Drug Abuse In Go Ask Alice

Teenagers have felt the pressure of drugs and the need for social acceptance for decades. Many choose to cope by internalizing their emotions or acting out. In the 1970s, one young teenager, who remains anonymous but is referred to as Alice, decided to document her personal descent into drug addiction in a diary entitled Go Ask Alice. While there is some debate on the authenticity of the story, the powerful message of the dangers of drug abuse remains relevant. For over forty years, this book has exposed teenagers to the horrors of drug addiction and clearly illustrates the pressures of fitting in, sex, and alcohol. However, despite the enlightening nature of the diary, the book has been deemed controversial since its publication in March …show more content…
Because of this, adolescents everywhere should have the opportunity to read it. Alice faces a daily issue with peer influence that involves the pressure to use drugs and have sex. Recalling her first experience with drugs, she says, “‘I’ve tried to convince myself that using LSD makes me a “dope addict” and all the other low-class, unclean, despicable things I’ve heard about kids that use LSD and all other drugs; but I’m so, so, so, so, so curious, I simply can’t wait to try pot, only once, I promise!’” (Anonymous 35). Even though Alice sees drug users as indecent, she wants to learn more about them. Her curiosity takes her further into the descent of drug addiction. For years, teenagers have been in situations similar to Alice. Teenagers, like her, hear the awful effects of drug use and yet they want to continue experimenting with drugs despite knowing the dangers. They feel compelled to fit in and, sometimes, this requires using drugs. Alice chooses to use drugs in most situations despite the perceivable dangers and negative effects they cause. Her actions show the consequences of making these poor decisions. Teenagers become aware of these consequences and are cautioned to not use drugs. Other than drugs, teenagers face the pressure of having sex. In Go Ask Alice, Alice often mentions wanting to wait to have sex with her childhood crush, Roger, until they are married. However, …show more content…
Go Ask Alice is a story that teenagers can connect to. By giving students a book they not only enjoy reading, but also relate to, more and more teenagers will start reading. In discouraging students to read Go Ask Alice, they also are deterred from learning more about the world and how it relates to them. While the consequent highs and lows of Alice’s drug trips described prove horrific and at times graphic, it is a true expression of drug addiction and a teenage voice. Go Ask Alice touches on real and relevant issues of present time, despite being written over forty years ago. Alice’s story serves as a strong caution for the severity of drugs and peer pressure in adolescents. Removing this book from libraries decreases the potential for awareness of the risks of drug abuse, sex, and peer pressure among young