Dear Future President,

I am not an expert, but I have had two close family members that were and still are big drug addicts, and I hate it. Drug users should be forced to go into rehab or go and get treatment. This would help everyone from hurt and pain that they feel when they know or is a drug addict. No one should have to deal with death because they do not realize they are an addict, or one of their loved ones is an addict. We will lose more and more people if we don’t do something about it now.

I do not get to see my mother. I do not want to see her. My mother has been using drugs and has been addicted to alcohol since way before I was born. When she was pregnant with me she did seven different drugs including street drugs and abused prescription drugs. My mother's brother had the same problem, he is an addict. But thank god I had my strong father to take care of me. But, some people do not have another strong parent to lean on. I really wish someone would or could force them both into rehab or somewhere to help themselves from this awful disease. I know how it feels to know that your own mother cares about drugs more than she even thinks about you, it honestly sucks.

A lot of different people are getting affected by drug addiction: family members, friends, and the user himself. Ninety five percent of Americans are drug users, and they have a risk of dying each day from overdoses. About 100 people are dying each day from drug overdoses. About ten years ago my uncle died from heroin but he got lucky, the ambulance got there in time to bring him back into the world. But like I said, not everyone is always this lucky. Addicts do not see themselves as an “addict”, they do not think anything is wrong with them. Also addicts are normally people with a psychiatric disorder, depression, and the people with any mood disorders. The reason addicts become who they are is pretty much is because they feel “trapped”, or they have self confidence issues, so they use drugs to fill something they don't have in their life. It can take years to fully recovery from addiction, so if we do not help them, they will never get better.They all deserve to be saved from this disease, to help from hurting them and others.

Even though this is a free country, we need to force addicts into rehab otherwise we will continue to lose people more and more each day. I know that some addicts are not as bad as other addicts but one little thing can turn into a big mess. Treatment will help everyone all around. Rehab is very difficult, but you have to keep them in there. The addict might not like the process so much but in the end everyone will be happy and thankful. Family members have to use “tough love”, they can not give into the all of the addicts crying and pleading to not go to treatment or rehab.If I had to choose whether or not my mother and uncle went into rehab I would no doubt say yes. Addicts do not understand that there is a problem with them. Each time we try to tell them something that involves the word “addict” they get angry and automatically deny anything that you say to them.

I know I do not want anymore people dying from an overdose, nor do I want anyone to suffer from a loved one who is an addict. Having to live with drug addicts is scary and it is very risky. All I want is for addicts to get help and to be healthy so no one has to suffer. Forcing addicts into rehab is a good idea, if we don’t do anything about it, the addicts will be hard headed and not go to rehab and nothing will change. If we do not change anything we will all continue to be miserable. If we change this the addicts and their family will be happy in the end, the addicts will realize all we wanted to do was care for them. We will have less people dying if we make this happen. Future president do you care? Do you want people dying and being miserable?

Sincerely,

Ashlynn Skidmore