A 13-year-old boy living in urban poverty with his mother and six younger siblings is currently getting in trouble at school. He has never been in trouble before. But the teachers say he is becoming belligerent toward authority figures, sloppy in his schoolwork and ignoring friends he has had since kindergarten. He also is beginning to come to school with eyes glassy, bloodshot, half shut, a grin on his face, and loads of snacks. He used to be athletic but now he sits around and does not appear motivated to complete normal tasks he enjoyed last year. His mother has found small amounts of marijuana in the pockets of his jeans.

Assignment Guidelines

• In 5–7 paragraphs, address the following:
  • What do you think might be motivating this 13-year-old boy to use marijuana? Provide two different possible reasons.
    • Would the reasons influence the type of drug he may be using? Explain.
  • How do you feel about illegal recreational drug use? Explain.
  • How do you feel about legal recreational drug use, such as alcohol or tobacco? Explain.
  • Do you think abuse of legal drugs is as dangerous as abuse of illegal drugs? Why or why not?
  • Are there any valid reasons for recreational drug use? Why or why not?
• Post a new topic to the Discussion Board that contains your responses to the above questions.
• Comment on at least two other students’ posts.

In your own words, please post a response to the Discussion Board and comment on at least two other postings. You will be graded on the quality of your postings.

For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web resources, and all course materials.