The editor of a local community newspaper has asked you to write a persuasive article presenting a solution to the problem of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use among young people. in two paragraphs, you will highlight current substance abuse problems among youths, the danger that abuse poses to youth, and information about how youth can stay away from drugs and make positive life choices. include local programs and activities that youth can join to keep them away from alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. your article should have a persuasive tone and include supporting evidence in the form of facts, statistics, examples, and details.

Drug and alcohol abuse are important problems that affect school-age youth at earlier ages than in the past. Young people frequently begin to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs during the middle school years, with a smaller number starting during elementary school. By the time students are in high school, rates of substance use are remarkably high. According to national survey data, about one in three twelfth graders reports being drunk or binge drinking (i.e., five or more drinks in a row) in the past thirty days; furthermore, almost half of high school students report ever using marijuana and more than one-fourth report using marijuana in the past thirty days. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug among high school students. However, use of the drug ecstasy (MDMA) has seen a sharp increase among American teenagers at the end of the twentieth century, from 6 percent in 1996 up to 11 percent reporting having tried ecstasy in 2000. Indeed, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, ecstasy was used by more American teenagers than cocaine.