Drugs. I’ve never tried them, never been tempted to experiment… but that’s more than I can say for my younger brother. He’s 15 years old and likes to smoke pot, he doesn’t see anything wrong with it. Out of all the drugs, it is probably the least bad, but it still worries me. Last night I had a conversation with him about legalizing marijuana, he’s all for it. I know it’s a controversial topic, I know many people agree with him but it was terrifying to see how passionate he was about it, how much he really thought that it was a wonderful substance that everyone should be able to do legally. He said he didn’t believe that it has negative health effects. Didn’t believe it?! What? I don’t even understand how that’s possible. It’s not a question of whether or not you believe all the evidence, it’s just there, pure and simple, and true.
Just last year I spoke to him about it. Last Christmas he hadn’t yet smoked but his friends did and he admitted to being pressured to try. “Don’t,” I told him, “it’s not worth it. I’ve seen too many smart people in my grade who got carried away and now they’re going nowhere fast. They are lazy and don’t have much of a future outside of our small town when I know they’re capable of so much more. And what’s worse is that some have moved onto worse things. They’re ruining their life.” He listened, I though I was getting through to him, I guess not. Nor did 9 months of D.A.R.E. education, or constant anti-drug commercials. Nothing.
I have friends that occasionally smoke, I know it’s not the worst thing in the world, I know some people can do fit it into a normal, successful life but I am so afraid of my brother becoming a loser. He’s smart and witty and generally good hearted and I honestly choke up when I think of him becoming addict. There’s so much more to life and I want him to have the opportunity to experience it all. All except… drugs.