Jennifer Cifuentes

Jennifer is a junior at Fairfax High School. She grew up in Koreatown, where she lived for 10 years before moving to West Hollywood, and still feels closely connected to the community. She joined KARS to learn more about the opioid crisis and help spread awareness among her peers. Jennifer hopes to create a school club focused on education and prevention around substance use and dreams of making a positive impact by helping others access recovery resources and support.

Dismissing the Drug Crisis in Schools

 Interview by Pablo Chinchilla

Please start with your name, age, and where you go to school. 

My name is Jennifer Cifuentes. I am 16 years old, and I go to Fairfax High School. 

Do you like going to Fairfax High School? 

I do. I have [a lot of] friends there. I am learning, and my classes are good. 

Do you work or live in Koreatown?

I currently don't live in Koreatown, but I used to live there for about 10 years. I recently moved about four years ago. It was grade seven, so I was about 12 years old when I moved out of Koreatown.

Where is your hometown, and where do you live at the moment?

I’m from Los Angeles and live in West Hollywood. 

Do you plan on moving out of Los Angeles?

It depends. I like living in Los Angeles, but it also depends on the increase in prices. 

What are your thoughts on Koreatown?

I enjoy being in Koreatown. Some of my closest friends live over here, and the community is very nice and welcoming.

Are you still in touch with your friends? 

I am. I communicate with friends through my phone. Even though I don't see them as often, we still keep in touch.

Did you have any negative thoughts of Koreatown when you used to live there? 

I honestly didn’t. I've made a lot of happy memories. I used to go to the Chuck E. Cheese right across Lafayette Park when it was open. I remember having my birthday party there back in elementary school, and I was very nervous. I invited my school friends to my party, and we had a good time. 

What is your favorite place in Koreatown?

I like going everywhere. Every place is good. I mostly go to H-Mart and the surrounding areas to see the new shops. I don't have a particular favorite place in Koreatown, but I think every place is nice.

Over the years, have you noticed an increase or decrease in homelessness? 

I think I have noticed an increase in homeless people living on the streets. I feel like the community should help and try to find a way to help these people in our community.

Why did you join KARS?

I joined KARS to learn new information and help the community. There should be more awareness and people trying to help with the opioid crisis that affects millions of youth.

Would you recommend others join KARS?

I would recommend KARS to a few of my friends, people from school, or anyone from the community or outside of it. It's a very good program that people should attend to learn more and spread awareness about this problem.

What do you know about opioids and stimulants?

I know that opioids and stimulants are addictive drugs that have different [effects]. For example, opioids block pain, while stimulants cause euphoria and alertness. They cause different reactions in people's bodies.

What are their impacts on your community, school, or environment? 

These addictive drugs are dangerous when not used properly. They can also cause homelessness issues because they impact your mind negatively and cause you not to function properly or [use] your mind as well as you used to.

At Fairfax High School, do they teach students about opioids and stimulants? 

At my school, they don't really talk about the opioid and stimulant problem. They are not really focused on that. I feel like a lot of schools should focus on and spread more awareness about this issue because there are a lot of people misusing drugs. I actually see a lot of people at school in the bathrooms using drugs, and I think there should be more awareness to help those who are probably struggling and have a bad addiction.

What kind of drugs do you believe are in your school? Are there any clubs that focus on raising awareness about drug use?

I believe that people mostly use nicotine, weed, and edibles at my school. They don't talk about this subject or try to spread awareness. The school tries to avoid this topic, and I think they should do the opposite and talk more about it to help students understand that drugs aren’t a good thing and that there are better ways to cope.

I don't think there are any clubs related to [substance use]. Clubs are mostly focused on school-related stuff. I would like to form a club [using] the information I have learned in KARS and with all the resources I now know. I would be able to spread awareness at my school, which is very much needed. I want to help my peers at school who are having difficulty finding help and need support. That kind of club would be a great way to help my peers. 

In recent years, there has been an increase in drug use at Los Angeles schools. Do you think that the Los Angeles Unified School District is doing enough to help with substance use problems?

The [school district] is not doing enough. They are not really talking about this subject, and they don't really try to help the students who are misusing drugs. They’re more focused on the academic part of school than on mental health or how students are actually feeling. They just want to see the students succeed academically and don't care to ask or mention this topic.

What solutions do you believe can stop opioid addictions?

In KARS, we learned about resources and recovery services. Those places are a good way to help people who are misusing drugs, and they can actually benefit them a lot. There are also other places, not only KYCC Recovery Services, where they can [talk to someone] and get help.


How can you make a difference in stopping drug addiction? 

I could help people by informing them about recovery services and other programs they can attend to help them with their issues. I could also try to be there for them, be supportive, and recommend places that can benefit them.

Do you know any peers or family members who are using opioids or stimulants?

I currently don't. None of my family uses any of that. But I used to have a cousin who was highly addicted, and I saw the negative impacts it caused in his body, and not only his body but also his mind. It changed his behavior. It had a bad impact on him. Seeing that made me want to help people more, try to rescue them, and be there for them.

Has your cousin stopped using drugs?

Well, I haven’t kept in contact with him recently — I haven't seen him for maybe five years. So I'm not sure how he's doing, but I know he was getting help and going to a recovery program and other places. I hope he is doing well and has gotten better. 

If you were in contact with your cousin, would you recommend KYCC Recovery Services?

I definitely would. It would benefit him a lot, and it could really help him change his life and become a better person in the future.

When using social media apps, do you notice anyone [posting about] drug usage? 

I do notice people using drugs on social media. I think they show it to try to act cool, but they don't know the consequences of using [substances]. They shouldn't show that on social media because it might give the wrong idea to young children who [use] social media. It might make kids want to try it, and that shouldn't be the idea they want to give out to people younger than them.

Have you noticed drug use in music videos or song lyrics? 

I have, and I think it also shouldn't be in those. [Artists] shouldn't use [drugs] as props because they also give the wrong idea.

Do you agree that making marijuana legal is okay? 

I don't agree with that because it is still a drug and could be highly addictive. It doesn't really benefit people; it can actually cause negative things to happen in the body. They should probably ban it.

Earlier in this interview, you mentioned that you lived in West Hollywood. Have you noticed an increase in homelessness and/or drug use? 

Well, I think in every part of Los Angeles and California, there are a lot of people who use drugs. It's not particularly in West Hollywood. Everywhere you go, there are homeless people and people who use drugs. I think that’s increasing in our state overall, not just in West Hollywood or Koreatown.

During your time at Fairfax High School, have you been offered any drugs? 

Yes, I have been offered drugs. During my first year of high school, there were some kids in my class who were using drugs, and they offered some to me. They weren't peer-pressuring me, but I knew it was bad and didn't want to put that in my body, so I just [declined].

Did they offer drugs to other students, or did you tell the teacher?

They did offer it to other students, like their friends, and they tried it or tried to act cool and used it in front of them. But I did not snitch on them because I didn't think it was my place or my business to tell them what they could do with their bodies.

Do you know if there have been students caught by staff members using drugs? 

There have been students who have been caught using drugs, especially in the bathroom. There are a lot of students who go into the bathroom and do drugs, and that could also affect other students who just want to use the bathroom. The staff members at my school caught them, confiscated the drugs, gave them a warning, and told their parents or guardians about it.

While living in Los Angeles, have you ever seen a drug transaction on the street? 

I have not witnessed a drug transaction. I have only seen it in movies, but not in person.

In the past, have police officers come to your school because of a drug issue? 

There have been experiences where they came because of an overdose and had to rescue the kid and take them to the hospital for help.

How bad do you think drugs are in your school?

I think the drug usage at my school would be at the rate of eight because there are a lot of kids who use drugs. 

If you were the mayor of Los Angeles, how would you go about addressing drug addiction?

If I were the mayor, I would want more awareness about [addiction]. Not only that, but I would like more recovery services and programs for people in the community to attend and be open about their situation and not fear [criticism]. I also want people to feel free to tell their stories and get the help they need.