Do you know a teenager who uses, abuses, or has ever tried drugs or alcohol? According to the website esschooltoday.com, the average teen uses drugs or drinks alcohol before the age of 15. Over the years more and more teens have said that they do drugs and drink or they know someone who does. Teen drug use is becoming a huge epidemic in the United States. Teens are dying of drug overdoses or drug induced accidents, it’s time we do something.

Smoking and drinking at a young age puts you at a higher risk for becoming alcohol and drug dependent. Being dependent on drugs can become fatal later in life. How did you become addicted, Why don’t you just stop, Why do you do drugs and drink? Those are questions that many people ask alcoholics and addicted drug users. They don’t have the answers, they want to stop and many of them try but the hold that drugs and alcohol has on some of them is too strong.

According to the website aacap.org, alcoholism is a proven mental disease. Alcoholics have a hard time becoming sober and staying sober because of their disease.

Behind all the facts and statistics there are teenagers getting drunk or high just to get them through the day. I don’t condone drinking or drugs. You shouldn’t drink or do drugs because you have problems going on at home or anywhere else. That is not the answer. I do feel for the ones who just want to feel numb and get it over with. The others they do what they want and when feel like it’s time to get help I hope there will be someone there.

I think that instead of punishing the teenagers, who shouldn’t be punished, ask them why.  You might be the one that helped them before it was to