November 1, 2016

Future President of the United States

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington D.C 20500

Dear Future President,

Prescription drug abuse and heroin abuse in teens has skyrocketed since the early 2000s. Teens have been using prescription drugs and heroin on a daily to get high. Foundation for a Drug-Free World states that every day in the United States, 2,500 youth ages 12-17 abuse a prescription pain reliever for the first time. They also state that people “think drugs are a solution. But eventually, drugs become the problem.” Prescription drug abuse has the largest percentage of deaths from overdosing. Fifty-two percent of teens abuse prescription drugs because they are available everywhere. Fifty-one percent abuse them because they aren’t “illegal.” Thirty-five percent of teens say that prescription drugs are “safer” than other drugs. Says a drug statistics at the University of Texas. 

Ashley, a 21-year-old girl who is addicted to heroin, can’t stop her addiction. She knows how deadly and dangerous heroin is to her body, but she can’t stop. Ashley says “I’m literally just rotting, there’s nothing I can think of that’s good in my life right now besides heroin” Another heroin addict who chooses to remain anonymous says “In my addiction I have been to rehab 17 times and jail 6 or 7 times. So every time I got out of jail I went to rehab, came home relapsed and did it all over again.” This shows how addicting heroin can become to young adults and how hard it is to stop doing the drug. 

Prescription drugs are addicting because your body gets used to the idea then won’t want to function without them. Using prescription drugs isn’t just to get high anymore, it's to take the pain away, or to forget what they are going through.

 I speak from personal experience when I talk about prescription drugs and heroin abuse. I had two family members who had addiction. It doesn’t only ruin them as a person, it affects others in their life. Someone very close to my heart had a prescription drug and heroin addiction. Every day they would tell us “I’m going to the store, I will be back soon” or “I’m going to grab something to eat” or “I have to go to work” and leave for hours and hours, us wondering where they were, what they were doing, and if they were okay. One night I came home and saw them lying face down on the floor, my heart dropped and I screamed. Everyone came out and we saw them lying face down on the floor, we went over to them and shook them to wake them up. They woke up and did not know who we were or what they were doing on the floor. They had overdosed in our home. That’s when we had enough, we told them they had to go to rehab or get out. They promised that they would get help. But two weeks later we found out that that they did not go to rehab and that they had overdosed again in L.A, but this time they didn’t wake up.

So, future president, I’m not asking you to make another rehab or make another program for addicts to get help at. What I am asking for is for you to shed a light on this matter and help us solve this heartbreaking issue of heroin and drug abuse. By doing this, you will save many lives and reduce the number of teens and young adults using heroin and other addictive drugs.

Sincerely,

Jill B.       

Bibliography

Sullivan, Andrew. "Addicted to Heroin: 'I'm Literally Just Rotting'" ABC News. ABC News Network, 2010. Web. 03 Nov. 2016.

@sobersterling43. "Heroin In The Heartland: 60 Minutes Special." Palo Recovery Drug and Alcohol Rehab Resources Heroin In The Heartland 60 Minutes Special Comments. N.p., 2016. Web. 03 Nov. 2016.

Williams, By Matthew. "Is Prescription Drug Abuse a Big Concern?" KQED Learning. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2016.

By Survey, Almost 50% of Teens Believe That Prescription Drugs Are Much Safer than Illegal Street Drugs-60% to 70% Say That Home Medicine Cabinets Are Their Source of Drugs. "Watch Truth About Drugs Documentary Video & Learn About Substance Addiction. Get The Facts About Painkillers, Marijuana, Cocaine, Meth & Other Illegal Drugs." Foundation for a Drug-Free World. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.