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Students band together to discuss methamphetamine dangers

By Staff Writer

More than 20 million Americans admitted to using illicit substances within a one-month span in 2006, according to Drug Addiction Support, a statistics site. Substance abuse centers provide individuals with the resources they need to detoxify, but many communities take their own initiatives to deter drug use and help addicts come clean.

In honor of National Methamphetamine Awareness Day, Anthony Marrero was one of more than 500 individuals who gathered at Roosevelt High School in Hawaii to raise awareness of methamphetamine, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Marrero's family has been struggling to help his daughter quit her addiction to the drug. The Army command sergeant major spoke to the group of students about his child's experience and how easy it is to get hooked.

"I would never try it," Roosevelt High senior and peer mentor Ruth Taketa told the news source. "It definitely ruins lives permanently. It ruins not only the user's life, but it ruins the family and the community and just everybody who's around that person."

Substance abuse programs for youth are dedicated to helping children stay away from drugs, including methamphetamine. However, Marrero warns that addiction can happen to anyone, citing the negative impact it has made on his family.