VIDEO – WITHOUT THE HIGH –
July 15, 2025 – The morning bell gives way to a different kind of assembly for the first day of school. The students, most of whom have histories with substance abuse, huddle on the steps of the auditorium. They are gathered for a school-wide recovery meeting.
“When we’re talking about sobriety, we’re talking about all mind-altering substances, including [weed]” Keith Hayes, director of recovery for the Colorado school, told them.
With the uptick in deadly narcotics like fentanyl being mixed into street drugs, he had a dire warning for the teens.
“Here’s the thing for all my coke heads out there … that line could be your last, permanently,” he said.
According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 2.9 million kids in the U.S. between 12 and 17 need substance abuse treatment. Yet, there are only 43 recovery high schools nationwide, along with around 160 residential treatment programs.
