There is no denying that many people have preconceptions about drug users and addicts. Stereotypes of the anti-social loner or the unambitious delinquent are rife among individuals who don’t have a personal experience with addiction. However, while there are certainly risk factors that may contribute to someone’s decision to use, every instance of addiction is unique. If you’ve watched your son, daughter or sibling transform before your eyes because of their drug habit, you can testify that substance abuse is an illness that can seize hold of anyone.
One prime example of the pervasiveness of drug abuse is the high-profile drug bust at one of the most prestigious educational facilities in the country that took place in 2010. According to reports from that year, the New York Police Department devoted five months to uncovering an extensive drug ring at Columbia University. Dubbed “Operation Ivy League,” the investigation resulted in the arrest of five college students who had been selling illicit substances from Fraternity houses.
The bust was deemed one of the largest on a college campus “in recent memory,” ABC News states.
With an acceptance rate of 7.4 percent as of 2012, Columbia University is the third most selective college in the country after Harvard and Yale. However, the scale of the 2010 drug bust belies that even the most well-educated and ambitious members of society may be susceptible to the lure of illicit drugs.
Addiction can present itself in all shapes and sizes, and it has the potential to irrevocably tarnish an otherwise promising future. If your high school or college student has developed a potentially destructive drug habit, a professional intervention service can help. We offer youth intervention services and can provide ongoing support through the recovery process.