Under Age Addiction
As states legalize marijuana, there are teens who get there hands on this drug. This needs to stop.
Dear Future President,
Our nation has become a house to drug use among minors who obtain the substance illegally. States such as Colorado and Washington have allowed drugs such as marijuana to be purchased within their state. Even though there is an age limit on who can purchase this drug, this has also made it easier for kids/teens to obtain these drugs.
According to the NIDA (Nation Institute on Drug abuse), who have studied more than 46,000 kids nationally in their Monitoring the Future Study, 13% of 8th graders, 30% of 10th graders, and 40% of 12th graders have used drugs at least once in the past year as of 2013.
According to ADAI (Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute) out of the University of Washington, the use of marijuana by teens has been linked to development and social problems. These include cognitive and memory problems, along with lowering IQ. Also, the chance of teens dropping out of school before graduating high school increases.
My solution is that the states such as Colorado and Washington to ban the ability to purchase drugs for recreational use and only make it as accessible as it needs to be medically.
Hopefully, Mr./Mrs. President, that you will take my ideas into consideration and help keep our youth healthy and out of trouble.
Sincerely,
Kyle Emerson
https://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/real-teens-ask-how-many-teens-use-drugs