Amid loud music and excited friends at the Welcome Back Dance this year, the fun was dampened when administration was left with no choice but to take various levels of disciplinary action against students for different reasons, including the usage of drugs and alcohol.

Sophomore Alejandro Toruno attended the Welcome Back Dance this year, and says he saw many of his friends and peers under the influence of alcohol or marijuana.

“I guess people like the feeling of seeing everything blurry and feeling alive in the moment,” Toruno said. “They go for it because a lot of their friends are into it.”

While it flew under the radar of over half of the students who responded to the survey, Toruno seemed to think that many students would lie about their knowledge to protect their friends’ or their own reputation. At a school known for its competitive nature, most want to avoid the reputation of being a stoner or a drinker.

An anonymous source, whose identity has been hidden due to his fear of disciplinary risk by the administration, said that he has came to school under the influence of alcohol on multiple occasions. He consumed it in the student parking lot where there is less supervision, typically before and after school dances or events.

Although there are usually members of the administration and occasionally even police officers in the parking lot throughout school events and during the day, this student was not concerned about getting caught. He repeatedly echoed that he thought his actions did not affect the school or other students in any way.

The source smokes about once a week, and sometimes even more. He says that peer pressure was the driving factor behind trying marijuana for the first time, but his use has increased since he started and he declined to comment on whether or not he has come to class under the influence of marijuana. He did, however, say that he had never used marijuana on campus like he did with alcohol. Instead, he chooses to do that elsewhere to avoid anybody noticing the odor from the smoke.

Student Advocate Richard Prinz cites peer pressure as one of the leading forces behind students trying both drugs and alcohol.

“I think sometimes you do get sucked into wanting to be social and be with your friends,” Prinz said.

Junior Cheri Zhou has seen it within her own friend group. She said that when she was a freshman, she would have never guessed that students would get involved with drugs and alcohol because of the generally rigorous environment at MVHS. Her own friends, however, have started drinking because they think it makes them cooler and because others around them drink. While this takes a toll on the health of those who are doing it, it also takes a toll on their friendship.

“The closer they are to me, the more uncomfortable it gets,” Zhou said. “It can affect me as a person more.”

For some students, like Zhou, use of drugs and alcohol can directly challenge their morals, and even their faith. Some major religions, including Islam, ban the use of alcohol, and other religions discourage its use.

Many students on campus share similar sentiments with Zhou. Of the students surveyed, 50 percent said that others under the influence make them uncomfortable, while 67.5 percent think that it directly affects performance in school. Respondents to the survey in the optional comments section frequently gave contradictory responses; some said that responsible drug use doesn’t have to affect a student’s academic performance, and some even added that the administration should focus more on different issues, but others said that it lowers the intelligence of the student.

Although alcohol and marijuana use at dances and school events according to the survey and student interviews, there are also more serious cases of abuse. Although unable to give specific details due to student confidentiality, Prinz says that he has seen serious cases of abuse where students have had parole officers and have had to get drug tested.

“Some [use of drugs/alcohol] is self medicating, you’re stressed out, you’re feeling lonely, you’re feeling scared, drink some alcohol, smoke some pot, and then you don’t have to think about it,” Prinz said. “It delays your development. You’re not confronting the issue.”

Prinz also emphasized that drug and alcohol abuse cannot be generalized. Each student has different motivations, and thus punishments also should be evaluated carefully. Monta Vista’s Zero Tolerance policy mandates either suspension or expulsion for students found using or selling drugs or alcohol on campus, but according to Prinz this is not always the most effective solution.

“It could be showing up to a dance with alcohol on your breath and the assistant principal calls your parents, and you’re suspended for a day,” Prinz said. “If you’re suspended, and you're parents work, you have more opportunity to drink.”

Prinz says that the district has different programs, such as counseling, in place for students who need help battling their drug and alcohol abuse, but the first step is self motivation by the student himself.

If students believe they have a drug problem, it is in their interest to reach out to Prinz for help. He is not allowed to share any information he hears with the administration or parents, unless a student is a risk to themself or those around them. It is his job to help MVHS students with problems like these.

“Some people have to run into a lot of trouble before they realize it’s not worth the trouble,” said Prinz.