The statistics are pretty scary, I am a smoker too, I tried to give up countless times but it looks like I can't handle this by myself. My friends advised me to attend drug treatment and get professional help for better results. I don't want to become part of those statistics...

You are perfectly right, drug abusers tend to deny they are addicted and this can only make them feel worse. I think this is the main cause that makes the refuse treatment. Prescription drug addiction is one of those forms of addiction that makes the victims feel they do nothing wrong.

Every one of us interact with other human beings at some point each and every day. We all communicate with many different people. They could be fellow students, friends, teachers, parents or even our bosses at an after school job. As we come in contact with one another, we have conversations, share experiences, work together, play together and ultimately learn from each other. Most of us can agree that we shape our own destinies through the decisions we make in life and we must deal with the consequences thereof. We can shape our own destinies by making decisions, but what exactly shapes us as people and what really affects our thinking process as we are faced with decisions every day like whether or not we should take that pill a "friend" is offering? Our past experiences, memories, conversations, books we've read and moral fiber instilled by parents and friends shape our psyche. Our psyche (mind, soul and spirit) is a fragile, malleable and subjective entity that operates as many things, one of the most vital being a "decision-making filter." Every decision we are faced with must first pass through the metal detectors of our psyche so we can infer whether or not we are going to let the potentially harmless or harmful consequences of the proposed decision into our lives. To break it down: the psyche is shaped by friends, parents, experiences, conversation and media. Thus, the decision making process is shaped by our psyche. I went through all of that to get to this point: we influence the people around us in drastic ways and most of the time we do so obliviously and involuntarily. We all have a sphere of influence in which our actions and words can speak so loudly that our very life is exemplary of the freedom and prosperity that comes along with a drug free life. We can rally a cry far louder and more influential than any MADD (Mother's Against Drunk Driving) convention if we all would do our part drug free individuals informing our friends and colleagues of the dangers of drug abuse as it surfaces in every day conversation. Every time you inform someone of those dangers, it registers in their brain and is stored as information or an experience. The next decision they make about using drugs will now be filtered through a psyche which a drug free person has influenced. If a potential drug abuser is surrounded by enough drug free people and is exposed to the right amount of information, the next time an opportunity to do drugs is presented, they are very likely to hesitate and hopefully decline the offer. The chance of them becoming drug free is greatly increased and they may even make a life long decision to abstain from drugs. I'm not suggesting you constantly shove the scariest consequences of drug abuse you can muster down your friends' throats, but I am asking you to lead an exemplary life and to put in your two cents about drug abuse when it comes up. If all drug people did their part in the public square and in their sphere of influence to inform people of the dangers of drug abuse, people would be dramatically influenced to choose a drug free life. The implications of this kind of system would be huge! We can change our communities one friend at a time. If you influence 3 people to abstain from drugs and they each influence 3 other people to abstain from drugs your influence has already reached 12 people! You don't have to be a leader of a club or the most popular guy in school... or even have a large sum of money to start an anti-drug campaign to fight drug abuse. You can fight it every day by leading a drug free life and speaking out. So, I encourage you to fight drug abuse and the destruction of human life it leaves in its wake with the most powerful weapon you have: your sphere of influence.

Most people if not all that are abusing drugs are self medicating. The first step is admitting you have a problem, the next step is asking for help from the ones around who love you...that may be the hardest part! If you think that you dont have a problem your in denial because anything that a person uses to alter their state mind is a way of avoiding their life...its the ultimate escape. are u form CT?

DRUG ABUSE ISN'T SOMETHING EASY,BUT THE FIRST STEP IS TO ADMIT TO SOME ONE THAT SOMETHIGN IS BOTHERING YOU

There is Recreation centers around each neighborhood already but they are not so much fun. We need to have a swimming pool, basketball court, football field,computers,and all other things that teenagers enjoy these days. We could have concerts and all kind of different events that they might enjoy.