I have checked the news websites and the only reference I can find to a drug bust today was in Allegheny County. There is no reference to SV students involved.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_559305....

I posted it and had only maybe one post so took it off figured it would be on the news tonight. Chanell 11 had it on at 5:30 atleast that is what I was told. They did a drug sweep here in Butler County in fact my kids came home from school today and one was at DARE graduation and told me that they arrested two Seneca Valley kids right out of the school this morning (This was told to them by the Sgt. in Cranberry). They had like 25 arrest warrants and not sure how many they served. Yes drugs are very bad and I talk to my kids about them constantly on what they can do to you. I believe in DARE too I think it's an excellant program.

I thought YC took it off, because when I went to look at it, it was removed. It is sad, and my kids have gone thru DARE, which is a great program, but once your kid is invited to try something, you NEVER know how they will respond. I just think that as a parent, you have to have your eyes everywhere, and only believe half of what you hear from your kid.

This is a scarey subject I have known some to OD and actually not make it. My kids are still young and god willing that they make the right decisions. I have always told them that with every bad decision comes a consequence. I stress this over and over and in fact my fifth grader said it to someone the other day while we were sitting at a table. The drugs these days are much different when I was in school. They are more pure and if your body can't handle it your dead. What a reality that is. If I can give anyone advice talk to you kids beat it into their heads but the ultimate choice will be theirs. Know where and what your kids are doing ALL the time. Know who their friends are. Remember they don't own their bedroom and you have every right to search that room you own it.

I believe it should be for everyone also. This pick and choose who they want is a bunch of BS. I also believe in that if you keep your kids busy in activities they more then likely won't find the time for anything else. I can't even imagine cause my kids are still young.

It should be for all teachers, administrators and any other worker in the district. I have never tried a drug in my life and never will. I would support a total testing situation.

My daughter has been pulled for drug testing 4 times this year in addition to the required August test. She and her friends see it as a big joke. They think the district pulls the kids they know are clean, and focus in on a very small population. They claim the kids tested, that are doing any kind of drugs, are able to get friends to urinate for them. She has even said there are drug cleansers that kids buy at GNC after drug usage? She also claims it is very ineffective and anyone caught has to be really stupid. Also that most of the kids tested are not the problem at SV. They are totally missing the population they should be targeting. She has recounted numerous stories about this topic.

I don't see that it has made any difference at all. I would love to talk with a parent whose child has been "saved" by drug testing. The only girl I know that tested positive was a child who ate poppy seed muffins for breakfast every morning. She and her parents were put through a grueling process for no reason. They attended required counseling and were told what a great kid they have and that she must go to SV. They were sent home immediately and the counselor laughed at the drug testing program.

Personally, I have been fortunate and have raised children not influenced by the drug scene at SV. Of course, I don't knock back cold ones in front of my kids either, and they have never seen me under the influence.

Tax money is tax money. Either you test all the kids or don't test any. The measly $26 at the beginning of each year should be paid by ALL not just the kids in athletics, activities, and clubs. Then they may begin to get to some of the real drug problems.

Not a big fan of the testing as is. I have seen little positive effect on students in my daughter's class. I also believe if it was such a successful idea far more districts would have jumped on the bandwagon. Few districts have even considered testing their students, and we seem to have more than our share of drug issues here at SV.

Wow I can't imagine that the union would allow such a thing. Actually for those of you that went to Seneca Valley I won't mention names even though I think he is past on but I had a teacher when the school was 7-9 grade he would have a medicine bottle and during class he would say he is taking his meds. the only problem looking back on it was that he would drink straight from the brown medicine bottle. Now being so much older and wiser he was actually an alcoholic. I think in every profession you should be allowed to be drug tested. I have nothing to hide so it's not a big deal. What is good for the students should be good for the teachers and administrators.

You and I have been around the block a few times. The testing is totally ineffective! Many kids that should be spending their time after school in an activity are now on the street corner sniffing, snorting, drinking, or smoking for kicks. I would much rather see them get their kicks in sports than drugs.

It has pushed the borderline kids to the wrong side, so to speak. I believe those kids would have benefited from a team rather than scared off by a drug test!

What kids is drug testing actually helping? No board member has ever been able to answer that question for me.

My kid was walking to the bathroom last week and Ceh grabbed her and said, "Oh _______, I need somebody to take a random for me. Are you on your way to the bathroom?" Doesn't sound like an "official list" randomly selected to me. They just pull whoever they want or can find.

It is a false sense of safety for parents, too. They think if the school is drug testing then their kid can't possibly be using anything. It is a huge farce that just takes more money out of the responsible parent's pockets.

All the kids talk about are the numerous parties attended by kids on friday and saturday nights. Alcohol only last 24 hours in the system, so they can get plastered on weekends, and still pass the test on monday. Somehow I don't think the hardcore heroine user is playing baseball right now. Hhmm.... Are we missing the target again at SV?

There are 25 names on the list of kids to be "busted" only 16 have been taken under custody. This has been an on going problem with the same 25 kids for almost a full year now. Supposedly there are also kids from North Hills and Knoch involved too. Also, to make things some what more clear, the kids that were taken under custody are and at one point were Seneca Valley students.

I don't know how many of you are aware of the drug situation in Cranberry but it has become deplorable. It is definately time for action. I have heard more than my fair share of "words" that mean nothing. I have children in the Seneca Valley School District and have been disgusted for years over this. The FIRST place that needs to be looked at closely is Cranberry Pointe Townhomes. There are at least 3 active drug dealers in this plan. The kids ALL know about it. Come on people. Where are our police and why would the property management not want curb this activity??? Could it possibly be because they do not want to lose their SECTION 8 status??? I have spoken with police and their hands are tied due to the "private property" status. That's BS!!!! I was told that until many reports through 911 were made they could not do a thing! Parents and residents need to step up to the plate for our children and our future. Once several reports are made through 911 regarding suspected drug activity they could ask the attorney general for an investigation. I know of what I speak because unfortunately I live on this property. I have tried many times to get action but it has fallen on deaf ears. I know it would not take place overnight but it's time for everyone concerned to open their eyes.

As a former student of SV... Only graduating in 06, from what i have heard things have not changed. From friends i have heard of the people arrested, and most of there names. In all actuallity my friends exact words were... "Think about the people you thought would get arrested from highschool. It was all of them..." Kind of irronic because after investigating a little he was right.

Even in my junior and senior year, in which i was no angel i may add. Nor was i a menice but ive done my share of stupid things. The drug program was useless. My junior year i was tested 6 times within a period of 6 weeks. Mr. Chek, VP at the time i think did it to annoy me. The 7th time i was pulled from class i threw a fit. Saying "If i did drugs dont you think i would have realized i was being tested once a week for 6 weeks" I then received 3 days out of school suspension and was forced to take a drug test at quest. After that i fought it every time. The funny thing is, the people who everyone knew were on drugs, never got tested. Also the Allstars of the sports were never tested either. Explain that to me...

Overall i attended the school district for 13 years... K-12... and i hated every day of it past 9th grade. I was friends with everyone, well at least tried. The friends i kept after graduation are completely different. Either good to bad or the other way around. In my opinion SV is all politics. Friends with the faculty= golden child.

after reading just about all of these comments that parents have left i have come up with a few words of wisdom

1. students will always explore and try new things, after all their high school years are all about learning from their mistakes. for example when you put up an electric fence for your dog and he runs through and gets shocked, do you build a 10 foot cement wall to shelter him from getting shocked again? no you walk over give him a pat on the head, maybe a few words of guidance, and let him learn from his mistake and teenagers are the same way

2. school officials 9 times out of 10 are wrong. this past year i was harassed by principal anna saker of mars area high school every single day. she once suspended me for 3 days out of school because she said my boxers were showing. the said reasons for my suspension was my disrespect and quote "failure to adhere to administrative requests". what they forgot to put in my write up was that every day, regardless of my pants level, mrs. saker would harass me on a daily basis so after about 100 days of it i just got fed up. then i looked down. studied my pants for a while, noticing that if i wore them that high every day then i would have chronic chafing and just flat out told her no. if you parents learn anything from my little speal here it should be that when you give someone with an attitude power they will do nothing but abuse it.

3. if you looked at things as morally wrong just because they are against the law then why do you not completely stop at stop signs? or pick up after your pet when they crap in public? why do you drive without car insurance? why dont you turn wallets into the police without pocketing all the cash? why did you drink alchohol before you were 21? stop and think about every little rule youve ever broken and then tell me if when little jimmy tokes up and watches a movie and falls asleep is any more harmful or wrong? if anything the real crime is letting the rest of the world depict your opinions just because you dont have either the intelligence or motivation to look into things for what they really are.

4. and finally i will talk about hipocracy. i could go through and count how many different people posted comments on how drugs are evil and make life impossible and would be willing to bet 20 bucks that every single one of you has used a mind altering substance. i'll even exclude alchohol. true fact: prescription medicine is more harmful to the human body then marijuana. even ibuprofen eventually eats a hole in your stomach and a doctor will prescribe you an 800 miligram pill even though the over the counter crap is 20-30 mg. and he'll tell you to take 2 an hour until the pain subsides.

i have absolutely no intentions of ever coming on to this site again and actually joined just to give you this reality check and i hope that it has been just that because the entire time i read your nitpicky conversations about drug testing and how it should be all school and randomized i thought to myself if YOU were in that desk, would you take time away from your precious studies just to fill a cup with urine??? would YOU say, oh well i guess its for the better of the education process to see what i do in my free time. FACT: students spend 15% of their school year actually on the school property. and thats with extra curricular students factored in too. so how should the schools be allowed to mandate whether or not i get to live my life the way i want to live it when they account for only a minute part of my day?

ps- marijuana is not a gateway drug. i've been smoking weed for over 3 years and have not once ever tried anything else. i didn't even start drinking until about a month ago and i still havent even really gotten drunk. gateway drug??? i think not. recreational activity??? yes. but either way its happening on my time and not yours. i dont hit pipes in front of your kids, i dont smoke and drive. overall i bet i'm a more complete citizen then you are when you look at the true meaning of citizen. someone who is part of a bigger organization who works with other people to create and sustain a better organization. so all you soccer moms and yoga instructors sitting at your house trying to fit in with your gossipy little friends can just go find a road cone and sit on it.

have a wonderful day

You should really watch what you put on here cause let me just be the first to say that I can trace who you are and everything about you. The other thing this is a YOUR CRANBERRY site not a Mars site so move on and grow up. You have no idea that some of the people on here could be cops,fbi agents or state troopers and you being so intelligent are not a complete citizen your a loser of society it makes you a man to smoke drugs doesn't it? What a great role model you will be to your children someday.

CT, hope U had a safe & fun Fourth... wrt Mr. Mars Stdt ... I always say that "stupid" people write it down & *really* stupid, arrogant people, not only write it down but feel compelled 2 share their pomposity w/ the world, by blasting it from here 2 there & back again ... via the information superhighway.

~Faith

PS U can lead a horse 2 water but U can't make it drink, but U can "encourage" the horse by salting his oats, yes?

: What are the short-term effects of marijuana use?
A: The short-term effects of marijuana include:

problems with memory and learning (11);

distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch) (6);
trouble with thinking and problemsolving (5);
loss of motor coordination; and
increased heart rate.
These effects are even greater when other drugs are mixed with the marijuana; and users do not always know what drugs are given to them.

Q: Does marijuana affect school, sports, or other activities?
A: It can. Marijuana affects memory, judgment and perception (11). The drug can make you mess up in school, in sports or clubs, or with your friends. If you’re high on marijuana, you are more likely to make mistakes that could embarrass or even hurt you. If you use marijuana a lot, you could start to lose interest in how you look and how you’re getting along at school or work.

Athletes could find their performance is off; timing, movements, and coordination are all affected by THC. Also, since marijuana can affect judgment and decisionmaking, its use can lead to risky sexual behavior, resulting in exposure to sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Q: What are the long-term effects of marijuana use?
A: Findings so far show that regular use of marijuana or THC may play a role in some kinds of cancer and in problems with the respiratory and immune systems.

Cancer
It’s hard to know for sure whether regular marijuana use causes cancer. But it is known that marijuana contains some of the same, and sometimes even more, of the cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke. Studies show that someone who smokes five joints per day may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day (15) .

Lungs and airways
People who smoke marijuana often develop the same kinds of breathing problems that cigarette smokers have: coughing and wheezing. They tend to have more chest colds than nonusers. They are also at greater risk of getting lung infections like pneumonia.

Immune system
Animal studies have found that THC can damage the cells and tissues in the body that help protect against disease. When the immune cells are weakened you are more likely to get sick.

Kids with your rebelious attitude, think they know everything, then assume that family and society will bail you out when you get in trouble. Kids like you suck everything out of a family with your irresponsible attitude. Kids like you are the reason school administration spends way too much time and effort disciplining students, when the focus should be on education.

Open your eyes, it's not too late to realize and understand that your thoughts are nonsense. It's not too late to change your negative attitude. Take it from someone who has been there.

~* chanel *~

p.s. How did you find this blog since it is over 3 months old. Stalking my avatar?

Alcohol and Tobacco are far more dangerous than marijuana could ever be. If you ask most people what the first drug they ever did was it would be Alcohol or Tobacco so are they gateway drugs. If you do a little research into the war on drugs specifically marijuana you will see that it was all started by Richard Nixon. We all now know what a fine upstanding man he was. Upon further investigation you will find that his own researchers gave him a report on the true nature of marijuana and he promptly disregarded it. You are obviously very uninformed about the topic you speak of. That makes you a perfect blogger all opinion with no facts or research. However in the end your side is losing state by state medicinal marijuana is spreading and at the same time Rep. Barney Frank is trying to get a law passed decriminalizing marijuana. Would'nt you rather yor jails be full of actual criminals? Instead of adults who after a long day of work choose to roll a joint instead of pop a beer or pour a glass of wine. It wasnt that long ago that the roles were reversed marijuana was legal and alcohol was not.

CTparent, maybe im wrong because i dont drink but doesnt alcohol cause every single side effect that you used to teach mars student something? For that matter what about prozac that causes teens to commit suicide. What about riddlin wich is realy just legalized speed. what about Mcdonalds, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats and lastly what about cars. 8000 kids per year die from auto accidents. Obviously we need to stop this. Cars are a threat to our kids anyone in a car or who even tries to buy a car should be arrested. Do you realy need the government to protect you from everything? Your entire stance is based on 35 year old propaganda. I dont expect a response because im not a kid and i have facts backing me up the same reason i didnt get a response to the last one. Its easy kids dont belong on alcohol or tobacco or weed or anti depressants or riddlin or sugar... get my point be a parent not a legislator.

I enjoy riddlin. I find it quite amusing at times, and so do my friends who smoke weed! It makes them laugh! OF course anything will make them laugh, cause it is all funny when on weed!

Dead kids from marijuana huh? Doubt it. We all see dead kids from alcohol but wait thats legal. We all see dead kids from car accidents "some even in carseats" but wait thats legal. We all see dead kids from stuff that came out of there parents medicine cabinet but wait thats legal. Just the latest ball that got droped while we chase marijuana. Whats oxycontin? I dont know lets wait until kids start dying from it and then we will find out besides were busy searching lockers for weed. What a joke. Why is it that because you enforce the law that your told to enforce some how that makes you informed. What about when the laws are changed as they have been in 20% of the country? Then you will be told not to enforce the law so what then the info was wrong? The way to become truly INFORMED is to do hours and hours of unbiased research weighing info obtained from both sides equally. You know like a judge. However seeing how as this is such a personal issue for you that makes it impossible for you to be unbiased. Wich in the end makes your opinion just that an opinion. If marijuana does any of the things that you think it could,maybe,possibly,kind of do then why do doctors in ten states of this country prescribe it? It might cause cancer but we prescribe it for cancer, it could affect immune systems but we prescribe it for leukemia. It may hinder athletic ability but athletes at the highest levels i.e. NFL,NBA,MLB have tested positive for marijuana. It seems as though the information that comes with a law enforcement background may not be as reliable as we first thought. Then again law enforcement once had information that said black people couldnt vote. Law enforcement once had information that said alcohol was the black scourge on society. Law enforcement helped create men like al capone and bugsy seagal with there last prohibition. Law enforcement doesnt have to worry about being informed all they have to worry about is doing what politicians tell them to do. Wich is based solely on what gets votes and more importantly what gets contributions the most valuable of wich come from drug companies. But wait drug companies stand to lose millions if people dont have to take Paxil for social anxiety or Emend for cancer related nausea or any of a dozen other meds that marijuana could replace. Law enforcement has been wrong before just like they are now.

So if im such an obsessed loser to have even found this 5 month old blog then why are you all still here? Why does it take me days to reply when it takes you minutes? Obviously filling mothers with fear of the wrong things and misinformation to back it up is what you are obsessed with. Its easy for me to be passionate i wasnt told how to feel by someone else i did research and came up with my own conclusions. Its fun you should try it sometime. If im such a pothead loser then why did i handle you so easily. You would think that with my mind all clouded with drugs you would have been able to take me to school. Of course im concerned about this subject. You see every time you go to your medicine cabinet to get whatever happy pills you take you dont have to worry about being arrested on the way out of the restroom. Every time you go to the fridge for a beer or bottle of wine you dont have to worry about being arrested coming out of the kitchen. Meanwhile everytime i use a medicinal herb i have to worry. I have to be considered a loser by uninformed fools that still believe this is your brain on drugs comercials from the 80s. You seem to think that you are holding your own in this debate but i called into question every single "fact" you gave and you told me to go to *ell and called me a loser. Very interesting arguement i never thought of that you have changed my mind. Can you pick up on the sarcasim or should i lay it on a little heavier? Its not hard to figure out you cant win a debate when you have no facts or research of any kind to back you up. An emotional screaming and name calling match thats where your expertise comes into play. By the way what makes me happy is being able to prove to myself and anyone with an open mind that sees this that you are a perfect example of your side. You dont know anything except what you feel you dont challenge your beliefs to see if they can hold up to scrutiny. You say your moving on you were never here you never answered one point intelligently. Its easy to keep people on your side that already were but what about new people who stumble on this looking to have there minds changed do you realy think your performance here will win you hearts and minds. You have said nothing you have screamed you have cursed you have called names but in the end you have said nothing. I hope all the people that tried to raise arguements here in the past feel a little bit better represented now. The reason you couldnt say anything is because everything i said is an actual fact that can be verified not conjecture and supposition. Bye all. Have fun keeping those bad guys in there cells law enforcement background. Wich to any people scared by that phrase just know this cops "wich i know alot of some of who smoke weed" dont say they have a law enforcement background they say there cops. Who does say they have a law enforcement background? Corrections officers say that probation officers say that assistants in law offices say that traffic control officers say that. Cops dont say that. So dont be afraid besides we do still have freedom of speech i think, and soon medicinal marijuana! HAHAHA!

For a dude who smokes weed, you are pretty uptight! Mellow out dude! I can relate to your Liberatarian beliefs, but the minute you step out your front door, I am worried about your slow reaction time, just as I am with you consuming alcohol and driving!

http://www.amsa.org/resource/natlinit/marijuana.cfm

sure could misspell a few wards for you too

lets just take all of the anger and vitriol out of this and you just answer a simple question for me and everyone else. why do you believe that marijuana should be illegal when alcohol and tobacco are not? that is my only problem. alcohol kills people tobacco kills people. there has not been one confirmed marijuana death in the recorded history. it makes no sense.

Are you talking to me?

anyone who wishes to reply but mainly Ct they are the one who takes this so personally and i just dont understand it. i know why its so important to me i could be arrested over a hypocritical law. other then the everyday threats that all parents have to worry about marijuana is not going to affect Ct.