CQ Researcher: Preventing Teen Drug Use

Over the past few decades the use of drugs among teenagers has steadily increased and decreased over the years. Many schools have gotten help from different programs such as D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) or S.A.D.D ( Students Against Destructive Decisions). These programs teach all different ages about what drugs can make you do, what you look like and also teaching the kids to say no. In a survey in 1992, it showed that 54 percent of all American children will have used an illegal drug by the time they graduate from high school, studies show. More than 80 percent will have used alcohol, and nearly half — 49 percent — will have smoked marijuana. Here we are 19 years later, I'm sure the survey would be quite different. I think most of what high school kids are using now is mainly alcohol and weed, not from personal experience but just from hearing things. Most all teenagers who start using drugs are influenced by their friends, which is sad. When it comes to hardcore drugs like "ecstasy", meth, cocaine, heroin, weed, or the "date-rape" drug those are anything but good, especially when someone gets addicted to them and can't get off of them. Drugs can make people do things they normally wouldn't do and drive a person crazy, especially when they have withdrawals and begin to get sick over it. I think the drug-free programs work for some people, like myself, but others it probably goes in one ear and out the other. It's very sad seeing someone addicted to a drug that has just lost all sense of control over themselves. Their appearance, personality, and everything else is so different from when they weren't on drugs. Some schools are even going as far as doing random drug-testing and suspending the ones that fail, which I completely agree with. When a teenager gets addicted to a drug they are most likely going to end up doing something they regret and end up in prison if not dead. It can also cause abuse in relationships and families. The drug prevention programs are definitely better than nothing. Even though it doesn't work in everybody, at least people will be aware of what drugs can do to you. Not all popular drugs are illegal. Some teens are getting legal substances to get high off of substances available at a drug store, including inhalants, non-prescription antihistamines and prescription pain killers. Some teens inhale the fumes of strong-smelling fumes such as finger nail polish removal, butane, glue and other such chemicals. Any drugs than someone can get addicted to can never be good. I think that more programs should be shown in school, public and private. I also think drug tests should be given randomly and anything else that can prevent teens from getting on drugs should be used. Drugs used by teens can and will most of the time result in prison, crime, getting someone else addicted or even death.