As a citizen of the United States, you officially become an adult when you turn 21. You can now do anything other adults do. This includes buying guns and smoking tobacco if you are so inclined; and the most popular: drinking alcohol. Unless you live in a state where marijuana is legal, then that might be a little different. But anyways, next month I’ll be 21. As a teen, I’ve seen myself becoming envious of older friends and family members getting cool margaritas and mixed drinks at dinners and everything just looked so good. I just couldn’t wait until I was 21. Then I’d finally get to try them. Now that I am so close to the finish line I have been stressing over what will happen next. The cause of my stress? Addiction.
I come from a family that has a lot of trouble with addiction. This includes mundane things like alcohol and tobacco, but it also includes some harder substances. So many of my family members have addiction in their genes and it makes me worry that I could fall into the same rut. My mom constantly warns me about how easy it is to get addicted to substances, especially when your family struggles with it. She was addicted to smoking since before she was 18 and just in the past few years has she overcome that addiction. I am so proud of what she has overcome, but I’m not sure I could be as strong as her. My uncle on my dad’s side was even an alcoholic himself. I know it’s good to be aware of what could happen, but it is scary to think that I could have that same outcome.