Intoxicants play various roles in the lives of adults and adolescents alike in the town of Leechfield. To being with, it is not uncommon for either the mother or father in a family to be addicted to some kind of substance and be a "functioning" addict. This idea is not foreign to Mary and her sister, Lecia, because not only is their father an alcoholic, but their mother is also addicted to prescription drugs. Substance abuse numbs the stress and bother that accompanies everyday life for these people. In a similar sense, drugs and alcohol are a very ordinary part of life for most teenagers in Leechfield. Most high school students use drugs to escape from the monotony of their dull lives, and possibly to evade the pain of each individual's family situation. In some cases, teenagers were also attracted by the thrill that drugs could possibly lead to a progressing downfall. An example of this is Mary; despite her intellectual ability, she still chooses to do drugs because she may have seen it as simply "something to do.".
Drugs play a major role in Mary's search for acceptance and validation from others. All her life, Mary never felt that she was very well liked by her peers, except for the few intimate friends that she had over the course of her childhood. In Mary's search for acknowledgment from others, especially as she approached high school, she turned to drugs. Drugs not only allowed Mary to escape from the uniformity of her everyday life, but they were also a medium through which Mary met and interacted with others, who were also using. It was in this group of drug users that Mary first found her sense of inclusion with other individuals. Despite the fact that Beck 2 Mary felt welcomed and accepted by this group, it is not the genuine authenticity that she is looking for. In actuality, the drugs keep Mary from discovering her true self. For example, at this point in time, drugs have kept Mary from doing her best in school and making something of herself.
