Drugs and Alcohol In today's college experience both drugs and alcohol are factors in a students everyday life. Although drinking under the age of twenty-one and the use of non-prescription drugs are illegal they are still prevalent. Both substances are easily accessible to today's college students. It seems that the use of such substances has risen dramatically in the past few years. The enforcement of illegal drug and alcohol use has also become more difficult in the past few years. The problem with law enforcement not being able to control these substances and keep them out of the hands of the wrong people attributes to the substances ill-lawful use. So for today's college student, such substances are easily accessible. So in the end it is the students choice of what he or she will do. When Ronald Reagan was in office as President, his wife and first lady, Nancy Reagan began the "Just Say No!" campaign. Another group that promotes the non-use of drugs and alcohol is the D.A.R.E program. D.A.R.E is a program that involves municipal police officers in an effort to teach young children the evils of drugs and alcohol. D.A.R.E officers usually tour elementary and pre-high school and tell children to avoid drug and alcohol use. The officers also warn children about peer- pressure and also give the children advise of how to avoid such pressures. The officers can only hope that their message gets to the children and that such a message has a positive affect on them. In the end the use of drugs and/or alcohol depends on the morals and beliefs of the individual person. Of course influences can positively affect people and cause them to have a different mind set then people who are not influenced in such a manner.

There are various reasons that people turn to the use of alcohol and drugs. It is first important to note that all use of drugs and alcohol is not ill lawful. Use of alcohol for people over the age of twenty-one is not illegal and recent studies show that alcohol can also be beneficial to one's health. A study has proven that a single glass of red wine, accompanying a healthy dinner, can help prevent the risk of a heart attack. Drugs are being used in today's society to aid in illness. In fact laws may be passed allowing the use of marijuana for cancer patients as well as other patients who deal with great pain because of their illness. So alcohol and drug use also has some positive uses. But it seems that most people abuse the usage of the substances, it is the abuse that is harmful. It seems that anything that is taken in moderation can not be harmful but it seems that in most cases people do not know how to control themselves. Alcohol and drugs are also harmful because they are both addictive substances. When people are overtaken by addiction they do not moderate the use of the substance. by ec1979@yahoo.com