Layla Is a 17-Year-Old Senior

Layla is a 17-year-old senior in high school. She is very active in sports being a member of the track team and the basketball team. She is so competent basketball that she has been offered a minor scholarship to college to play basketball. Her grades in school are well above average as she has been on the honor roll throughout high school.

Me: Layla, what does the term "drug culture" signify for you?

Layla: Well, that term reminds me of some of the things my parents talk about. When they were younger there were lots of people doing different types of drugs like marijuana, LSD, and other drugs. The first thing I think of is some of the things my parents talk about like people being stoned and having hallucinations and all of that old -- time hippie stuff.

Me: Do you relate the term drug culture or the use of drugs to anyone you know?

Layla: I know some people in school but do drugs like marijuana and alcohol if you consider that a drug. I've been a few parties where people were taking Oxy (OxyContin) but I stay away from drugs.

Me: So the term "drug culture" is something that is an old term to you?

Layla: For the most part yes. I think it describes an attitude of the past when people took a lot of drugs as a means of experimentation. I really don't associate with people who do a lot of drugs and I don't see it as a drug culture. There are a lot of professional athletes that do drugs but I don't relate that term to performance-enhancing drugs.

Me: Is that of concern to you, athletes using drugs?

Layla: No, not really. I don't think it is as prevalent in my sports. I certainly don't think it should be allowed and any athlete caught using performance-enhancing drugs should be banned from competition.

Me: Do you use any drugs at all?

Layla: Outside of taking some aspirin for headache and occasional painkillers I don't do any drugs.

Me: Do you drink alcohol parties? Coffee? Is that a drug?

Layla: Well sometimes I drink a little if it's there. I don't really consider alcohol and drug I know that technically is, but I don't consider it to be one. Coffee is not a drug-lol!

Me: When you think of drug movies what you think of?

Layla: The first movies I think of are the Harold and Kumar movies -- those are pretty funny. I just saw the movie Side Effects; I guess that's a drug movie.

Melvin is a recent college graduate with a computer science degree. He currently works as a computer programmer for a hospital system.

Me: So Mel what does the term "drug culture" signify for you?

Melvin: That term describes the American culture to me to a tee. This culture is totally fueled by drugs. They are marketed to us on television and people use drugs to feel good, get going, come down, relax, think better, and in every facet of their lives. We are told to give our children drugs if they don't do well in school, if they're too active, if there are not as active as they should be, and so on. America is the ultimate "drug culture" my friend.

Me: That really sounds like something that is a big concern of yours.

Melvin: I see it as a major societal issue. From one point-of-view it is quite dangerous in terms of a health issue to have children raised in a society that uses drugs like candy. I also see quite a bit of hypocrisy regarding the use of drugs. For example, cigarettes and alcohol are legal and kill more people in America than do cocaine, heroin, and meth and yet one group of drugs is legal and the other is illegal. The prisons are full of drug users who really should not be penalized.

Me: Do you think all drugs should be legal?

Melvin: Most of them yes. There is an older generation that thinks that if all drugs were legalized society would become a drug culture as you use the term, but in other countries that has not been the case. Besides, America already is a drug culture. Coffee and cigarettes in the morning to get going, antidepressants to feel good, booze to feel good and slow down… (He goes on and on describing drug use).

Me: Do any particular movies stand out in your mind relating to the drug culture?

Melvin: There are lots of movies where drugs are glamorized. Movies targeted at the young crowd glorify drugs. I can think of several offhand such as Rules of Attraction, Flight, Savages, Prozac Nation, all those stupid teenage movies…. It seems like every movie

Me: Is the drug culture of concern to you?

Melvin: Of course. My concern is that we are raising a generation of addicts. Who knows what the long-term effects of using drugs like Ritalin or Prozac are? Don't get me wrong, drugs have their uses, but I think depending on them for handling the issues of daily living is wrong.

Me: What drugs do you use?

Melvin: I do drink coffee in the morning. I might have an occasional beer. I don't think any other drugs except for medicinal purposes and once they have served their purpose I stop taking them.

Bob is a retired auto worker. He retired early dual buyout and spends his time reading, doing some travel, and hanging out in coffee shops with his friends.

Me: Bob, what does the term "drug culture" mean to you?

Bob: I think of a budget drug addicts who sit around all day getting high and put all of their efforts into getting more drugs. I think that term originated in the 60s with the hippie movement.

Me: The term for you means and isolate a group of people who are addicted to drugs?

Bob: Yeah. For the most part I think of the drug culture is a group of outcasts who simply want to get high, don't care about society, are not productive and don't contribute to society. Personally, I think they should all be in jail.

Me: So this is something that is of concern to you?

Bob: I'm not sure I really that concerned about it because most of these druggies will kill themselves anyway. When they turn to crime to support their habit -- yes that I'm concerned about. They should be put in jail.