Real-Life Drug Education
What young people and adults don't know about drugs can kill them.
Youth today are exposed earlier than ever to drugs. By survey, 50 percent of
the students in public schools in the United States have tried an illicit drug, or
are using one, by the time they are 17.
Abuse of alcohol and illicit drugs costs society an estimated $276 billion
annually. Substance abusers incur 300 percent higher medical costs than nonabusers.
They are one-third less productive on the job and are two to five times
more likely to be absent from work eight or more days a year.
The most disturbing aspect of this problem is how drug abuse damages youth
and the threat this poses for the future. Young users suffer more illnesses,
miss more days of school and are more prone to engage in
criminal conduct.
It is therefore vital to reach young people before they
start on drugs. Studies suggest that if a young
person can reach the age of 21 without using
illicit drugs, they are unlikely ever to do so.
Most people want to talk to their children,
friends, students and employees about drug
use but do not know how.
Real help is available and practical tools exist to easily learn current and factual
information about the most used drugs.
