Marijuana used to be the talk of the town when it came to drugs. Who was smoking? Where were they getting it? Why was it so popular? But as time–and generations–have passed, marijuana has become less discussed when it comes to “drug drama.” It isn’t shocking to most to find out that someone smokes weed. As paraphernalia has advanced and stress has become a greater burden, some are reaching for hard drugs for a release. For most people, it could simply be a random thing they try at a party: a desperate need to cram for a test (Adderall), a craving for experimenting at a summer music festival like Lollapalooza (MDMA), or a dangerous game of one-upmanship. While it is clear that “hard drugs” aren’t a huge issue here at Lake Forest High School and the surrounding community, it is definitely an issue that does exist. Be it Xanax, MDMA (Molly), or even cocaine, there are prevalent users of drugs in our community. Still, the ascending drug culture is affecting more than just the users themselves. All of the sources quoted in this story have been granted anonymity. All students quoted are Lake Forest High School students of various ages.

Regarding cocaine:

“He pulled it out of some random bag. It’s so uncomfortable, too, because you’re so compact and close together at Lolla. I made the person next to me switch places just because it was clear he wasn’t okay. His eyes were all glossed over and he wasn’t even aware of what he was doing.”

“My friend did it and it made them really crazy. They seemed like their pupils were huge. They were sweating. Like, it was gross to touch them. They were just going crazy. It was just very uncomfortable because I didn’t want to partake in such a thing and it was a shock to see kids that I know acting in such a weird way. It was so weird to see one of my friends go so bizerk.”

“I personally have never done it, but I have seen some of my friends do it. I would say there’s a 50-50 shot they end up having a good time and the other half they turn into a different monster they’re not ready for.”

“So I was on the train coming home from Lolla when a guy from our school came up to me shaking, sweating and his eyes were super dilated. He was definitely on more than one drug. It scared enough of my friends that we would never do that.”

“I was 15, into the second year of my job as a caddy. Back then I considered myself still pretty innocent. It was a slow summer afternoon so I went out into the caddy yard to escape the must of the caddy shack. I went to the bench to sit with my friend, a sixty-year old man who has been caddying since he was 12, a ‘Lifer.’ After a few moments of silence he pulls a plastic bag out from his caddy bib, unraveled it and pulled out a very beat up glass pipe and a lighter. Then he pulled a plastic baggy from his wallet and dumps the white powder into the pipe. Without hesitation, he sparks up and blows a heavy cloud away from my direction. Ten minutes later we got called for a loop together and got a nice tip to end the day.”

“When I was in 8th grade, I was offered cocaine. I said no.”

“Once someone started a rumor that my sister was a cocaine dealer. Not cool.” 

Regarding other assorted drugs (MDMA, PCP, acid, heroin, etc.)

“Sophomore year was a rough time. My brother is a huge stoner, so I thought I could escape with some marijuana. But what I didn’t know– and my brother didn’t either–was that it was laced with PCP. It was utterly terrifying and no one should [expletive] with that [expletive].” 

“So all of my friends were on it at Lolla and they were acting like it was okay and everything was fine. On the fourth day, everyone looked like zombies and one of my friends and had a huge white sore coming out of their mouth.” 

“My cousin’s wife died from a heroin overdose. She has four kids. He found her on floor in the bathroom with a needle in her arm.” 

“It was so electric, I didn’t feel alive, I felt animatronic. This was nothing like the shrooms trip I had experienced just a week before. The tab I had in my mouth had finally dissolved completely so my friend instructed me to swallow it. 12 hours later I was still tripping, my senses were heightened and I hadn’t eaten all day–I did not feel human. Emotionless and without a care in the world: I wanted to die. I just drove, not sure where to, but I eventually found myself in my bed. Waking up the next morning I was sober once again, but those dark memories, they’ll stay with me forever.” 

“I woke up shaking and unable to move. I was in my room, not knowing how I got there or where I had been for the last 12 hours. I blacked out for 16 hours. It was in that moment that I realized I had been drugged and everything the night before was completely out of my control.” 

“A high that lasts a couple hours, tops, and is always taxed with a several day or maybe week long comedown? What is the appeal? Having witnessed my sister dry heaving for days, a depressed mind and a shaking body due to withdrawal and being bed ridden brought with it an unbearable sadness and no appetite. There is no appeal [to me]. I realized there was no high on earth that was good enough to risk your life for. A temporary moment of fun will never be worth a lifetime of sadness.”