SJHHS hosted a Town Hall meeting talking about the deaths of innocent teenagers due to drug abuse.

This past week, many Health Services teams, such as, Behavioral Health Services, Health Policy and Communications, and Orange County Police Department, talked about the tragedies of former students of the state, due to drug overdose.

In the past years, drug overdose, or poisoning has been the leading cause of deaths for young adults.

Leading director, Richard Sanchez, helps to make a difference in over 200 people to change the way their children could be abusing their bodies. Sanchez talks about how 27.1 million people in the United States used illicit drugs or prescription drugs in just this past month.

Sanchez discusses the heroin epidemic that has been occurring more than ever before. He talks about all the ages of teens to young adults that have been affected. Some people as young as fourteen years old have lost their lives because of drugs. 

Parents’ lack of knowledge is being held accountable for some of the students health and are being informed on the new use of nicotine through vaporizers and other electronic cigarettes. Vaporizers as well as electronic cigarettes have been easily accessible for young teenagers, who are now harming themselves from nicotine abuse.

Some say different genders have been the leading cause of overdoses.“ Males were nearly two times more likely than females to overdose, and/or die from an opioid related incident.” says Sanchez.

Officials are saying the accessibility of electronic cigarettes for young teenagers is very great, leading to damage of students lungs. Students talk about how harmful drugs and nicotine can be for people.

Students at SJHHS have mixed emotions about drugs. “ I will never do drugs, because they are bad for you.” says Brix Hazen.

Richard Sanchez closed the night with a memorable note, listing the many ways drugs have been ruining the lives of students.