Dear Future President,

          I am a 9th grader from Texas who is very concerned about the issue of the use of drugs. Over the years, It's been horrible hearing reports of people who are willing to waste their lives and sometimes even die due to the use of drugs. I am hoping you will take action and find a solution to this problem because the number of drug users are continuously increasing and people are misusing prescribed medication.

          The use of drugs are getting higher in such a small amount of time. ABC’s 20/20 stated that “the number of heroin users has almost doubled in the last three years.” The number of prescription abusers in 2010 was at eight point seventy-six million, which was just six years ago. “The United States is only 5% of the world’s population and it consumes 75% of the world’s prescription drugs,” says a study by UNODOC in 2011. Three-fourths of the world’s prescription drugs are being used by people in our country, and some start using them at the young age of twelve or thirteen. In order to reduce this high amount of users, we must get rid of the source. “Dealers keep inventing new ways to outwit law enforcement, “ says CBS News. If we put in effort to take care of the source, the number of users would drop.

          Another way we could prevent this from happening is by making sure patients use their medication safely and correctly. Since the medication manufactured in the United States, prescribed by doctors, and distributed by pharmacies, most people don’t feel in danger when using them. From a search by the University of Texas at Austin, the data showed some reasons why teens use prescription drugs. 62% say they are easy to get from parent’s medicine cabinets, 51% say because they are not illegal drugs, 49% say that they can claim they have a prescription if caught, and many other reasons. It would be in our benefit to give patients a set amount of medication and communicate effectively about the information of the dangers and health concerns that may happen if they don’t obligate. It is easy to take advantage and become hooked on a drug that is available at anyone's reach and thought to be harmless.

          The sight of many drug abusers are upsetting. Knowing that drugs are being used by ages as young as twelve is distressing as well. This must be acted upon quickly because the access to drugs are getting much easier and the usage of them is increasing. The idea of the many people putting their lives in danger is heartbreaking and eye opening. As your duty to help our nation, please help us resolve this issue.

                                                                                                                Thank you for your time.