Teen siblings discuss how social media, drugs affect everyday life, influencing negative culture

ATLANTA — The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration described getting drugs as easy as calling Uber Eats.

Channel 2′s Karyn Greer spoke with teens about what they’re seeing in their high schools and what they’re doing to stay away from the negative teen culture.

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The DEA administrator calls it an “overdose epidemic” and said it’s a national tragedy responsible for killing 22 teens in the U.S. every week.

Local teens talked about how social media and drugs are affecting their everyday lives and how it’s a lot of pressure.

“Definitely. With social media technology, everyone having an opinion, everyone seeing what’s going on in your life...yeah, I feel like a lot more pressure,” said Rhashad Lawery.

Rhashad, Rhaquel, and Xavier Lawery are siblings; two high school brothers and their middle school sisters. They often talk about their day at school, which is anything but normal.

For example, teens smoking vapes in the bathrooms and selling drugs on social media.

The DEA says Americans, including teens, are ordering drugs online through social media.

“Actually post on their stories, just talk about whatever they’re doing in the bathroom or any other places,” said Rhaquel.

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The teens had some words of advice for keeping young children safe.

“There’s a fork in the road where you want to go this way in life. This way in life. And some people try to push you to go the negative way to be cool or fit in with people. But I feel like if they you confident in yourself to be willing to not be part of that crowd and be labeled as a lane person. So I feel like you just got to really be confident in yourself,” said Rhashad.

“You have to really be confident,” said Xavier.

The Lawrey teens said they block out the noise by concentrating on what’s important to them.

They encourage other teens to talk to their parents and share their problems and concerns no matter how tough the conversation may be.

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Discussions rise around drugs and negative teen culture in schools

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