Dear Future President:

By 8th grade almost thirty percent of kids have tried alcohol. Fifty-eight percent of  high school sophomores have abused alcohol.  Seventy-one percent of high school seniors have used alcohol. Youth alcohol and drug abuse can cause depression, lower grades and attendance in school, and alienation from peers. Action must be taken at school and at home in order to save teens from abusing alcohol and other drugs.

Teen substance abuse has many consequences. According to the alcohol and rehab website, “As a child gets older, they can begin to distance themselves from friends because they are scared that people may judge them on their parent or family members behavior.” Because of these  circumstances the child will accumulate a lower academic performance as well as increased truancy rates that are common results of teenage alcohol abuse. Health risks of teen substance abuse include overdose, suicide, and depression, as well as an increased risk of automobile accidents. Adolescents using alcohol and other drugs often disengage from school and extracurricular activities and isolate themselves from peers and family.

Teachers tell students that alcohol and drug abuse can have negative consequences, and yet seventy-one percent, nearly three of every four high school students, have used alcohol or other drugs. “In early adolescence, when children advance from elementary through middle school, they face new and challenging social and academic situations.” Students need to be told of the negative consequences of alcohol abuse by someone they respect and will listen to.  Schools must show students the effects of alcohol and prove to them why abusing is dangerous and harmful to them. If even once a year, all middle school and high school students went on a field trip to go visit correction centers, or hospitals where teens suffering from the effects of substance abuse were being treated, teens might learn why underage drinking is wrong and can cause life long problems.. Only then may teens realize underage drinking rules are to keep them safe, and stop seeing them as a big red button on the wall that is  saying “do not push.” Many of my peers have fallen victim to the consequences of alcohol abuse. Something needs to change.

Thank you for your time. I understand you are busy with many more pressing matters, but teens are the future of the world. Teens are one of your most important groups while being president, and teens are your children whom you love. Saving them from substance abuse means saving them from a potentially troubled life full of depression, pain, and loneliness. Hopefully you understand why this issue is so important to me and will take a stand to make a change.

Sincerely,

Riley Baumann