“Don’t do drugs”. These three words are suppose to make us not want to do drugs. These three words are suppose to tell us drugs are deadly, they don’t just destroy a person but they destroy their life and others around them. The truth is three words don’t speak as loud as we’d like them to. I’d like to say that “don’t do drugs” was enough to push me away. I wish I could say it was the reason why I’d never touch them, but it’s not. My friends who didn’t understand, who didn’t believe those three words were good enough, are the real reason. Mistake after mistake and still the majority of the things I know about drugs are from hospitals where my friends were. I recall my health class and my teacher who made a point to say more than, “no”, but sometimes one person alone is just the same as those three words. Do you still think no is good enough? After all the countless addictions and fatalities, do you still think making it illegal helps? There are plenty of people who stand up to addiction and there are plenty who fall into it. If it wasn’t for my family and friends, I can’t say I would have had a good enough reason to say no. Apparently one or two small classes about drugs aren’t good enough, and schools should not only say no but tell us why. It might make us walk away before it’s too late.
Addiction is not only mental but it’s emotional too. A good portion of all addictions begin from depression. Those who seek for comfort from their broken heart find it in drugs. These drugs take away the pain and leave them with the feeling they have missed for so long and when the drugs wear the feelings return which makes them want it again and again in order to get rid of the hurt. I wish I knew this a year ago. Maybe when my friend fell into this I would have known there was something more going on. When he constantly relapsed I could have had more of an idea as to why he was doing this. I wouldn’t have blamed myself so much. Instead I let myself fade away; I let myself break into a million little pieces. It began with weed but it didn’t stop there. The addiction escalated to coke and heroin but unfortunately there was more. He went to rehab before we were really close when he returned we became close friends. We were constantly together until one day. For unknown reasons he relapsed and was rushed to the hospital unconscious. I was told he would’ve died given anymore time, everyone was shocked he didn’t. I never cried so much in my life but I was assured by him it would be better. Looking back on it now I remember he promised he would never touch a drug again too, I should of known not to believe in his promises. He didn’t die but I still lost him. In fact I think he lost himself at some point after as well. We barely talk anymore and he still does drugs. Some days I still feel hurt but for the most part I moved on. He ruined his life and broke a lot of hearts along the way. I know personally that his addiction was because he couldn’t stand the pain and at some point it just got out of control. When some teachers actually get into the topic of drugs, they tend to neglect one of the main reasons for it. Knowing all the reasons that can cause addiction helps us understand it more therefore helps us know the harms of it. This may seem like an exhausted problem, but it needs to be brought up until something actually changes. People need to know these things but not through the way I learned them.
Why put more awareness in school when you could put it on TV or the internet? It is true that if awareness is broadcasted on the TV and internet more people of all ages will view it but it also can be more easily avoided. It’s popular to use dvr so you can fast-forward through commercials and internet use is on phones or iPods where advertisement is hidden. I think it’s important to reach the ears of the younger generations first. So establishing awareness in school is a good place to start. If we actually bring up topics and stories about true life stories and addictions maybe students would tune in. Maybe the next time they were offered some bud they would turn it down. Alcohol addiction and why you shouldn’t drink too much is spread widely through school. Yet drugs are put on the quiet side, even though they are clearly similar. Sometimes, I feel like schools tone down all of this for their own reputation. Isn’t the safety of your students more important than you are over all reputation? Wouldn’t your reputation be good if all your students were safe?
If we were to establish more sufficient awareness I think it should be through classes. When it comes to high school there should be a mandatory class for freshmen and elective choices for other years. I would assume that there would have to be a decision if this awareness would be also brought into younger schools. We started learning about drugs in fifth grade through a DARE program but as we get older, we start to think it won’t happen to us. No one really talks about it much in middle school and then in high school they kind of remind you of it. According to studies, kids as young as third grade try smoking. If they are trying that at a young age, then why wouldn’t they try drugs at a slightly older age? Awareness should be in small doses in elementary school and then fuller as they get older. The classes should not only go through the gist of drugs, but why they shouldn’t be used. Teachers should zero in on things like how they not only affect you but everyone you love. Drugs can be similar to a domino effect, if watching someone you love hurt themselves with drugs isn’t enough to push you away it’s enough to make you use it also to cope with the pain. We have the chance to try to make a difference, a chance to change.
I’m only fifteen and I’ve lost more than one person to drugs. I learned from others’ mistakes but a lot of people will learn from their own mistakes, if they are lucky. It’s sad to know that these things continue to happen. I want to know that my younger sisters will grow up and not have to question whether they should say yes or no. Parents should be able watch their kids prosper through life without worrying about these kinds of problems. If we put more drug awareness in school we can try to teach kids everything they should know about drugs. I’m aware that even school awareness can’t stop all addictions and create a happy world but it could help move it along. It may seem naive to believe in these possibilities. However, I’ve learned firsthand that believing in people, believing that they can avoid or break addictions is key. We could lessen the addictions, lessen the deaths, and lessen the broken hearts. The next time I hear “don’t do drugs”, I’ll know why I shouldn’t.