In fact, teenagers overwhelmingly think marijuana is less harmful than any other drug. The fact that marijuana use is going up shows current anti-drug messages are not getting through to all teenagers. Over 5,000 anti-drug programs and organizations in the U.S. are trying to help them overcome their addiction and prevent the rest of us from starting. Drug use affects more people than those who use it. Many consider drugs as one of the top threats facing our nation.
Drug use makes health care more expensive, neighborhoods more dangerous and jails more crowded.
Addiction contributes to child abuse, poverty and unemployment. Many believe the only way to win the war against drugs is to go beyond teaching that drug use is wrong, and make drugs more difficult to get and more expensive to buy. Many people are trapped in urban environments where selling drugs is the best or sometimes the only way to make money. It is a growing belief that the booming drug trade and high addiction rates are rooted in these deeper social problems and it is going to take a lot more than police crackdowns to solve them. All Rights Reserved.