They are marking time. Too many are more concerned with their after school jobs than their school work. Too many choose Madonna and Seinfeld, Scully and Muldaur or Beavis and Butthead as their role models. Too many would rather watch melrose place than read to kill a mockingbird. Too many become parents while they still desperately need parents.
Substance abuse continues to deter teenagers from reaching their potential.
Nearly a quarter of Maine's youth between the ages 14 and 18 are considered frequent smokers. Smoking by girls in maine has increased by 30 percent since 1993. More than 90 percent of adult tobacco users became addicted between the ages of 10 and 20. As a parent and observer, I am coming to the conclusion that high school students today have too little contact with adults who are not their parents. It follows that our social policies should be designed to integrate teens into the fabric of our communities.