RAISING DROPOUT AGE WON'T DETER DRUG USE

I would like to enlighten an idealistic teen in regard to his comment
that keeping teens busy would reduce drug use. Although I agree drugs
are often a result of boredom, increasing the dropout age would not
inspire adolescents to discontinue their use of drugs.

Just because there is a law that forbids students to drop out before
the age of 18, what makes you think they will follow it? After all,
said teens are already breaking a number of laws in their use of
illegal drugs. What's one more law violation to them? You can force a
teenager to go to school, but you cannot force him to care about his
education.

If you believe changing the law by two years would result in the halt
of all marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and heroine use among high school
students, you are sorely misled, and I wish you luck raising your children.

Kailee Howorth

Wheatley