WHAT WENT WRONG?

There has been a drastic change in teenagers today. How many people
out there have noticed a culture shift? Drugs are taking hold of
younger and younger kids.

The problem is that people are oblivious to the fact that drugs are
appealing and little is being done.

Two recent drug-related deaths in Hudson have been a bitter
awakening, but together, they may create some desperately needed
awareness on this growing issue among our youth.

The first was that of a 21-year-old who was heavily addicted to
cocaine. Finally, he admitted himself to rehab to get cleaned up, but
that evening, his last hit cost him his life. He overdosed and went
into cardiac arrest. We all know the risks associated with using, but
from the teenage perspective, medical warnings carry little weight.

Far more jolting was the death of the 13-year-old Westwood Junior
seventh-grader.

Everyone knows drugs are out there and high school is where
experimentation begins. It may not be accepted in society, but it is
a fact. I'm not saying that every 13-year-old is doing esctacy, but
the fact that they are aware of drugs at that age increases their
chances of experimenting with them. When I was in elementary school,
we had a police officer come in and tell us about the physical
effects they have on your body. Does one need to lose a friend to
drugs to learn something?

The education systems doesn't focus on drugs the way they should,
especially when dealers are selling on the premises during lunch
hour. But enforcement won't teach teens to say no, because today's
teens make their own decisions.

Teens need a reality check. They need a harsh perspective on the
consequences of taking hard drugs. They need proper guidance. Drugs
will never be eliminated from society; our target should be to effect
a drastic decrease in the numbers of those who choose to abuse them.

Lindsey Holt

Lindsey Holt is a John Abbott College student.