I love the questions my students ask me about American culture. Usually something that is very confusing for them takes just a few moments for me to explain.

Here is a great example. Can you guess what this sign means? Do you think it means that drugs are free near a school? That's what many students think, but it doesn't make sense to them!

Actually, 'drug-free' means 'no drugs'. Think about 'sugar-free' or 'fat-free'.

This sign tells illegal drug dealers that they will get into more trouble if they sell drugs close to a school. The idea is to discourage drug dealers from selling drugs near schools. Does it work? Actually, I have no idea!