Why Do People Abuse Drugs?

Why Do People Abuse Drugs?

Why Do People Abuse Drugs?
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 5 to 7
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	5.77

Vocabulary

challenging words:

downright, drug-related, encouraging, hepatitis, high-risk, overdose, billion, estimate, society, commercial, reality, dealing, abusers, addictive, paycheck, abuse

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Why Do People Abuse Drugs?
By Jennifer Kenny

¹     You've probably heard people telling you not to take illegal drugs since you were a little kid. You probably have high hopes and big dreams for your future. If everyone else has these similar hopes and dreams, how is it possible that someone smart and ambitious abuses drugs?

²     Unfortunately, our society is filled with mixed messages. On one hand, you might see the commercial encouraging you to keep away from drugs of abuse. The next minute you might be watching a movie where the character thinks drugs are cool. Using illegal drugs, though, is downright dangerous. They can have permanent, negative effects on your body. Most are addictive. Illegal drugs are a huge force in car crashes and crimes. If people share needles, they can contract hepatitis B or HIV. A person can overdose, or take too much of a drug, and get sick or even die. People using illegal drugs can use poor judgment, thereby causing many other problems to occur.

³     IT IS NEVER WORTH THE RISK TO TAKE ILLEGAL DRUGS. So why do some people start? Some want to experiment and try something new. Some feel depressed or bored. Some people like high-risk situations. Some think drugs will help solve their problems. Many experience peer pressure.

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