Dear Next President,

Many people assumed that because you need an I.D. to get drugs and alcohol, it is impossible for children and teens to get access to any of it. I used to agree with this statement but certain things that I see in my everyday life has changed my mind. I already hear that a lot of kids my age are doing drugs already, and/or are taking the use of drugs into consideration. If they start to actually do the drugs then they could find ways to get other kids to start doing them. It would be much appreciated if you made it essential for schools to have lessons on drugs and addiction. It could help more kids to know what they’re getting into. The amount of drug usage in teens may have gone down but that does not mean that it has ended. Teens can be influenced by social media standards, and peer pressure, in order to live up to other people’s standards, or definitions of cool. CBS News did an article on the topic of drug usage in teens stating that “The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry warns that the average age of first marijuana use is 14, while alcohol use can begin as early as 12. They also believe that out of the estimated 20 million alcoholics in America, more than half began drinking as teens.” Teens from the age of 14-20 are using more illegal drugs than those who are 21 or over.

Drugs are one of the main causes of poor decisions, such as health, sexual activity, and a life of drug dependence. Drug dependence can be a major problem, especially when you want to quit. Researchers found that when you depend on drugs too much, so will your body. If your body gets used to having drugs, it becomes harder to quit because you’re used to depending on those drugs. Transporters such as E-Cigs are now able to look more like everyday items. They also have come with flavorings. E-Cigs contain nicotine, a highly addictive drug. Drugabuse.gov states that, “Cartridges could also be filled with substances other than nicotine, thus possibly serving as a new and potentially dangerous way to deliver other drugs.”

Please take this into consideration, I know that one voice may not make a difference, but together we can change the country. Thank you.

From,

K.S.