Leticia Silva Staff Writer Cache Valley, Utah is a small beautiful and county. It is also considered a safe place to live. But every county has its problems, including drugs. Many valley residents might not see this problem around, but it’s out there. According to Utah Drug Threat Assessment, in nearby Salt Lake City in the year 2000 there were 15 deaths related to Methamphetamine, 80 related to heroin, and 59 related to cocaine. Yes, this is in Salt Lake City, but it’s happening here in Logan, too. These numbers are too high. We need to get in control of drugs not just in Cache Valley alone but also in Utah I don’t want it to be so easy for my future nieces, nephews, kids etc. to get their hands on drugs. Furthermore, drugs don’t just mess up the teenage mind, but teens can get mentally and physically addicted to the drug. If we can not get better control of drugs in Utah, the number of people dying because of these drugs will only increase. Drugs not only ruin the person who is taking them but also their family and friends. Better control of the drugs coming into Utah and Cache Valley would lead those numbers to go down.
According to justice.gov, 2.7 percent of high school students surveyed in Utah reported lifetime heroin abuse. 5.3 percent reported having abused methamphetamine at least once in their lifetime. Also 2.7 percent of students reported cocaine abuse 30 days prior to the survey, and 4.1 percent reported a lifetime of cocaine abuse. 19.7 percent reported having abused marijuana at least once in their lifetime. In addition, 9.7 percent reported that they had abused marijuana in the 30 days prior to the survey. People my age should not even have a chance to get their hands on any drugs, especially if those drugs are as harmful as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Do you know what those drugs do to the teenage brain? According to drugabuse.gov, drugs affect the brain by tapping into its communication system and interfering with the way neurons normally send, receive, and process information. Some drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, can activate neurons because their chemical structure mimics that of a natural neurotransmitter. Furthermore, drugs don’t just mess up the teenage mind, but teens can get mentally and physically addicted to the drug. I’ve heard many stories of people losing the ones they loved or their closest friend to addiction. The one they loved would be so addicted to the drug they would not be around, not be themselves, and just push everyone around them away. I can not even imagine slowly losing the person I love to these drugs. Do you want that to be you, the ones you love, or your best friend? Neither do I. I want it to be so hard for people to get their hands on drugs because I am tired of hearing that people are losing their loved ones to them. We need to focus more on getting a control on drug trafficking in Utah so students don’t get their hands on these drugs and get addicted to them.
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7/17/2023 02:19:46 am
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