Dear HCN,
If Erec Hopkins, the
small-town meth reformee pictured in your Aug. 14 issue, is going
straight, then why is he shown wearing a
420
T-shirt? Is it possible that Stephen Lyons
doesn’t know that 420 is the drug users’ code for smoking
marijuana?
I teach high school English in rural
Utah, and was delighted to read Lyons’ article because it will help
bring about awareness of a problem that is often overlooked, and as
he states more often flat out denied.
But we must
work hard to become aware, and we must sometimes delve into the
minds and world of youth by listening acutely to their
conversations and then take time to analyze what they are
saying.
One visit to the Internet told me all I
needed to know about the 420 code and fad, but I had to first
decipher the language of some of my students.-When kids tell me
they don’t use drugs, but then show up wearing shirts or hats or
other clothing with certain signs or symbols on them such as 420, I
become skeptical.
Maybe someone should confront
Erec Hopkins with the article, the photo, and the question why he
was or is wearing that symbol. I don’t believe he’s going straight,
not for a minute, because of that photo.
I’m
going to post the entire article this fall on my classroom bulletin
board because it’s so well written and researched, but I’m going to
black out the 420.
By the way, whenever I hear
kids speak, shout, holler, flaunt or whisper those numbers, I
respond with my own numbers which correspond to ski lengths, peak
elevations, river flows, snow levels, bicycle ratios and any other
outdoor recreation ideas I can hatch.
I’m a
strong proponent of the highs which include skilled exercise,
endorphins and perhaps a little
adrenaline.
Mark
Doherty
Kamas,
Utah
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline About meth and other highs.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
