“Boom! It hits you like a freight train.” Such was the message delivered by Bob Stutman, whose hard charging style immediately caught the attention of all his listeners, as he gave cold hard facts about oxycontin, LSD, marijuana, and other highly addictive drugs making the circle around high school kids today.

Stutman, a former DEA agent and one of America’s highest profile drug busters, spoke on March 18th to the freshmen and senior classes at the high school.

Stutman has made nearly 500 undercover drug busts, seized $2.2 billion worth of cocaine, and was even good enough to be the drug consultant for American Gangster and Traffic.

When talking to West Bend students about drugs, Stutman made a harsh but valid point, “You hope they do the right thing. That’s the major difference between me and you…I send drugs to the laboratory and you stick dope up your nose.”

According to Stutman, many teens do not even know if the drugs they are taking are actual drugs.

One example he used was that 90% of shrooms in the West Bend area are actually just regular mushrooms bought from a local grocery story, like Piggly Wiggly or Pick n’ Save, that are toasted until they look nice and brown. They are then affected with a drop of LSD, the strongest drug known to man, and sold to unsuspecting teenagers.

This story had a dramatic and educational effect.

“He totally switched what I thought around. All these kids that think they know what they’re talking about have no clue. I didn’t think anything like that would happen to kids our age,” stated East sophomore Beau Morrison.

According to Stutman, not only do a majority of teens not know if they are taking real drugs, but they are also unaware of the fact that high school students are on the absolute lowest end of receiving drugs. By the time a high school student receives drugs, they have been through eight different sets of people. This makes the drugs much more likely to be fake and affected with something highly addicting like LSD.

Stutman explained LSD quite thoroughly in his presentation, describing that LSD works because it is clear, like water, and is tasteless and odorless. It is also the only drug that has the side effect of flashbacks, where you lose track of reality and see either melting colors or shooting stars. Flashbacks can last anywhere from 10-30 seconds and have lifelong effects, even if the use of LSD is stopped.

Upon hearing this East senior Sam Nowak responded, “No matter what type of drug it is, it will always have a bad effect and could always kill you. We don’t know what we’re doing when using drugs. Stutman showed me that you’re never too smart.”

Besides LSD, marijuana and ecstasy have also become very popular over previous years. Stutman explained that marijuana, the most popular illegal drug in West Bend, has actually been proven to be addicting. People that smoke on a regular basis have a much higher chance of getting lung, throat, and mouth cancer. It also has 8 times more toxins and 18 times more carcinogens than tobacco or cigarettes, and contains 453 chemicals.

Ecstasy, on the other hand, is known as the “hug drug.” It floods the brain with serotonin and raises the body temperature. Ecstasy simply makes you feel good. It leads to a feeling of acceptance. However, Stutman described its many negative side effects. It causes memory loss and can cause night terrors for months or even years after using.

Even though marijuana and ecstasy have become very popular, oxycontin is another drug that causes need for concern, according to Stutman. Stutman boldly told his audience about how four years ago at Sheboygan High School, Morgan Schraeder, a bright and beautiful young girl with a future full of potential, experienced a horrific death after taking oxycontin. She ended up falling asleep on her back and choking on her own vomit. Vomiting and the urge to sleep are common side effects of ecstasy and can often have deadly outcomes.

This story shocked many students and led them to consider both the ups and downs of taking drugs. “Bob shows both perspectives on drugs, like why people do them and the negative effects,” stated East junior Steve Zychowski.

East senior Sarah Melaney said, “I thought it was very interesting and informative. He knew what he was talking about and told us stories that would change a lot of people minds about drugs.”

Finally, Stutman dove into the effects of alcohol, the second most addicting drug. Many teens began to squirm nervously in their seats as Stutman spoke of binge drinking, and how there is a one drink difference between passing out and alcohol poisoning. “If someone experiences alcohol poisoning, they will have to get their stomach pumped, which is an extremely gruesome process,” he said.

“I thought it was very interesting. I really hope it reached certain people out here. I’m really happy the school decided to do this,” said East senior Danny Kurz.