Tuesday, May 10, 2011

GO ASK ALICE

July 13th everything is going downhill for Alice. She is now experimenting with stronger drugs. Alice has now been using LSD. Since she’s been staying with her grandparents she can get away with doing what she wants. It seems to me that she respects her grandparents but this drug addiction is bringing her down. Alice begins to explain about all the other drugs she is looking forward to try in the future. I find it very odd that she is using LSD but is afraid to try “weed”. To me this indicates that Alice is an innocent teen she clearly is not familiar with these drugs. She’s hanging out with the wrong crowd. I think that Alice wants to fit in since she didn’t fit in anywhere else she’s been. July 20th Alice tries speed, she explains how amazing it was and how “she could smell music”.  I’m predicting that Alice will let herself get caught up in this druggie lifestyle. I believe the reason Alice enjoys this lifestyle so much is because her social environment is different and she can have things in common with others .July 23rd Alice’s grandpa suffers a minor heart attack.

http://teendrugabuse.us/teen_drug_use.html
Statistics on Teenage Drug Use

    Illegal drug use among teenagers is declining. However, the abuse of prescription drugs, especially pain relievers is increasing. Many teenagers assume that prescription drugs are safe, when in fact they are highly addictive and can cause severe side effects.

    The following are some statistics regarding teenage drug and alcohol abuse:


Underage drinking costs the United States more than $58 billion every year.


40 percent of those who started drinking at age 13 or younger developed alcohol dependence later in life. Ten percent of teens who began drinking after the age of 17 developed dependence.


Ten percent of teens report that they have attended a rave, and ecstasy and other drugs were available at more than two-thirds of these raves.


Teens that drink are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than teens who never consume alcohol.


63 percent of the youth who drink alcohol say that they initially got the alcohol from their own or their friend’s homes.


Alcohol kills 6 ½ times more teenagers than all other illicit drugs combined.


Teenagers whose parents talk to them on a regular basis about the dangers of drug use are 42 percent less likely to use drugs than those whose parents don’t.


More than 60 percent of teens said that drugs were sold, used, or kept at their school.


20 percent of 8th graders report that they have tried marijuana.


28 percent of teens know a classmate or friend who has used ecstasy (Teen Substance Abuse).

    Approximately 15 percent of 10th and 12th graders have used amphetamines. In a study at San Francisco General Hospital, 25 percent of seizures were found to be caused by amphetamine use. An estimated 1.8 million (0.8 percent) of youth age twelve and older are current users of cocaine.

    Teen arrestees often test positive for recent drug use. The National Institute of Justices Arrestee and Drug Monitoring System (ADAM) drug testing program found that 66 percent of underage male arrestees tested positive for marijuana.

    There is encouraging news from the national Institute on Drug Abuse. It appears that illicit drug use by teenagers is decreasing. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, which has been tracking teen drug use since the 1970’s, “The improvement so far is very modest, but at least the troublesome trends observed through most of the 1990’s have begun to reverse direction.” The troublesome trend is in reference to six years of steady increases in drug use among teenagers between 1991 and 1996.

    The current trend relates to how young people perceive drugs. Many teens are reassessing the dangers and social acceptability of drugs. This may be due in part to the increased attention being paid to the issue of drugs by parents, community groups, the media, and the government. Many rock stars and actors no longer sing the praises of drugs as much as they have in the past (The Teen Drug Scene).

    One clear change is teenager’s shifting attitudes toward the legalization of marijuana and other drugs. The vast majority of high school students disapproved of legalizing the private use of LSD (63%), heroin (71%), amphetamines and barbiturates (56%), and marijuana (39%).

    The percentage of high school students favoring prohibitive laws on the private use of marijuana fell dramatically from 1990 to 1997 (from 56% to 39%). Nearly 33 percent of high school seniors in the year 2000 believed that marijuana use should be legalized, and nearly one quarter (23%), believe it should be treated as a minor violation, rather than a crime. Three in ten feel that marijuana should be treated as a crime.

    Given ecstasy’s growing popularity, teenager’s lack of concern about the risks surrounding it are surprisingly low. The percentage of 12th graders who perceive any health risk in using ecstasy has risen only slightly to 38 percent from 34 percent in 1997. Even so, the vast majority of teens disapprove of experimenting with ecstasy (82%) – about the same as those who disapprove of experimenting with LSD (81%) (Statistics on Drug use Among Teenagers).

    Legalization of marijuana and other drugs is not the answer. Just the medical cost of drug abuse was estimated by the National Center for Health Statistics to be nearly $60 billion, and the medical bill for alcohol was nearly $100 billion.

    Parents and families face one of the most difficult battles in today’s society – that of raising drug free children. Communication is one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal in keeping our kids off drugs. Yet for some reason, it is the most feared, and is seldom used. We as parents, educators, and supportive organizations, must set the tone, set the standards, and set the societal norm. We must talk to our children on a continuing basis about the dangers of drugs, and be active participants in their lives. Together we can change the face of drug addiction in our communities.

Go ask alice

July 13th everything is going downhill for Alice. She is now experimenting with stronger drugs. Alice has now been using LSD. Since she’s been staying with her grandparents she can get away with doing what she wants. It seems to me that she respects her grandparents but this drug addiction is bringing her down. Alice begins to explain about all the other drugs she is looking forward to try in the future. I find it very odd that she is using LSD but is afraid to try “weed”. To me this indicates that Alice is an innocent teen she clearly is not familiar with these drugs. She’s hanging out with the wrong crowd. I think that Alice wants to fit in since she didn’t fit in anywhere else she’s been. July 20th Alice tries speed, she explains how amazing it was and how “she could smell music”.  I’m predicting that Alice will let herself get caught up in this druggie lifestyle. I believe the reason Alice enjoys this lifestyle so much is because her social environment is different and she can have things in common with others .July 23rd Alice’s grandpa suffers a minor heart attack.

http://teendrugabuse.us/teen_drug_use.html
Statistics on Teenage Drug Use

    Illegal drug use among teenagers is declining. However, the abuse of prescription drugs, especially pain relievers is increasing. Many teenagers assume that prescription drugs are safe, when in fact they are highly addictive and can cause severe side effects.

    The following are some statistics regarding teenage drug and alcohol abuse:


Underage drinking costs the United States more than $58 billion every year.


40 percent of those who started drinking at age 13 or younger developed alcohol dependence later in life. Ten percent of teens who began drinking after the age of 17 developed dependence.


Ten percent of teens report that they have attended a rave, and ecstasy and other drugs were available at more than two-thirds of these raves.


Teens that drink are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than teens who never consume alcohol.


63 percent of the youth who drink alcohol say that they initially got the alcohol from their own or their friend’s homes.


Alcohol kills 6 ½ times more teenagers than all other illicit drugs combined.


Teenagers whose parents talk to them on a regular basis about the dangers of drug use are 42 percent less likely to use drugs than those whose parents don’t.


More than 60 percent of teens said that drugs were sold, used, or kept at their school.


20 percent of 8th graders report that they have tried marijuana.


28 percent of teens know a classmate or friend who has used ecstasy (Teen Substance Abuse).

    Approximately 15 percent of 10th and 12th graders have used amphetamines. In a study at San Francisco General Hospital, 25 percent of seizures were found to be caused by amphetamine use. An estimated 1.8 million (0.8 percent) of youth age twelve and older are current users of cocaine.

    Teen arrestees often test positive for recent drug use. The National Institute of Justices Arrestee and Drug Monitoring System (ADAM) drug testing program found that 66 percent of underage male arrestees tested positive for marijuana.

    There is encouraging news from the national Institute on Drug Abuse. It appears that illicit drug use by teenagers is decreasing. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, which has been tracking teen drug use since the 1970’s, “The improvement so far is very modest, but at least the troublesome trends observed through most of the 1990’s have begun to reverse direction.” The troublesome trend is in reference to six years of steady increases in drug use among teenagers between 1991 and 1996.

    The current trend relates to how young people perceive drugs. Many teens are reassessing the dangers and social acceptability of drugs. This may be due in part to the increased attention being paid to the issue of drugs by parents, community groups, the media, and the government. Many rock stars and actors no longer sing the praises of drugs as much as they have in the past (The Teen Drug Scene).

    One clear change is teenager’s shifting attitudes toward the legalization of marijuana and other drugs. The vast majority of high school students disapproved of legalizing the private use of LSD (63%), heroin (71%), amphetamines and barbiturates (56%), and marijuana (39%).

    The percentage of high school students favoring prohibitive laws on the private use of marijuana fell dramatically from 1990 to 1997 (from 56% to 39%). Nearly 33 percent of high school seniors in the year 2000 believed that marijuana use should be legalized, and nearly one quarter (23%), believe it should be treated as a minor violation, rather than a crime. Three in ten feel that marijuana should be treated as a crime.

    Given ecstasy’s growing popularity, teenager’s lack of concern about the risks surrounding it are surprisingly low. The percentage of 12th graders who perceive any health risk in using ecstasy has risen only slightly to 38 percent from 34 percent in 1997. Even so, the vast majority of teens disapprove of experimenting with ecstasy (82%) – about the same as those who disapprove of experimenting with LSD (81%) (Statistics on Drug use Among Teenagers).

    Legalization of marijuana and other drugs is not the answer. Just the medical cost of drug abuse was estimated by the National Center for Health Statistics to be nearly $60 billion, and the medical bill for alcohol was nearly $100 billion.

    Parents and families face one of the most difficult battles in today’s society – that of raising drug free children. Communication is one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal in keeping our kids off drugs. Yet for some reason, it is the most feared, and is seldom used. We as parents, educators, and supportive organizations, must set the tone, set the standards, and set the societal norm. We must talk to our children on a continuing basis about the dangers of drugs, and be active participants in their lives. Together we can change the face of drug addiction in our communities.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Go ask alice

Everything seems to be going great for Alice. June 13th is the last day of school. Alice couldn’t be happier. She is excited to spend summer with her new friend Beth. Beth introduces Alice to a wonderful, educated and nice guy named Sammy. Alice introduces him to her parents. June 18th Beth breaks the news to Alice that she will be going to a Jewish summer camp in Europe. Alice is devastated that they won’t get to spend summer together. As the days go on Alice meets a new friend “Jill”. Jill invites Alice to one of her parties. Alice was given a drink that was laced with something else. Alice didn’t know what was going on. She had never used drugs in her life. “They’re trying to poison me” (Anonymous) It seems that this will be Alice’s turning point in her life.

Monday, March 14, 2011

The wedding-Date

In this chapter Wilson tries to recreate their love for each other he leaves notes with introuctions for Janes to do. He then meets her up at a resturaunt. Wilson is a very romantic man he feels bad because he feels as if him and his wife driffted apart after their children were born. He a hard working man and Jane a wonderful mother. They together had 3 great children who are well educated and succesful. Annas wedding really opened Wilsons eyes to see what true love is. Anna is stubborn and wants things simple. She and her boyfriend now husband have been decinding to move in together soon so they planned a last minute wedding before they get married. Wilson cares about his daughter and wants her to have the best wedding he could give her just like him and Jane werent able to. Anna has a beautiful wedding at Noah's house; that both Jane and Wilson have prepared.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

The Wedding

Anna decides to have the wedding at Noah's house. Wilson and Jane are busy trying  to get everything ready as fast as possible. Jane takes Anna dress shopping both find a dress that they agree about. When wilson is trying to finish the landscaping. He hired a crew to restore the yard and the gardens.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

The Wedding

Wilson keeps going back to the past. He goes to visit Noah and starts to remember his and Jane’s first date. Jane wasn't his first girl friend but she was the first girl he kissed. He misses those days when things were simple. He appreciates Jane so much and feels that he hasn't made such an effort in their wedding as much as he should. While visiting with Noah the author gives great detail about the swans that are around. As they watch the swans Wilson expresses his feelings to Noah about his marriage and how he wishes things would have been a little different. Although Noah doesn't answer Wilson’s questions he hints what he thinks he should do. Noah’s thoughts drift off and start concentrating on the swans. The swans are in the cover of the book I think that they are a big symbol in the book. Swans are white; the color white is pure, rich, innocent, and peaceful. They all connect together with the book with the wedding, Wilson's marrige, Anna’s announcemnet.The swans play symbolically play a huge role.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

The Wedding

Anna has decided she wants to get married in a week. The reason because she doesn't want a big party. She just wants a few people and her closest friends to be there. She also would like to get married because of Noah's condition. She would like her grandfather to be there for her wedding. Since her and her boyfriend are also moving in together soon she doesn't see why she would have a huge ceremony. Her mom gets really upset about Anna's sudden decision she feels that she understands the situation. Wilson also goes back to the day that he and Jane got married. It was all rushed also. Jane doesn't want this for her daughter she wants Anna to remember this day. Wilson and Anna  make a few compromises to have the wedding at a later date.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

The Wedding

Anna has just announced to her parents that she is engaged and will be marring keith. Her parents are excited about the news that she just surprised them with. To me it seems like wilson is happy and proud of Anna and wants her marrige to workout. But he cant stop thinking about the own status of his marrige and the road its headed to. He has been caught up in trying to help jane deal with the health issues her father is having. im predicting that Annas wedding will help jane and wilsons relationship become stronger for the better.  

The Wedding

Wilson is a hard working man and works hard to keep his family financially stable. He works long hours and because of that he believes that their relationship has drifted apart over the years. Wilson and Jane both have 3 successful children who have grown to be adults. Two daughters Leslie a college student and Anna who is engaged to her now fiancĂ© Keith and a son Joseph who is a social worker in New York.  Wilson forgot his and Jane’s 29th anniversary. He feels that he has not contributed any of his time to make the adults his children have grown up to be. He goes and visits Jane’s father on hopes of getting advice on how to restore their love.