Blog: Drug Abuse Among Teens in San Ramon is a Problem

When I first moved to San Ramon I saw a safe community. I saw a place with rolling green hillsides and some of the highest rated schools. It appeared to be a place where my children could wander the neighborhood without fear. It was the place where my wife and I could let them do so without us being fearful.

There’s an old saying, “For every cloud there is a silver lining.” Sometimes, unfortunately, the exact opposite is true. San Ramon happens to fall into this category when it comes to drug sales and abuse amongst its children and I don’t use the term children lightly.

Since reading an article in the San Ramon Patch regarding teen drug and alcohol abuse I decided to go straight to the horse’s mouth and ask a 12-year-old to give me the run down on just what he knew about drug use of kids his own age and possibly even younger. He came forth with what I found to be a frightening and honest testimony that has made me take a hard look at my own home and children. The following is what I was told:

“A lot of drugs and dealing (drugs, pipes or bongs, water pipes and weapons) are happening in San Ramon without us knowing. Especially at the Central Park, located by the Iron Horse Middle School."

The skate park sure draws a crowd of “users” and dealers. They’re dealing to kids even of the age of 12 without fear that the police will catch them.

A few months ago there was an ecstasy bust in Central Park (this information came from a San Ramon Police Officer who will remain unnamed).

San Ramon isn’t the only source for narcotics. Kids are selling and buying from Danville and bringing it to San Ramon because they believe that San Ramon police are not aware of it.

My 12-year-old source goes further:

“Just because of this information doesn’t mean there aren’t kids at the skate park or around San Ramon who are drug free."

Parents assume that if they let their kids go there they will get into drugs. This can happen if the child feels he has power over the authorities (police, parents, teachers, etc.). But not everybody, so just don’t assume it’s a horrible drug-filled place because there are still kids who go there who are drug free.

Now if you do see something or someone who looks a bit shady, and actually see that he or she is dealing or smoking you can easily leave the authorities with an anonymous tip.

The illegal selling and buying of street narcotics is not the only source for these children to obtain drugs. Some of the abuse comes from our own medicine cabinets.

Out of the mouths of babes we live in a world of far too much access. Access to street dope, prescription meds, a world of cell phones, internet chat pages, texting and twitter, could easily be called a double edged sword. It’s great to have this information at your fingertips, but with this access comes responsibility. Parents have to educate themselves to the signs of drug abuse as well as become savvy to the workings of this information highway.