dramatic drop in the use of illicit drugs among teens throughout the 80's, once again teen drug

use is on the rise at a dangerous rate and shows no signs of slowing down. In 1979 more than

16 percent of children between the ages of 12-17, used drugs according to the Drug Enforcement

Administration. Under the banner of the "Just Say No" slogan, Presidents Reagan and Bush

helped drive this number down to a low of 5.3 percent in 1992, but it has crept back up to 10

percent today ( Drug Use Back Up for Youth, 1). From 1991 to 1994 eighth graders who said

they had used marijuana in the previous year doubled to 13 percent. In the same time region,

marijuana use increased 66 percent among 10th graders as well as a 44 percent increase among

12th graders. Marijuana has by far, been the most popular drug used by teens as well as all

Americans in the past decade. However, there is a new generation of drugs that is just beginning

to effect the nations youth. Ecstasy, or MDMA, belongs to a family of drugs called

"entactogens," which literally means touching within. It creates a sense of euphoria for the user

and enhances feelings of empathy, em

Since our system of government is so complex, the duration between the time the policy is

inhalants, ciggerettes, and alcohol.

United States and promote more drug awareness among teenagers.

lighters featuring marijuana leaves were largely popular, history has certainly repeated itself. LSD

innocent lives will fall victim to the severe problems of addition.

year where students can see the true damage that drug abuse can have on ones life. The idea that

MDMA, the primary drug in Ecstasy releases the brain chemical serotonin, elevating ones mood

Some common words found in the essay are:
Drug Alcohol, President's Cabinet, PCP Deaths, House Representatives, Grateful Dead, Plohetski1 Increasing, Clinton Administration, William Hansen, III Implementation, Ecstasy MDMA, drug abuse, drug education, teenage drug, teenage drug abuse, proposed policy, drug czar, mandatory drug, education program, drastic change, school taxes, mandatory drug education, students 8th 12th, 8th 12th grade, policy issue, drug rehabilitation center,
Approximate Word count = 2784
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)