Letter to the Community, Medfield SC Candidate Lauren Liljegren

Letter to the Medfield Community,

I have spoken a lot about Medfield’s return to full-time, in-person learning and pandemic recovery. I have also focused on how I will improve transparency and fiscal responsibility. A subject I am equally passionate about is reducing substance abuse among our high school students. Substance use ties closely to achievement and mental health.

In 2018, reported drug and alcohol use among Medfield High School Seniors’ was twice that of our surrounding communities. Students’ responded to questions regarding drug and alcohol use in the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey, an initiative by the MetroWest Health Foundation. The original patch story can be found here: MPS Presents Results of 2018 MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey | Medfield, MA Patch

School Committee must ensure district policies and resources are targeted to promote student achievement. Preventing and reducing substance use in youth leads to better academic outcomes and fewer mental health problems. For example, students using both marijuana and alcohol at moderate to high levels have lower GPA’s than those who do not. Any marijuana use is associated with a lower GPA. There is a significant amount of research showing that the consequences from high risk drinking in youth lead to negative feelings and depression. The science around mental health impact from marijuana use in youth is evolving but shows a concerning correlation to increased anxiety and worsening attentional problems. Substance use prevention and reduction must continue to be a priority for our district.

As a parent, knowing our children are using drugs at all is hard to hear; hearing it was at twice the rate of nearby towns is heartbreaking. Substance use and abuse has touched my life in many ways. Sadly, it touches most of us in one way or another. However, on the bright side, I have been fortunate to see how quickly one life can be improved by a reduction in substance use and the ripple affect it has on friends, family and community. I know efforts to reduce substance use in our children will make us a healthier, more successful district with healthier, happier children. I am proud to live in a community where we bravely bring our struggles into the light. We can only improve on what we have acknowledged.

Our district is already taking great efforts to reduce substance use among our students. For example, Medfield Cares About Prevention, a part of the Medfield Outreach Program, is using creative strategies to reduce substance use, such as the Social Host Law-Awareness Campaign. Within the schools, wellness education is required for grades nine through twelve. Programs like these, along with parental engagement and low parental drinking and drug use permissiveness are linked to lower substance use in children. Youth who have parents that stay involved, monitor their kids and communicate expectations not to use substances are less likely to develop substance use problems in college and beyond.

As a member of your School Committee, I will support programs aimed to reduce substance use in our district. Please vote for Lauren Liljegren on March 29th.

www.laurenforschoolcommittee.com
https://www.facebook.com/LaurenforMedfieldSchoolCommittee/

Lauren Liljegren, 83 South Street, Medfield