Siyeon (Carol) Kim
Carol is a student at Downtown Magnets High School. She enjoys the resources and calm atmosphere of her Koreatown neighborhood, with favorite spots like Seoul International Park. Carol joined KARS to learn about opioids and stimulants and to help peers struggling with substance use. Through KARS, she hopes to educate others about the effects of drugs and encourage those struggling to seek help.
Substance Use Became the Norm
Interview by Joyta Biswas
Can you give a brief introduction about yourself?
My name is Siyeon, but I go by Carol. I’m 15 years old and currently attend Downtown Magnets High School.
Where is your hometown?
My hometown is Koreatown, Los Angeles.
Do you live or work in Koreatown?
I currently live in Koreatown, and I’m also doing an internship at KYCC there.
What are your thoughts on Koreatown?
It’s a very nice place. I’ve been living here for many years, and I think it’s a good place to live.
What do you like about living in Koreatown?
I like how there are a lot of resources. You can walk around any street, and there’s a mall, a grocery store, or just random shops that you can go to.
What’s your favorite part of Koreatown?
My favorite part of Koreatown is Seoul International Park. I like to walk my dog there often.
What is a significant memory that you have in Koreatown?
That would be attending elementary school. I have many memories of attending school in Koreatown because there was a lot of diversity.
What’s special about your neighborhood in Koreatown?
I like how my neighborhood is really quiet and calm. We never really have any problems or incidents. I’m not close with my neighbors, but we still have respect for each other. We just live peacefully.
Why did you decide to join KARS?
I chose to join KARS to learn about opioids and stimulants and how to suppress them or help people who suffer from opioid or stimulant use.
What do you know about opioids and stimulants?
I’m not an expert on this, but I do know that opioids and stimulants can cause problems in the mind, body, personality, social relationships, and performance overall with tasks and other daily situations.
Do you know any of the impacts of substance abuse within your school, environment, or community?
Something I’ve noticed in my community and specifically my school environment is that drug and opioid use is very normalized and common. In my school, people just talk about it as if it were a regular occurrence. Sometimes they even post on social media using them.
What kind of social media normalized drugs in your school?
People would post, for example, memes about doing [drugs] or how they’re so high, or just post pictures of the drugs they’re using to show off. I guess it’s to show that they’re cool or something because they’re using drugs. It’s very normalized because I see that almost every day.
Are there any other drug-related impacts that you’ve seen in your community?
In my community in general, I’ve noticed that people would just do drugs and smoke anywhere — literally anywhere on the street or even in buses. I would be walking my dog and see someone right next to me doing drugs. Or on the bus, someone’s just smoking weed in front of me. It can happen anywhere and anytime, no matter where you are.
Does that make you feel uncomfortable?
Yes, I feel kind of uncomfortable with those things being used just out in the wild. Kids or animals could go near that and also be affected by it, and it’s not a good thing to be exposed to at a young age.
Do you know of any peers who might be using opioids or stimulants?
Yes, classmates or people at my school. A few of my friends are also users. I know a lot of people who [have tried or are doing] drugs.
Are you confident in spreading awareness of the effects of substance use? What are you going to do?
Yes, I am pretty confident in trying to help people stop using drugs. I’ll try to educate them on how these drugs are affecting people and what they do to people’s minds and bodies in daily life.
Do you have a message for anyone who might be dealing with substance use?
I would tell them that it’s not a very good choice since it will cause problems for you and those around you. If you’re suffering, I think you should try to seek help for your own sake.