Most American high schools probably have at least one real-life version of drugged-out surfer Jeff Spicoli in their senior class. Like the lovable but invariably stoned bad boy from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," he's the one constantly crowing, "Hey bud, let's party!"
Once a happening drug marketplace with a captive audience ready to buy, the American high school is shedding its image as a place where drugs are done and drug deals get done. True, teen use of substances like Ecstasy and meth is still cause for concern, especially off school grounds and in the club scene. But in the hallways, bathrooms, and parking lots of high schools, drugs appear to be losing some of their foothold - a welcome development for administrators and teachers who have toiled to turn the tide against student drug use.
In fact, the new Columbia study finds that more and more kids say that marijuana, specifically, is now easier to buy than beer and cigarettes. Indeed, while officials have rooted the modern-day Spicolis off campus at Athens Drive, other school districts are finding it tough going