By Kayla Holeman, Dante Wilds and Z-iara Jones

There is a drug problem at Patterson High School and dozens of other schools all over Baltimore. But why do people do drugs in school? What is the purpose of young people engaging in this harmful behavior? Why do they like to smoke in schools? Is there a reason why they do what they do?

Students take drugs for a variety of reasons: because they are experimenting, because of family history or genetic predisposition, because they got addicted to prescription drugs, because of loneliness, peer pressure and more. You can tell if someone is using drugs because of the way they act or look; for example, change in friends (to hang out with kids who use drugs), having red or puffy eyes, etc.

Drugs can have serious ramifications on a person’s physical health, mental health and well being. And that’s not good at all. We want students to stop taking drugs and to be more healthy because if they don’t stop, it can create changes in the way their brains work. Drug abuse changes your brain chemistry, which is not good. The longer you use drugs, the more damage is done and the harder it is to go back to normal. It is very hard to go back because you get so addicted to it that you don’t know when to stop.

There are 175 different public schools in Baltimore City, and most of them have a problem with kids smoking marijuana or using other drugs in school. Kids are smoking in bathrooms and in the hallways and on stairwells. And that’s not good. We want kids or anyone else taking drugs to stop and be healthy.

To stop drug abuse, always talk to whoever is taking it because they can be going through a lot at school or at home or anywhere. Or they can just do it because they see someone else doing it because they think it’s cool. Just by talking to them and helping them see that drug abuse is bad and that it’s not good for you at all, hopefully they will change their minds and get on the right track.

We really do need drug abuse to stop because it’s really, really bad. This is why people are taking drugs and we need to stop and help people who are taking it and change people’s lives. If you or someone you know is struggling with a drug problem, there is a free substance abuse counseling program at Patterson that can help. For more information, speak to Ms. Smith in the Guidance office or call New Beginnings substance abuse counseling at 443-310-2409.

By Kayla Holeman and Dante Wilds

A representative from the Federal Reserve gave a presentation to American Government students in the Media Center on March 7. The Federal Reserve is a national banking system that plays a major role in regulating the U.S. economy.

The decisions made by the Federal Reserve (Fed for short) can affect you in many ways. It can affect how much money you borrow by controlling interests rates that influence your spending and saving habits. This in turn helps to stabilize the average prices you pay for goods and services.

The Fed helps promote a healthy overall job market for you and other workers. Everyone wants to get paid more, but higher pay can lead to increased prices for goods and services you need.

The Fed (along with other government agencies) checks to make sure your bank is financially sound. The Fed issues the currency (money) you use and helps get payments from Point A to Point B. The Fed even connects to your community by gathering information on economic conditions in different parts of the country.

Congress designed the Federal Reserve to ensure it is acceptable to the public but free from short-term political pressure. The Federal Reserve system includes Federal Reserve banks, a Board of Governors and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). Many different people work for the Federal Reserve, including bank presidents, network developers, cash tellers, risk managers etc.

So the Fed controls almost everything about the American economy to keep you where you need to be financially. The Fed helps keep you on track with your money on how you spend it or on goods and services and it helps ensure that your bank is financially sound so you do not have to worry about whether or not your money is safe.

The Federal Reserve visit to Patterson was very informative. At the end, they gave the students $100 each! Unfortunately, it can’t be spent, as it has been taken out of circulation and shredded into hundreds of tiny pieces.