During health class at Tripp Middle School eighth grade students have been learning about drugs and addictions. All students have heard about drugs and how harmful they are. But does anybody really listen? Drugs are harmful. They can lead to life-threatening conditions. Marijuana can cause lung cancer and is filled with other harmful chemicals that you might not even know about. So why do people use it?

Smoking causes many deaths a year and it’s getting worse. Companies are now selling cigarettes made for children. The cigarettes have flavors like vanilla and others just to target children, These children that start early smoking are going to be addicted their whole lives. People need to be more aware of what drugs are doing to them.

When I first started learning about drugs, I was shocked and, then a little angry. Why were these kids doing drugs? They hear how harmful drugs can be, but they still do them. I didn’t understand how teens could throw away their lives. You just don’t care when you’re on drugs. You don’t control your body. Teens can quit sports that mean a lot to them. They could forget school and get arrested. What is it going to take for kids to realize they need to stop, to open their eyes and realize drugs are harmful, no matter what people say. People need to learn the facts about drugs and they need to take a stand against drugs.