When most students think about drug arrests, they picture police stake-outs, flashing sirens and handcuffs straight out of a Hollywood movie. When students are caught abusing substances in reality, however, the punishment is more often meted out at home than behind bars.

Students who use drugs cite police discovering their activities as one of the biggest risks. “I’d be more afraid getting caught by the police because then not only would I be in trouble with the cops, my parents would find out,” senior Jessica Reynolds, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, said.

Students are often caught using substances through referrals from family or friends. Dean of Students Christine Wang also said that drug user referrals come from students and staff members.

Palo Alto Police officer Robert Parham said that the police usually catch students by tips from observers. “The way we catch a lot of kids is from people calling [the tips] in,” he said. “A lot of times kids are doing bad things in public.” Wang also looks for and recognizes signs of substance use. “The most obvious physical signs when a student walks in can be the smell on a student’s clothing from a few feet away,” she said.

However, the administration does not actively search for drug users. “As an administrator, you wouldn’t stalk them,” Winston said. “It would make them uncomfortable. There must be a reasonable reason.”

Reynolds, who drinks alcohol or smokes marijuana approximately once a month, does not feel that the administration or teachers are overbearing most of the time. “At dances you can definitely tell [the staff] wants people to be sober, but I don’t think they watch me closely during the school day,” she said. They just check the paths and that’s about it.”

Students can be punished if they possess or sell drugs, paraphernalia or look-alike drugs and substances. If there are signs of drug use such as a particular smell, the student can be suspended but cannot be referred to the Alcohol Substance Abuse Treatment (ASAT) program, a branch of Adolescent Counseling Services.

When a student is caught using drugs, the police are called to deal with the situation. “We write a citation and their parents pick them up,” Parham said. “This goes on their juvenile record, but that record is sealed once they turn 18.”

Students can also be suspended up to five days, but the suspension may be reduced to three days if the drug users choose to participate in the ASAT intervention program. The program is free of charge for both the students and their families and offers counseling services in order “to be supportive,” ASAT Program Director Brenda Stern said.

Parents also often give students their own punishments, separate from whatever action the school might take. Reynolds has never been caught, but worries about her parents’ reactions. “They would probably take away my car and only let me go to school and come home,” she said. They wouldn’t let me continue with sports and would take away my cell phone and constantly watch me.”

Winston worries about the impact of consequences on students’ futures. “The incidences this year that I had with students never end[ed] in a good way,” Winston said. “It’s basically an arrest. It involves suspension, the police and the student may be referred [to counseling services].” Students may also be referred to ASAT by their parents.

Reynolds does not think that any of the rules or laws in place have much of an effect on high school students. “I’ve never seen anybody turn down drugs because they were afraid of getting caught,” she said. “The pressure from friends and the curiosity will overpower any consequences.”

Students’ history of drug usage is not held against them in the future. “We try to make it a learning experience,” Winston said.

—Additional reporting by Stephen Salazar and Mari Ju.