New high school principal makes extra effort to eradicate drug use

By Staff Writer

Joseph Findley has not been a principal very long, but he has already declared a war on drugs.

According to the Mountain Statesman, Findley has worked diligently since his August arrival to confront substance abuse at a West Virginia high school. He recently hired a prosecutor to train faculty on how to spot illegal drug use. He also brought in local law enforcement officials to help educate teachers on the warning signs of illicit activities.

Different types of illegal drugs were presented to faculty to help them recognize the popular substances among teenagers.

“Believe it or not, there are over 5,000 drug dealers in [our county,]” Dayton Mayle of the sheriff's department told educators during the session, as quoted by the news source. “They range from small time dealers to those subsidizing their social security by selling their medication.”

Mayle said that pharmaceutical drugs are the biggest problem, as kids are bringing them into their lockers without fear of being caught. Unlike marijuana and other harmful substances, prescription drugs cannot be detected by drug-sniffing dogs.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, prescription abuse by teens in the U.S. exceeds marijuana use.