The Laker/Lutz News

Safe Teens Against Drugs

Panelists share insights on youth issues in Pasco

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Each summer, a panel of Pasco County teenagers share their perspectives on substance abuse and other problems facing youths, both in the community and in the school system.

Typically, the event is held at the community center at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park.

But, this time, panelists shared their insights again in a July 28 forum held virtually, in light of COVID-19.

The new format didn’t affect the substance: The panelists — who make up Safe Teens Against Drugs (STAND) — still got their points across.

Pasco County youth from Safe Teens Against Drugs (STAND) voiced their perspective on substance abuse, and other community and school issues, during a July 28 virtual meeting hosted by the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP). (File)

The forum was arranged by the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP). This the fifth year that STAND members addressed numerous community stakeholder groups.

They shared their views on various health and safety issues facing Pasco youths.

The group of youth leaders who make up STAND are working to end youth substance abuse in Pasco County by sharing their observations and knowledge with teachers, police, business owners and other community members.

Besides helping to build understanding, they also suggest solutions.

During the hour-long online discussion, STAND speakers warned that vaping, or the use of e-cigarettes, is a growing problem among youth countywide.

Anclote High School student Iker Dorta went so far as to label it “the biggest drug-related issue” in local high schools and middle schools.

Besides vaping nicotine, kids also vape THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana), and other illicit substances that can be smoked, he said.

Iker noted that vaping has become more popular among teens because it’s “easy to hide in your pocket and go to the bathroom and use it.”

Fellow STAND members agreed.

“Vaping is a huge problem in schools and such,” said Chasco Middle School student Alyssa Saldana. “I’ve had some of my friends tell me that one of their older friends offered them a vape, so it’s definitely a big problem that we need to start looking at more.”

Maddie Horn underscored the issue by recalling an incident during a Chasco Middle School pep rally when a student was caught vaping.

“I think it’s a very common thing that’s happening in all our schools,” said Horn, a rising freshman at Gulf High School.

Many teens get roped into substance use through peer pressure and they use substances to become popular, Horn said.

“It’s very much a popularity thing. So, like if one person does it and they become popular, everyone else will want to do it because they want that ‘fame’ in the school,” Horn said.

Besides vaping, marijuana use continues to be “a big issue,” said Land O’ Lakes High School student Jocelyn Meriwether.

“We have a lot of kids who think it’s a cool thing to do, and you have to, like, join the club of high school that way, through smoking weed in bathrooms and trying not to get caught.”

Greater focus needed on mental health
Using substances to become more popular is just one issue, panelists said.

Youths also turn to substances as a way to escape from dysfunctional home life, or to cope with inner feelings, they said.

They urged an increase in mental health services.

“Mental health is the key to everything right now,” Dorta said. “For a 15- or 16-year-old to go through trauma and leave it unchecked…really impales society as a whole, because that’s what’s going to make up our next generation as a whole, so the very next step before overcoming drugs and vaping, first, is taking hold of our minds.”

Panelists said that mental health must be taken more seriously by the Pasco County Schools —  from guidance counselors to teachers and administrators.

They advocate greater funding for staffing at schools to give students quick access to help, when they need to talk to someone about their problems.

As it stands now, instead of an open door policy, a student must make an appointment of sorts by placing a notecard in a counselor’s mailbox, Meriwether said.

Safe Teens Against Drugs (STAND) is a program facilitated by the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP). The group of youth leaders who make up STAND strive to end youth substance abuse in Pasco County by educating teachers, police, business owners and other community members by sharing their observations, and suggesting solutions. (Courtesy of Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention)

“They’ll get to you when they get to you,” she said.

That can be problematic, she added.

“Some kids can’t wait. They need to talk and if they don’t have someone to talk to they’re going to go to drugs and skip over using their resources.

“We have those situations where we want to talk to somebody about this, but no one’s available,” Meriwether said.

Piggybacking off that thought, Horn mentioned some counselors won’t take a particular student’s mental health issues seriously. Instead, they write it off as teen angst.

Other times, she said, counselors just focus on a student’s grades — instead of talking to them about what has been bothering them at school, or outside of it.

Horn put it all like this: “Let’s say you’re being bullied. Like, you’ll go in talking about that issue, but then they’ll change to subject to, ‘Oh, how are your grades doing?’”

That, she added, “doesn’t make the bullying situation or whatever your situation is, any better.

“I don’t think there are enough people in our schools to help us going through our issues. Like the teachers say they can help, but they can only help when it’s convenient for them,” Horn said.

COVID-19’s far-reaching impacts
The unintended consequences of COVID-19 on school-age youth was another deep talking point among panelists.

With a lack of school structure, boredom at home and few extracurricular or athletic activities available — because of the pandemic — panelists said they’re not surprised if fellow teens are currently experimenting with new substances, or abusing them more frequently than they did before the pandemic hit.

Meriwether observed: “Kids now are at home and don’t have a lot to lose, so they’re trying new things. Parents will have stuff at home that kids can just get into, because it’s not being locked up, because everyone’s home all day.”

Safer-at-home orders also have allowed youth to hide side effects that otherwise might’ve been caught if they were in school or school-related activities, she added.

Because of that and other reasons, panelists generally seemed in favor of having some sort of option to return to brick-and-mortar schools.

Horn summed it up like this: “I get a little depressed because I’m not able to go and see my friends, and school was something I enjoyed. It’s very isolating to do online school for such a long time when you don’t have groups to attend and you don’t make friends outside of online school, so like I found peace in going to school. Like, the fact that I can’t go to school is very sad, because I like going to school, I like being around other people and seeing new faces, and it’s just easier to learn.”

Dorta, meantime, expressed worry for youth who’ve had to handle online learning in the face of troubling home or family environments.

Traditional schooling usually offers “a dip from harsh reality” for those kids,” he said.

“You can’t push online school onto a lot of people, especially when those kids have trouble at home. …Imagine if you’re bringing school to their house, which they can’t even feel safe or concentrate in,” he said.

Dorta wants to see schools reopen. But, he added: “Seeing how (COVID-19) is going on, I don’t know how it’d work and I don’t really know if it’s the best option, but knowing a lot of kids that are struggling, at least have them refer to a source that they can go to outside of their house.”

Others, including Gulf Middle School’s Yahkaira Barbosa, expressed hesitation about returning to school at the moment.

“I’m dying to go back to school, but the way things are, it’s probably best not to because it’s going to be awhile until a vaccine comes out,” Barbosa said.

Safe Teens Against Drugs (STAND) is a program facilitated by the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP).
STAND members include Iker Dorta, Anclote High School; Alyssa Saldana, Chasco Middle School; Jocelyn Meriwether, Land O’ Lakes High School; Maddie Horn, Gulf High School; Jakob Horn, Bayonet Point Middle School; Billy Kritsotakis, Harry Schwettmann Education Center; Joel Meriwether, Sunlake High School; Jeromy Vaughn, Gulf Middle School; Austin Vaughn, Chasco Middle School; and Cheyenne Howard, of Dade City.

STAND’s mission is to:

  • Change youth perspectives of drugs
  • Reduce accessibility of drugs
  • Reduce marketing of drugs to young people
  • Create an environment where young people in recovery can thrive

To learn more about STAND, contact ">.

Published August 19, 2020

Panel sheds light on youth drug use in Pasco

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Speaking before a roomful of adults, a panel of teens offered their insights and observations about drug use among youths in Pasco County.

Marijuana use appears to be the biggest drug-related issue among youth across Pasco County, said the panelists, who are members of Safe Teens Against Drugs (STAND).

They said kids are increasingly turning to marijuana as a way to escape their personal problems.

From left: Maddie Horn, 12; Destiny Winter, 17; Jocelyn Meriwether, 14; Christos Loupis, 17; Austin Vaughan, 13; Ashley Dew, 19; Jeromy Vaughan, 14; and, Yahkaira Barbosa, 14. (Kevin Weiss)

“They’re not happy, they feel depressed, they have anxiety, so they smoke,” said panelist Destiny Winter. “They’re constantly trying to solve these problems by self-medicating instead of seeking help,” said the 17-year-old Anclote High student.

The group of youth leaders who make up STAND are determined to end youth substance abuse in Pasco County by educating teachers, police, business owners and other community members about their observations, and offering suggestions for solutions. The youth group is organized by the Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP).

This is the fourth year that members of STAND have addressed members of numerous community stakeholder groups — in a forum arranged by ASAP — to talk about various health and safety issues facing Pasco youths.

Marijuana has become prevalent among teens because of peer pressure and relatively easy access to the substance, panelists told the audience.

And, the way it’s sensationalized in pop culture and social media hasn’t helped, either.

”It’s being influenced as cool, so they’re trying it out,” 14-year-old Land O’ Lakes High student Jocelyn Meriwether said.

“I believe it’s happening because of its popularization online by many celebrities, many singers or rappers that kids listen to,” added 14-year-old Gulf High student Jeromy Vaughan.

Moreover, the teens said the legalization of medical marijuana in Florida and throughout the country has contributed to the impression that it’s is OK to use, and a quick fix to cope with anxiety, boredom, sadness, depression and so on.

Winter pointed out that her peers aren’t adequately warned about marijuana’s side effects, such as withdrawals that can result from abusing the substance.

“They’re misled about how good it is for you,” said Winter, an Anclote varsity basketball player. “They’re told constantly about all these benefits from their peers and from social media, but they’re not told enough about what might not be good,” she said. “It’s just misinformation.”

The panelists also told those gathered at the Land O’ Lakes session that e-cigarettes and vaping, as well as vaping marijuana, are growing issues among teens.

They said it’s perceived as both cool to do and safer than smoking because it’s electronic and so prevalent in public spaces, such as parks and beaches.

Vaughan called vaping “the norm among this generation.”

“It’s become a very big problem,” the teen said. “Everyone believes it’s OK. Everyone does it. Everyone knows someone that does it, and still no one says anything about it.”

Added Winter: “I feel like many kids don’t understand the effects, they don’t understand we’re not quite sure yet what vaping is doing to our bodies and that there’s still research being done.”

Aside from drug use, 12-year-old Maddie Horn said youth violence is another issue in her community.

“A lot of kids are generally angry,” said Horn, “and it could come from things that are happening at home, and they don’t know how to cope with that.”

Besides talking about issues, STAND members offered some possible solutions.

They advocated for more mentorship programs, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, as well as more free afterschool programs, in general.

“I think partially just having safe spaces (would be good), places where kids can go after school that might not be home,” Winter said. “A lot of kids, especially in the area that we live in, don’t live in homes that are very supportive or leading them in the right direction.

“Where I live, the rec center is the only free place I can go to hang out and feel safe, really,” she said.

More robust education programs and awareness campaigns on the negative side effects of drug use might be another step in the right direction, panelists agreed.

“I remember last year we had three school assemblies and not a single one was about health or anything,” Vaughan said. “Just informing people about what happens when you do this kind of stuff and how your brain is affected, and how monumental it is compared to someone that doesn’t do it.”

Other STAND panelists present were: Ashley Dew, 19; Yahkaira Barbosa, 14; Christos Loupis, 17; Moriah Morales, 15; and, Austin Vaughan, 13.

STAND’s mission is to:

  • Change youth perspectives of drugs
  • Reduce accessibility of drugs
  • Reduce marketing of drugs to young people
  • Create an environment where young people in recovery can thrive

To learn more about STAND, contact .

Published July 10, 2019

Panel offers formula to help struggling teens: Judge less, listen more

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Those working in the front lines of mental health, drug prevention, drug addiction and recovery heard firsthand last week from a panel of youths about strategies that can help young people who need help in those areas.

The panel made up of members of STAND (Safe Teens AgaiNst Drugs) convened at the community center at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, under the auspices of the monthly coalition meeting of the Pasco Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention.

A panel of youths recently shared suggestions about taking aim to reduce drug abuse and mental health problems. For starters, they said, it would help to have more counselors on campus who have time to listen to them. From left: Ormand Derrick, panel moderator, and panelists Mariah Morales, Ariana Santillana, Mia Cuasey and Annabelle Durff. (B.C. Manion)

The room was filled with professionals, and the youths— who have experienced firsthand the issues of addiction, attempted suicide, losing a loved one to drug abuse or being shuffled between foster homes —  had plenty of ideas to share.

There needs to be better access to help, said panelist Annabelle Durff.

Services are available sometimes, but they’re across town, she said.

“That’s not going to help. It’s too far away,” Durff said, noting many students don’t drive or have a way to get a ride.

Paying for therapy is another issue, she said.

Lack of parental support is a problem, too, she said, noting that some parents refuse to help their kids get help.

“I think if you have more school programs that are right (there), direct for the kids, that’s going to help,” Durff said.

It’s not enough to simply have counselors available, the staffing needs to be adequate, panelists added.

There are guidance counselors on campus, but they are pulled in too many directions.

“If I’m having an issue, or a mental breakdown, I have to wait until next week because they (other students) want to talk about their test scores.

“There’s nobody there just for the students to talk to,” she said.

More creative approaches are needed to teach young people to avoid using drugs and alcohol, said panelist Ariana Santillana.

She thinks that people tend to minimize the dangers of alcohol abuse. In her opinion, it’s the biggest substance abuse problem in Pasco County.

“I feel like it’s been so normalized. Nobody really thinks it’s a big deal,” she said. Plus, it’s easily available in many homes.

She advocates coming up with new strategies to reach kids, instead of simply pulling out a Power Point presentation and repeating the common refrain “drugs are bad, don’t do them,” she said.

There needs to be a new attitude when helping people who have substance abuse or mental health illnesses, panelists said.

“Offer your support, instead of punishment,” Santillana said.

Panelist Mia Causey agreed: “We need to show kids we are here for them. If they need help, we’re there to help them, instead of passing them off to somebody else.”

Drug prevention efforts usually last for about a week and generally involve free pencils, wrist bands, stickers and posters, the panelists said.

Durff asked: “What about the kids that are already doing drugs?”

She added: “What about kids (whose) parents are already doped up?”

It doesn’t help to tell people that drugs are bad, she said.

“They probably already know that, but they don’t have the strength to stop it themselves,” Durff said.

Talk about issues, don’t hide them, panelists say
Mental illness, substance abuse and suicide are issues that need to become part of the public conversation, panelists said.

“The thing about STAND is that we’re not afraid to bring light to the problem,” Causey said. “How do you expect to solve the problem, if we don’t bring light to it?”

Getting help to end drug use or to cope with mental health issues shouldn’t be taboo topics, she added.

An appointment for a therapy session should be viewed in the same light as going to the doctor for an ankle injury or to treat a cold, Causey added. “It should be a normalized thing.”

Helping kids find their passions and a positive outlet could go a long way in reducing drug use and promoting positive mental health, panelists added.

Causey: “If you have passion for something, take what you already know and take your already given talents and apply it to that. I love talking. I also am really good at writing poetry, so I do spoken word. I speak at all sorts of different events.”

Santillana noted: “Schools offer sports and band. I’m in band, and I’ve got a zillion things to do every day, so what time do I have for drugs?”

Mariah Morales, another panelist, said she immerses herself in art. “That has really helped me through everything I’ve been through. Art is my way of getting out my feelings and expressing myself. It really does help.”

The panelists also said they believe having a 12-step program in schools would be helpful.

Finally, they believe that sharing their stories can help other youths who are going through challenging times.

“We need to step up, and talk about it and say, ‘If you are going through these things, I got past it. I got through it, and it’s not the end,” Durff said.

Causey agreed: “Saying ‘No’ for yourself is the first step. Helping somebody else say ‘No’ is the next step.”

Safe Teens AgaiNst Drugs (STAND) is a team of youth leaders determined to end youth substance abuse in Pasco County by providing education to teachers, police, businesses and other community members.

Priority Issues:

  • Change youth perspective of drugs
  • Reduce accessibility of drugs
  • Reduce marketing of drugs to young people
  • Create an environment where young people in recovery can thrive

Published August 8, 2018

Rally sheds light on risks of impaired driving

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For one drunk driver, it took going blind to finally see.

That’s the message Derrick Jenkins shared during A Rally to Prevent Impaired Driving, on Dec. 5 at John Long Middle School in Wesley Chapel.

Three years ago, Jenkins was just a “normal kid.”

But, the St. Petersburg resident’s life changed forever on Nov. 5, 2013.

Derrick Jenkins was the guest speaker during A Rally to Prevent Impaired Driving on Dec. 5. Jenkins lost his eyesight three years ago after an impaired driving accident.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

Jenkins, then 21, attended a local car show with a few buddies. His intention was to get drunk. He did.

“Being 21, I was thinking, ‘Sweet, we can get trashed legally.’ That was my mindset at the time,” Jenkins said, addressing a group of parents and their children.

That November evening, an intoxicated Jenkins chose to ride his motorcycle home. He wasn’t wearing a helmet.

He did not make it far.

He trekked about a “a block down the road” before he and his motorcycle collided full-force into a stationary construction truck on U.S. 19.

The fallout was catastrophic.

“I hit the truck so hard my eyes literally popped out of my head,” Jenkins said, “My eyes were literally hanging on my cheeks.”

Jenkins, now completely blind with no eyes, had suffered a severe traumatic brain injury from the crash.

As a result, he now suffers from diabetes insipidus. It is a rare disorder that causes an imbalance of water in the body and is marked by intense thirst and heavy urination.

He is also unable to regulate his body temperature, and is stricken with short-term memory loss because of dead spots scattered across his brain.

“They all affect me on a daily, hourly basis,” he said of his existing medical problems.

The incident was a long time coming, Jenkins said, considering his proclivity to excessively drink at house parties since he was in high school.

“I’m surprised it didn’t happen to me sooner,” he said, candidly. “I let what other kids think of me affect my decisions.”

For Jenkins, the dangers of driving impaired serve as a constant reminder.

“It only takes once,” he said.

December is National Impaired Driving Awareness Month.

To spread the message, several organizations — the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP), and Safe Teens AgaiNst Drugs (STAND) — teamed up for a panel discussion on issues related to drug and alcohol abuse, especially involving youths.

Much of the 30-minute dialogue centered on causes and impacts of underage drinking and drug abuse.

Shawn Crane, a Pasco Circuit Court Judge, said curbing youth substance abuse starts with choosing the right friends.

“The people you surround yourself with are absolutely critical to remaining drug free and alcohol free,” Crane said, during the roundtable. “If you want to fit in with that group that goes to the house parties, that is going to be the root that brings you down.”

Alexis Escalante, a MADD program specialist, said children with self-esteem issues are more at-risk of being pressured into drug and alcohol use.

“Kids can fall into that trap when they have low self-esteem,” Escalante said, “and they are looking for acceptance…wherever they can.”

That’s why, Escalante said, parents need to talk to their children about substance abuse at an early age.

“We have found that kids start forming their own opinions about drugs and alcohol as early as 8 years old,” Escalante said, “so it’s up to the parent to determine whether or not they’re getting correct information.”

She added, “The earlier you start talking about it, the more manageable it’s going to be.”

Ariana Santillana, a freshman at Ridgewood High, agreed, noting youth are heavily influenced not only by their peers, but what’s presented in movies, music and television.

“Drug use and alcohol is being promoted everywhere,” Santillana said. “Youth are like sponges—they soak up all the information they get about drugs.

She added: “It seems like parents are scared to talk to their kids about alcohol and drugs, and the effects it can have on them.”

Those effects are multiple and long-term, panelists concurred.

Besides the risk of motor vehicle accidents, there’s a possibility of stunted brain function, said Christina Roberto, a master social worker at BayCare Behavioral Health.

“When you’re underage, your brain is still developing,” Roberto said. “It doesn’t stop until you’re 25 or 26 (years old), so when you add all these extra substances…it’s causing it to not fully develop.”

Incarceration is another possible outcome, even for those under 18.

Natalie Scruggs, an assistant state’s attorney for Florida’s Sixth Judicial Court, said juveniles can be charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) manslaughter, a second-degree felony equating to 15 years in prison.

“That stays on your record pretty much forever,” Scruggs said. “The consequences can be very, very horrible.”

Panelists also agreed that substance abuse—and impaired driving — could create significant financial hurdles, from legal fees and court costs, to exorbitant medical bills to skyrocketing insurance rates.

“The cost is really difficult to measure,” Crane said, “because it is so vast.”

Published December 14, 2016