Recently published results of an international survey into adult illiteracy reveal that on average 40% - 50% of adults in the Western World are reading below proficiency level.

Countries like Finland that have high literacy levels do not suffer poverty, nor do they have high crime rates. There are fewer jobs available for the illiterate person whose frustration and desperation often turns him or her to crime, drugs and drug trafficking. Teenagers who feel inadequate because they cannot cope in an ever demanding, technological literate society seek thrills where they can live the type of glamourous life styles they see in the movies and on television.
If they cannot earn the salaries that would provide the high flying items they want, they will often form gangs to just take, regardless of the consequences.

With the terrifying spread of AIDS and related illnesses, it is essential for the fight against these diseases, as well as to reduce teenage pregnancy, for people to be able to read how to protect themselves from these plagues.