A new group of CHS students and teachers have recently come together to combat problems haunting the school and its populace. Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) may be a new group with a modest size, but its members stand dedicated to its cause.
SADD Group Committed to Positive Change at CHS
BY SARAH THERESE CHAUDHRY
A new group of CHS students and teachers have recently come together to combat problems haunting the school and its populace. Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) may be a new group with a modest size, but its members stand dedicated to its cause.
“SADD’s mission is to empower people so they may successfully confront the risks and pressures that challenge them,” says Mrs. Lauren Cone, the group’s head and adviser, a certified student assistance counselor with Rhode Island Student Assistance Services. The group is peer-led and prevention-based, placing a strong emphasis on the value of student perspectives. “SADD envisions a world in which young people make positive decisions that advance their health and safety.”
This February, the Students Against Destructive Decisions at CHS are working to observe Children of Substance-Abusing Parents Awareness Month, just one of many planned initiatives the CHS chapter of SADD has in store. Flyers are pinned on a large cork board across from the guidance office, displaying stories of various personalities who grew up in a home with substance abuse yet still prevailed. A flyer proclaiming, “I didn’t cause it, I can’t control it, I can’t cure it, but I can take care of myself by communicating my feelings, making good choices, and celebrating myself,” speaks loudest. It is a reminder for children in such circumstances to keep their heads held high, a message SADD wants everyone to keep in mind.
One short-term goal for the group is to recruit more student members. Kayleigh Amiot says, “It’s important for people to understand the effects of substances like vapes. The more people we can get to show that, the better. If we keep making SADD grow, it’s going to be more recognizable and we can leave a bigger impact.”
“It’s important that we draw more attention to SADD,” says Almira Amini. “I feel that a lot of students don’t care about these issues, but we can change that a bit and possibly encourage someone to learn something.”
“Vaping seems like the biggest issue at the moment,” remarked Amini. Amiot agrees that vaping is the school’s most prevalent problem at the moment. Spreading awareness about vaping, among other issues, is significant for the group. “Making the students more aware of what vaping can lead to is important,” says Amiot.
Amiot and Amini’s opposition to vaping is reasonable. The nicotine in vapes is highly addictive, which impacts several aspects of a person’s life. Juul, a leading electronic cigarette company, has marketed its products as safer and healthier than traditional cigarettes, but a single Juul cartridge can have as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes. Juul also claims its products are solely for adults but uses marketing strategies that appeal to a younger target audience. To add insult to injury, nicotine use during adolescence or childhood begets long-term impacts on brain development, aside from already being highly addictive. Both Amiot and Amini listed nicotine as the substance probably being used the most among students. According to the Rhode Island Department of Health 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 10.2% of Rhode Island high school students reported frequent use of vape products, an increase from 3.7% two years prior.
Though substance use among the school population is troublesome, alarmism does not solve the problem. Mrs. Cone states that one of SADD’s goals is correcting the errors of social norming among the school’s population. “We want to dispel the myth that all kids are using substances,” says Mrs. Cone. “It’s good that there are students making good decisions.”
Amiot adds, “Maybe if we can show that a lot of people don’t abuse substances, peer pressure would be less effective, and substance use would be less enticing.”
Though it is what the group is usually known for, SADD deals with more than substance abuse. “It could also be about bullying, eating habits, stress management, healthy relationships, and others,” said Mrs. Cone. SADD used to be Students Against Driving Drunk until it expanded its focus. It was influenced by Mothers Against Driving Drunk (MADD). “Once the group grows bigger, hopefully, we can partner up with MADD,” adds Mrs. Cone.
Amini mentioned how being associated with SADD may mildly affect its members’ reputations, and the sentiment that addressing such issues, especially substance use, makes one out-of-touch or privileged. A member who wishes to remain anonymous adds, “I’m not here because I’m pompous or whatnot. I’ve seen people close to me affected by problems like substance abuse, suicide, and eating disorders, so I’ve witnessed the dangers and have experience with the problems we’re tackling.”
Mrs. Cone and the students of SADD have high hopes for the group’s future. SADD has projects planned that, for now, can only be anticipated. “I definitely see SADD evolving,” predicts Almira Amini. Hopefully, as SADD grows, so will its impact, and healthier decisions will better the school environment. The effects of decisions transcend the school walls, beckoning better decisions for a better world.
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