Future President

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington, D.C., 20500

Dear future president,

I am a high school student talking about the heroin problem among teens. This issue concerns me because it affects people my age. Something needs to be done about the heroin problem because it is too accessible, very addictive and some legal drugs can lead to heroin abuse.

Heroin is one of the most accessible illegal drugs in America. It is found in every state and used by thousands. It can cost as little as $10 a hit so it is affordable for teens and young adults. The low price and high availability makes it easy for teens to buy and get addicted to. This makes the drug popular and it leads to many teens and young adults become junkies and ruining their lives. If the amount of heroin available decreased significantly the price would rise and it would be much less accessible for teens. Something needs to be done to make heroin much less accessible.

Heroin is a very addictive drug. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse 23% of people who try heroin become dependent on it. This leads to about 2.1 million people being addicted to heroin in the United States. This is a big issue that needs to be addressed. Something this addictive shouldn't be in the hands of teens. Keeping heroin away from teens would lead to less people becoming addicts and more people doing better in school and having better jobs. Something needs to be done about heroin abuse to help prevent people from becoming addicts so they are more productive in society.

A common way for people to become addicted to heroin is being addicted to opiate based painkillers. Opiate based painkillers are very similar to heroin and very addictive. Opiate based painkillers contribute to the heroin problem so they need to be considered in finding solutions for the heroin problem. Many teen athletes get these painkillers after an injury. Many of whom get addicted and begin to abuse them. Many people who abuse painkillers switch to heroin because it is a lot cheaper. A reduction in the use of opiate based painkillers and switching to a different type of painkiller would help keep people from getting addicted and switching to heroin.

The heroin problem in America needs to be addressed. It changes teens lives for the worse and it's hard for them to stop using it. The drug is very cheap and accessible and that needs to change. Future president you need to take action and solve the heroin problem that affects 2.1 million people in this country.