The Other Epidemic
Iris T. & Aidan P.
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The biggest crisis facing students in today’s post-pandemic world is mental health. Although we have more resources such as counseling, awareness campaigns, and support programs at our disposal, high school students are increasingly turning to drugs as an escape. Attending a competitive high school in California, we are susceptible to the stress of academically keeping up with peers, alike many other teens. This pressure can be overwhelming and lonely because it’s difficult to admit needing help, and eventually, built-up emotions can escalate to using drugs as momentary relief and addiction. Also, popular television shows can sometimes glorify drugs in high schools, which creates difficulty in separating reality from fiction and danger from normal. We believe a powerful symbol is necessary to remind us of the grim consequences of fentanyl use. In 2021, there were nearly 6,000 opioid-related deaths in California alone (California Department of Public Health). Since many fentanyl drugs have been marketed to look and taste like candy, we used this figure to construct a life-sized tombstone made of 6,000 candies, each one representing an overdose. By depicting our tombstone in a dark, unsettling background, we knew this would be the easiest way for our audience to recognize our intentions with the piece and evoke an emotional response. Our goal is not only to educate about how rampant drugs can be towards our generation but also to encourage realistic, healthy conversations on how we can work better as a community in fighting teen drug abuse.
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To us, creativity is using self-expression as an inspirational spark in activism and awareness. Through powerful visuals, we aspire to create positive changes in our society and as a community for the future of our world.
