As a senior in Westford Academy, I have always assumed that the school rules that were in place during my freshman year have stayed relevant throughout my high school career. However, I recently learned that the Zero Tolerance policy on student use of drugs and alcohol never existed in the student handbook. Go ahead, use Command+F and search for Zero Tolerance; it is not there.

I am actually shocked that the Zero Tolerance policy is not a real, written rule. The policy made sense to me: the use of drugs and alcohol on school property should not be tolerated at all, as this institution is a place of education, and both the building and the people within (including both students and staff) deserve respect while they work.

I figured it made sense that it would not be acceptable to have students running around the building acting like idiots because they were getting sloshed in F block, since it would be disruptive to everyone who was just trying to go about their day. This does not even take into account the different reactions that people can have to different types of drugs, some of which can endanger other students. Additionally, there is also Student Resource Officer/Police Officer present on campus, so I figured that most people would be smart enough to not use drugs while a police officer could be right down the hallway.

For the record, I am not saying that the use of substances is the worst possible thing that anyone at WA can do. If students want to use substances in a safe environment away from school grounds, then that is their own choice, and they do not deserve to be faulted for it.  I simply believe that the use and distribution of substances on campus creates an unsafe environment in a place of education. If that was to occur, and the guilty party was found out, then it is absolutely acceptable for them to be punished seriously.

To me, the lack of a Zero Tolerance Policy implies that there is tolerance of drug use or distribution on campus, which sets an unhealthy precedent for other actions that may endanger others, such as physical violence and inappropriate sexual conduct. If there is no policy regarding drug use on campus, then does that mean the school is okay with someone punching another student, as long as it’s only one punch? Or harassing someone in the hallway, as long as it’s only one hand on another student’s body?

I understand the desired effect of having a Zero Tolerance policy in place: fear. When there is a hard punishment in place, such as long term suspension or expulsion, it scares students into not committing illegal actions on campus. The words themselves scare all of the students who are on the fence about using drugs or dealing on campus into not doing so at WA, which reduces the amount of potential threats.

Therefore, Zero Tolerance needs to be present at WA, not because its presence instantly makes the school a safer environment, but because the lack of its presence can and will lead to other issues down the road.