Back

Living Free: Breaking the Chains of Addiction and Whatever Is Holding You Back

HC DrugFree was among the organizations invited to participate in Bethany Lane Baptist Church’s Living Free program. Participants were encouraged to live free from the chains holding them back. Speakers pictured above: Sherrie McKay, Joan Webb Scornaienchi with HC DrugFree, Gary Freeman, Beth Schmidt with the MD Coalition of Families, and Pastor Kip Smith. Absent…