My 14 year old daughter participates in a program where high school kids visit the local elementary schools to encourage the younger kids to avoid the use of drugs and alcohol. In conjunction with that program, she was asked to be a part of a writing contest, where she would submit a short 3 paragraph essay on the importance of a “Drug Free America”. What follows is her entry, which was picked as the contest winner. Ironically, just days after she wrote this, two more states and the District of Columbia legalized the use of marijuana.
Drug Free America
By Bekah Corbin
From the time I was in elementary school I’ve heard adults talk about the importance of staying away from drugs, and I believed in their message. But as I’ve gotten older, I’m beginning to wonder how committed people really are to a drug free America. In just the last few years I’ve heard about two states legalizing the use of marijuana, and I hear lots of people who say that we should legalize it all across America. After being told that this is something dangerous, that I should stay away from, it’s kind of confusing to hear adults say that it’s really no big deal.
I’ve also heard that the abuse of prescription drugs, like pain medication, has become even more common than the use of street drugs. This kind of drug abuse isn’t just criminals in dark alleys, but involves people who may teach at my school, coach my ball team, or even pastor my church. Even famous people like Cory Monteith, from the show “Glee”, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, from the movie “Catching Fire”, who both died from heroin overdoses, said that they got started with prescription medication. All you have to do is watch a little television to see dozens of commercials for medicines that you need to ask your doctor for. I thought doctors were supposed to tell their patients what medicine to take, not the other way around.
I have relatives who have battled drug addiction, and our family has reached out to people in our community who continue to fight this battle. I’ve seen first-hand what kind destruction this can do to both people and their families. I believe that a drug free America is something we desperately need, but as I watch and listen to the adults around me, I wonder if they feel the same way I do.
Bjcorbin's Blog 