CummingHome

Damn pot smokin' hippies!!!

If they only found 1 student with drugs, they need to get a better dog.

I would gladly pay extra taxes to have a monthly sweep of our schools. Unfortunately the kids aren't getting the message with the overdose incident. We are seeing too many teens in the ER for overdoses.

MAYBE IF OUR SQUANDERING INEPT SHERIFF TED PAXTON WASN'T BLOWING THE DRUG SEIZURE MONEY ON HOT-RODS FOR HIMSELF AT THE TUNE OF 2 ½ CARS PER YEAR OUR KIDS MIGHT HAVE A DRUG AWARENESS PROGRAM IN PLACE. THEN ONE OF HIS CHIEF FLUNKIES POSTED ON ABOUTFORSYTH.COM THAT THE DRUG PROGRAMS DON’T WORK.

WHO ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE?

Having a drug sweep is not prevention. Where is the DARE program. It can be paid for with a grant. Does SFHS have it?

They need to do a couple of assemblies on a regular basis and have people in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction speak to the students. That works.

A school program will not be enough. These kids think they are invincible. As long as parents cater to them and give them the means to indulge(nice fancy cars, big pick up trucks, free time), they will. Its not the schools responsibility to teach these kids...its the parents! For so many people to be "republican" in this county, it amazes me how many want the government to take care of all of their problems.

Education is a civil right, that's been the mantra of the Republicans! The key to lessening drugs infiltrating schools---- guess what...is education!

Considering the majority of drugs that come on campus are from the parents medicine cabinet, we need to start with education at home first. People are so quick to blame others but the real problem is the loss of the family. Police Departments across the counrty have dropped the D.A.R.E program due to the fact stats show it doesnt curb drug use.

That sounds like the mantra that was pushed by pro-legalization political groups which were not based in fact. There are comprehensive drug prevention programs that work, Dare is one program and there are others.

I am curious as to what source you are quoting that says DARE does not work. Many of the drug prevention programs address the problem with prescription drug abuse and misuse too.

There are publications available to schools and law enforcement to assist them to develop a prevention program that will meet the needs of the students. It seems to me that the main problem is close-mindedness.

The DARE program itself may not be the right program for forsyth county, but there are others that could be looked into.

We need to worry more about the drugs the dog can't smell that come out of the parent's medicine cabinet. How many kids have you seen or heard have "overdosed" on pot???

This is a very good article from Julie Arrington of the Forsyth County News...according to the article there will be a drug prevention seminar at Vickery Middle...

The kids don't even know what they are taking and how dangerous it is.

http://www.forsythnews.com/news/article/943/

I believe the problem starts at home and needs to be addressed there first. Many of these kids have too much free time and money at their disposal.

With a lot of the drugs coming from home, maybe there should be an awareness program started to educate parents to lock up their prescription drugs just like they would their guns.

Regardless where it starts, the problem has to be addressed somehow. I was told that Riverwatch is doing Red Ribbon week next week. The problem can't be fixed with fingerpointing but with solutions. I have approached my school and offered my time to volunteer to give information to the school or assist them in anyway I can, whatever is age-appropriate and whatever the principal deems is necessary.

The Partnership for A Drug Free America has just announced a new initiative to combat prescription drug abuse. For more information check them out on the web.... and please pass it on.:

http://www.drugfree.org/General/Articles/Article.aspx?id=6e2a1230-8fef-4e8d-8b1c-883589a9548f&IsPreviewMode=true&UVer=f29e4571-96d6-4528-98ff-08c58a5a98f2

Drug education starts at home, and in case you haven't noticed, alot of the parents of these students abuse as well. Frankly the schools can only do so much, it's up to parents to take responsibility. An above poster noted too much time and MONEY on some kids' hands, that is all too true. And in true teenage style, they do it on school property with the sheriffs' office in their parking lot - unbelievable. But it is NO DIFFERENT at any other high school in the county.

Ted Paxton does an admirable job for this county, so shut up Millum. Intelligent people know muckrakers when they hear them.

I do plan on holding the SRO officer liable for what has happened to my child to. Let's see if the SHERIFF will back him up. Then we will see how the County really backs their employees.

SFHS Parent #2: Why do you blame the school resource officer for what has happened ? I read in the paper today that they arrested the parents of the girl who brought the methadone to school.I wish we can all stand together and help fight this problem.

Parents charged in high school OD case

By Julie Arrington Crime & Courts Reporter juliearrington@forsythnews.com

POSTED Oct. 21, 2008 5:08 p.m. The fallout from an incident earlier this month at South Forsyth High School continues to mount, though authorities say the most recent arrests are likely the last in the drug case.

The parents of the 16-year-old student who reportedly brought liquid methadone on campus have been charged in connection with the incident.

Deborah Pendleton, 45, and Oscar Carter III, 64, both of Friarbridge Drive in south Forsyth, each face one count of possession of a Schedule 2 narcotic.

In addition, Pendleton was charged with improper storage of a controlled substance and Carter was charged with conspiracy to improperly store a controlled substance. All three charges are felonies.

They were released late Friday from the Forsyth County Detention Center after each posted $22,220 bond, a jail spokesman said. They could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The girl brought the liquid methadone from home, sheriff's investigators say, and they hope the arrests are a wake-up call for parents.

"This reaffirms the fact that these prescription narcotics are being accessed at home," Lt. Col. Gene Moss said.

"Parents can't take for granted that their kids are not getting into their drugs. They're either using them or selling them."

Three 15-year-old male students, whose identities have not been released, were hospitalized Oct. 3 after authorities say they ingested liquid methadone on campus. Each was hospitalized for several days.

According to the Web site for the National Drug Intelligence Center of the U.S. Department of Justice, methadone overdoses are "associated with severe respiratory depression, decreases in heart rate and blood pressure, coma, and death."

The boys were arrested last week and charged with possession of a Schedule 2 narcotic on school grounds. One also was charged with distribution. They have since been released to their parents.

The female student, whose identity has not been released, was arrested on campus Oct. 3 and charged with possession and sale of a Schedule 2 narcotic on school grounds. Authorities have said she is in custody at the Regional Youth Detention Center in Gainesville.

The charges the teens face are all felonies.

Liquid methadone is a synthetic narcotic administered in pills, liquid or injections and used to treat addiction to other narcotics such as heroin. It is also prescribed as a painkiller for those suffering from cancer or other terminal illnesses.

Sheriff's Lt. Gus Sesan explained that the conspiracy charge was brought against Carter because he was storing liquid methadone in the home.

Sesan said Carter owns a methadone clinic in Louisiana, but brought an unspecified quantity of the drug to Pendleton's residence after a recent hurricane.

"He was not licensed to possess or dispense liquid methadone in the state of Georgia," Sesan said.

Moss said Carter did not take the drug back to the clinic, which gave the girl access to it.

Forsyth County Sheriff Ted Paxton has said the girl told authorities she thought the liquid was hydrocodone and it was not until later the day of the incident, during an interview with her parents, that authorities identified the drug.

"She wasn't even clearly aware of what the substance was that she had taken and given to these kids," Paxton said.

According to a fact sheet published online by whitehousedrugpolicy.gov, clinics and hospitals that administer methadone must follow federal regulations that restrict the drug's use and availability.

Moss said the investigation did not reveal evidence that Carter intended to distribute the methadone or sell it in Forsyth County.

Two other South Forsyth students have been arrested on drug charges this month. The first arrest was in an unrelated incident Oct. 3 and the second came Thursday during a sweep of the school. Both were misdemeanor marijuana charges.

Take a look at Interquestk9.com. Their dogs are friendly and trained on drugs, medications, alcohol and guns.

I think one of the things that has been missing is having seminars and talks with the kids on a regular basis. I went to a couple of school teen seminars last year, and the troubling thing was,...not a lot of people showed up. Soooo, hopefully the school system and the sheriff's office can repeat the offering and maybe have it at different times...so that people can fit in and know what the most pressing drug issue is. When my son was in middle school years ago I never knew a thing about something called skittling until I heard the word from one of my kids friends.. I had no idea what skittling was at the time. So you really have to keep your eyes and ears open to new slang and buzzwords when you think you've heard it all....listen up and ask a lot of questions.

The drug issue is something that could and should be taught at home. I have 6 kids, my oldest is 25 and the other 5 are in forsyth co. schools. My oldest son leads the younger ones by example. I will take credit for keeping lines of communication open regarding every subject, sex, drugs, smoking and drinking. So far so good with all of my kids. I think the bigger issue is the current presence of gangs in our schools. Most notably is MS13, do they really exist in Cumming, GA? Very frightening!! That is a problem that needs to be stamped out asap!!!!!

I always wondered why gang issues have not been addressed. It seems that gets brushed under the carpet. Don't think we have ms13, but there sure are signs of something going on. You would think the cops would be alll over that.