Mike Males

Despite the claims of the media and drug-war advocates, chemical dependency is chiefly an adult, not adolescent, problem, Mike Males claims in the following viewpoint. According to Males, teenage drug use—in particular heroin use—is a small percentage of America’s drug problem. He argues that teenagers are far more likely to drink or smoke than take illegal drugs, thus making drug laws targeting adolescents unnecessary and ineffective. Males is a freelance writer whose books include The Scapegoat Generation: America’s War on Adolescents and Framing Youth: Ten Myths About the Next Generation.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How many Americans received hospital treatment for drug-related ailments in 1999?
2. According to statistics cited by Males, what percentage of twelve- to seventeen-year-olds tried heroin during 1999?
3. In the author’s...