Substance use, other than that prescribed by a doctor, can occur for many reasons. Some people use drugs to relieve pain, escape reality, deal with life’s challenges, and/or try to fit in. Those are just a few of the reasons people use drugs. Even if people are aware of the negative effects recurrent drug use can have on their health, they may struggle to stop using drugs. Recurrent drug use can lead to changes in the brain that makes it extremely difficult to stop using, even if a person wants to. When this happens, the person is experiencing a substance use disorder.

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The Bellevue School District acknowledges that we learn, work, live and gather on the Indigenous Land of the Coast Salish peoples, specifically the Duwamish and Snoqualmie Tribes. We thank these caretakers of this land, who have lived and continue to live here, since time immemorial.