Voorhees Sober Times
Vol. 2-14/15
A Student Assistance Program Newsletter for VHS Students
12/14
Special Note: Hidden within these pages is a hidden message. Be
the first to find it and email it to Mr. Hunt and you can win $25
gift certificate of your choice.
Rebirth of ‘The Times’
Originally in print from 2000-2011, the Sober Times was first circulated at the East Mountain
School in Belle Mead, then went to print at Voorhees in 2006. The Times ran until 2010-11
when paper circulation became impractical. Now, thanks to the advent of student email accounts,
we are pleased to announce the rebirth of the Sober Times, e-version!
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OF SUBSTANCE
Think weed’s natural and
okay? Think again!
Lungs don't discriminate: both
marijuana and tobacco smoke
damage lungs:
Studies show that someone who
smokes one joint may be
taking in as many cancercausing chemicals as
someone who smokes
four cigarettes.
Regardless of THC
content, the amount of
tar and carbon monoxide
delivered to the lungs is
approximately three to five times
greater for marijuana smoke than tobacco
smoke. This is largely due to differences in
the method of smoking tobacco and
marijuana, such as larger puff volumes and
longer durations of inhalation with marijuana.
Cigarette smoking among youth may reduce
the rate of lung growth and the level of
maximum lung function that can be achieved.
Tobacco and marijuana can also both be
addictive, especially among adolescents:
While nicotine is more addictive than
marijuana, it's important to understand that
more teens are in treatment for marijuana
dependence than for all other illicit drugs
combined. A recent study found that
when abstaining from marijuana for
just three days, regular users
experienced withdrawal
symptoms, including drug
cravings, decreased appetite, sleep
difficulty and weight loss, along
with increased aggression, anger,
irritability and restlessness. Teens are
especially at risk for addiction because
they generally become addicted to
substances faster than adults and rarely
receive early intervention because signs of
their drug use are frequently passed off as
typical teenage behavior. Research shows that
marijuana use is three times more likely to
lead to dependence among adolescents than
among adults.
Tobacco Facts:
Every day, 80,000 to 100,000 young people around the
world become addicted to tobacco. If current trends
continue, 250 million children and young people alive
today will die from tobacco-related diseases.
SADD CLUB Update
SADD, which at Voorhees stands for Students Against Destructive
Driving, meets every Monday at 2:30 in Room 168. Current initiatives
being undertaken include:
Don’t Trust the Wave Campaign – encouraging new drivers not to trust a “wave in”
by another driver.
TV Message Board Posting
Video Projects under discussion – EMT interviews, Don’t Trust the Wave
Attempt to get County to install traffic signal at 513 and Main in Califon
And of course, the Karah Conroy Relief Fund, supporting VHS families that lose a
child
New members are always welcome!
Important WEBSITE for students, PARENTS, and
teachers
www.nhvweb.net/VHS/SAC/Default.htm
E-CIGARETTES: WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW CAN HURT YOU
Vaping: Contains Toxic Chemicals and Strengthens Harmful Bacteria Against Antibiotics

What you see…
What you don’t see…
E-cigarette exposure emergency calls per
month increased from 1 in September
2010 to 215 in February 2014. Cigarette
exposure calls ranged from 301 to 512
calls per month and were more frequent
in summer months, a pattern also
observed with total emergency call
volume involving all exposures.
cigarettes may even
infections
resistant
according to one study.
make bacterial
to
antibiotics,
E-cigarettes deliver high levels of
nanoparticles
which
can
trigger
inflammation, and have been linked to
asthma, stroke, heart disease, and
diabetes
E-cigarettes that are marketed without a
therapeutic claim by the product
manufacturer are currently not regulated
by the Food and Drug Administration
(Center
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention).
One researcher allowed mice to breathe in
air containing MRSA that had been
exposed to e-cigarette vapors. One day
later, mice getting vapor-exposed germs
had three times as many bacteria growing
in their lungs as did mice that got
unexposed germs (Janet Raloff; Health
Toxicology and Pollution).
Electronic cigarettes, marketed as “safer
than regular cigarettes,” deliver a cocktail
of toxic chemicals including carcinogens
into the lungs, new studies show. Using e-
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Friends Help Friends – Be Lifeline!!
If you haven’t seen it before, a former graduate of Voorhees High School recorded an important
message we would like you to take a moment to view. Kim Scheper, Class of 2006, shares with
you her personal story about depression and how she considered suicide. She also addresses the
need for all members of the community to be aware of how to help a child in distress or danger.
This public service announcement is part of the ongoing effort at Voorhees to educate students,
parents, and staff about preventing suicide, which is the third leading cause of death among teens.
You will hear about our Lifelines initiative, a prevention program published by the renowned
Hazelden Foundation, for which we were honored to be the national pilot school.
Please help us to reduce the risk of teen suicide in our community and among our students. The
following link will take you to Kim’s message:
http://www.nhvweb.net/vhs/Guidance/JHunt/videoplayer/playvideo.asp?video=Kim%20Scheper%20Speaks%20To%20Par
ents