Dear President,

​Kim Farnick, a New Jersey native, arrived home one day to find her daughter laying lifeless on the hallway carpet. Dana, just twenty-two years old at the time, had passed away of an opioid overdose. Along with this ordinary family, thousands of Americans are affected by drug and opioid abuse each year. This deadly, nationwide issue can be addressed by educating the young adolescents of our country and decreasing the amount of illegal drugs and opioids available.

​One of the leading causes of drug abuse is peer pressure. In high schools, and a considerable number of middle schools, adolescents are being pressured by their friends into trying these materials. About eighty percent of drug and opioid abusers began their addiction before the age of eighteen, and these alarming statistics are on the rise. Though it may be hard to fathom, one taste of a drug can easily make your body dependent on the substance. A great deal of teens try an unsafe material because it's "the popular thing to do", not anticipating the start of an addiction. Once an addiction goes too far however, mortal overdoses are common. The persuasion of a companion could create a fatal situation.

​Secondly, we must take action to ensure that citizens aren't receiving drugs and opioids easily. Opioids are prescription medicines given to patients that need pain relief. This medicine is incredibly strong and if over prescribed, can create a life- threatening, long- term addiction. I believe opioids are being taken too lightly by society, and the heavy distributions are making them easy to come across and sell. Additionally, illegal drugs imported from abroad are being sold at inexpensive prices, leaving it easy for teens and adults to get their hands on. Commonly smuggled or hidden inside legal materials over our borders, these harmful drugs are then spread throughout the nation. This abundance of illegal drugs and opioids stands as a major threat to America.

​To solve these problems, we must propose solutions. To start, education centers, running from elementary to high school, need to take a major step in thoroughly instructing adolescents about the dangers of illegal drugs and opioids. If we can get a powerful point across to this particular age group, as a nation we can reduce the number of future abusers. Next, we must decrease the quantity of these substances in America. In order to make this happen, doctors and health physicians have to carefully prescribe only the opioid painkillers necessary, and nothing more. The government should also begin to closely search and monitor the substances entering from other nations. By strongly discouraging young adults and decreasing the amount of drugs readily available, we are looking out for our future generations.

​In conclusion, America must begin to take safety measures to protect citizens from the dangers of illegal drugs and opioids. Whether in schools, hospitals, or on the border, it will have a vast impact. We can only hope this heart-rending epidemic will cease in years to come.

Sincerely,​

Emily W.