Pot and Cell Phones Draw Fire at Aliso Niguel High PTSA Meeting

Pot, cell phones and creeps on campus. Those were the main topics at Wednesday's PTSA meeting. 

Leading the session was School Resource Officer Deputy Rich Franco, who spoke to about two dozen parents and teachers.

Topic No. 1: Marijuana. "It's a huge problem here, and it's going to get worse," Franco said, blaming the rise of student pot-puffing on  and growing public acceptance of the drug.

Pot is more dangerous than many believe, he said. Franco described a student who overdosed on a Hubby Bar, a super-potent edible form of medical marijuana that is up to 60 percent hash oil. "Her heart slowed down and she became unresponsive.  She was revived in the ambulance," he said.

When asked if the bar contained other substances, Franco said it was tested at a lab and hash oil was the only narcotic found.

"The problem is that these products take a while to kick in," he said. "So she took a bite, and then waited, and thought it would be fine to eat more.  By the time it kicked in, she had already overdosed."

Misuse of Cell Phones

On a related note, Franco suggested a crackdown on cell phones, noting that most of the school drug crimes he prosecutes involve cell phone use. Although he didn't endorse a total ban—because parents wish to stay in touch with their children—he asked the PTSA to brainstorm ways to limit cell phone use. The group said it would discuss the topic at a future meeting.

Creep Control

Franco raved about a new service called KeepnTrack, which aims to keep creeps off campus. It requires all school visitors to run their driver's license or state ID through a machine that checks for outstanding warrants and sex offender status. 

Franco was so enthusiastic about the program that he offered to pay the $1,500 start-up fee himself (the annual fee after that is $400).

Seminars on Teen Risks

The PTSA announced a free seminar series called "Is Your Teen At Risk?" Upcoming dates and topics:

Monday: Adolescent Subcultures and Current Substance Abuse Trends

April 25: Teen Bullying/Dating Violence and Teens, and Technology

May 2: Teen Driving Safety and Teen Binge Drinking and Driving

All the seminars will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Aliso Niguel High School Theater. For more information, contact jadavidson@ocsd.org or call 949-362-4311.