DEAR ABBY: I am 20 years old and during this past year I have been exposed to more drugs than I ever thought possible. I have tried many of them -- from prescription drugs, marijuana and cocaine to ecstasy.
I know my decisions were reckless. Abby, I'm writing this in the hope of reaching out to anyone who will listen. I was blessed that I didn't become addicted, and even luckier that I'm still alive.
There are those who are not as fortunate as I am. I have heard more stories about drug abuse, overdoses and drug-related deaths in my town than I can handle. I want to change this. I want to make a difference. But I need help. How can I get involved and make people in my community more aware that our town has a problem? -- REACHING OUT IN LAKE HAVASU CITY, ARIZ.
DEAR REACHING OUT: By writing this letter, you have already taken the first step in raising awareness. Now it's up to your local police and your board of education to take some action. Everyone knows that passing laws is not enough unless they are enforced. And one of the most effective weapons in eliminating drug abuse is education.