THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 10, 1996 TAG: 9603080262
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines
Chesapeake high schools and Families United Against Drugs periodically recognize a student who is living a drug-free lifestyle.
Amy Jones is a 17-year-old senior at Oscar F. Smith High School. She is active in the Key Club, the yearbook staff, Pals for Peers and the Chesapeake PRIDE Team. Jones was selected for Project Success at B.M. Williams Primary School. Through this program, she interacts daily with elementary students as a tutor and role model. She is also a trained conflict mediator.
Q. One of the criteria for being highlighted by this program is that you must be drug-free for at least two years. Have you always been drug-free?
A. Yes, I have always been drug-free.
Q. Since you have never used drugs, what was it that convinced you never to try them?
A. I have always thought that anything that can alter your mind is not worth taking, but the ultimate reason has been the death of a very good family friend. My brother grew up with him in high school, and we all loved him. He died in a drunken-driving accident on April 25, 1993. My brother was also in the accident, but escaped with only a broken collarbone. I've been convinced to stay away from all drugs ever since.
Q. Many, many teens dabble in drugs and alcohol. If you could design a program to encourage them to get off drugs or to never try them in the first place, what would you do?
A. To convince kids and teenagers that doing drugs is something that they don't need, I would start a group or organization to educate them to stay off drugs and stay in school. Kids need to know that staying in school and getting an education will bring them more success and stability in the years to come. To enforce that, kids need to grow up in a society where violence is not tolerated.
Q. Some politicians have suggested legalizing drugs as a way to curb abuse. Do you think legalization would increase or decrease drug use among teens? Why?
A. This is a soft subject for me because I'm not really sure how I feel about legalized drugs. In one aspect, legalizing drugs would decrease the amount of violence over drug traffic, but we would have even more ``crack heads'' and ``dead heads'' roaming around. If drugs were to stay illegal, we can continue to fight to educate the young and old about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and the violence they cause.
Q. Do you face a lot of negative peer pressure because of your outspoken stand against drugs and alcohol? If so, how do you handle it without looking like a goody-goody?
A. Yes, I do get some negative peer pressure about being drug-free. I don't care if I come off as a ``goody-goody.'' I'm leading a life that is on a natural high. I can live life to its fullest because I will remember it and will want to remember it until I die. I'm very proud of my decision to be drug-free. Just because I'm drug-free doesn't mean I don't talk to people who aren't. Of course, I'm more comfortable hanging out with people who have made the same choice as I have. If I were to just hang out with drug-free people, I would not be able to set a good example for anyone else. Who wants to be drug-free if it means that you have to seclude yourself from everyone? If people can see that you can be drug-free and still have a great time, why do you need drugs?
Q. What, if anything, do you say to friends or classmates who do use drugs?
A. To my friends that do use drugs, I have a tendency to ask them why they do them. I always get the same answer: ``I do them to have a good time.'' I'll ask them in response, ``So, are you saying that I can't have a good time just because I don't use drugs?'' Then, my friends will totally contradict themselves by saying that you don't need drugs to have a good time. I usually continue to tell them that they don't need drugs either.
Q. Whom do you look up to as a model for a drug-free lifestyle?
A. The one person who has been such a great role model for me is Mr. Billy Williams. He, if anybody, withstands the most peer pressure to stay drug-free; yet he continues to say no. He is a great leader and friend. By being the director of the Chesapeake PRIDE Team, Billy is giving the greatest gift that he could give me and all the other members. He has given us drive for the cause. Although he may not realize it, he is the greatest role model I could ask for, and I thank him!
Q. How serious do you think the drug problem is in this area?
A. Even though larger cities may have more problems, any drug problem is a serious drug problem. So, technically, I believe that the drug problem in this area is very serious.
Q. What are your plans for the future?
A. For the future, I plan to attend a four- or five-year college and major in English and minor in secondary education. I would like to be a high school English teacher and later become a counselor. by CNB