Teenage drug abuse is an issue that can result from a wide variety of social influences, stressful events, and mental disorders. Drug abuse among adolescents is a troubling issue because it decreases focus, increases the chance of consistency in behavior during adulthood, increases the chances of developing emotional issues, permanently damages the brain, and damages tissues in every system that can lead to death. Previous scientific research has identified that social factors, including the media and peers, play an important role in psychological development and impact the adolescent's decision to start experimenting with substances (Botvin 888). Appropriate solutions for the teenage drug abuse issue already exist, but the only remaining obstacle is the lack of effort in implementing proven methods of effective drug abuse treatments.
According to Dryden-Edwards, statistics in 2010 show that about 30 percent of 10th graders in the United States have experimented with marijuana, and 22.5 percent of 12th graders have used a wide variety of drugs, including cocaine, Vicodin, inhalants, Ecstasy, and anabolic steroids (“Teen Drug Abuse”). In addition, Dryden-Edwards points out that some trends suggest substance abuse among adolescents has been declining since 2002, but other statistics display an increase of other substance abuse, so only the object of substance abuse has changed while the main issue remains consistent and continues to develop (“Teen Drug Abuse”).
Furthermore, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug addiction is classified as a mental illness because it causes disturbance in regular patterns of needs and desires, and drug abuse frequently co-exists with other mental disorders (“Comorbidity: Addictio...
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...ents would decrease significantly.
Although the amount of risk factors for developing drug abuse makes it impossible to address all potential risk factors at the same time, significant progress can be made through implementing changes slowly. The scientific research on effective therapeutic methods has already suggested potential changes in therapeutic models and social influences that can assist in drug abuse prevention and treatment. Unfortunately, scientific research is ahead of actual implementations of the findings on solving drug abuse issues among adolescents. Rather than conducting further research on the topic, implementing the current findings should be the primary aim because statistics suggest that the teenage drug abuse issue is growing continuously, and theoretical knowledge will not prove useful in solving that issue until is established in practice.
About one out of five 10th graders and about 1 out of four high school seniors used marijuana in the past month (Facts for Teens, 1). It is the second most popular drug among teens in the US (Encarta, 1). Teens, ages 12-17, that use marijuana weekly are nine times more likely than non-users to experience with illegal drugs and alcohol (Fed. Study, 1). More 13 & 14 year olds are using drugs, fifteen pe...
Adolescent drug use in America is a cause for concern. Drug use among adolescents contributes to deaths, traffic accidents, poor judgment, unsafe sexual behavior and other risky behaviors. According to the authors (2003), “drug prevention programs in schools are a critical element of the antidrug effort, yet only 9% of school districts are using programs whose effectiveness has been demonstrated through rigorous research (p.1830).”
There are many contributing factors and political issues that address substance abuse. Throughout the years, many researchers have designed many interventions and social policies designed to treat people who have used, abused, and became addicted to substances. Today, there are many new studies that address substance abuse at the individual, group, family, and community or policy levels. Today, there are many services that are effective for decreasing recidivism in youth who have completed a substance abuse program. A substance abuse treatment program or center is the best way to treat individuals who have abused substances.
Teenage alcohol abuse is one of the major problems that affect academic performance, cause health problems and is responsible for the death of teenage drivers and sometime their passengers. Many teens drink because they think it is cool and do not understand the dangers of drinking alcohol. In 2008 a survey on the students views on alcohol was conducted in the Atlanta Public School System of 4,241 students surveyed results showed 74% of sixth graders felt there was a health risk while 25% felt there was no health risk; 81% of eighth graders felt there was a health risk, while 19% felt there was none; 82% of tenth graders felt there was a health risk, while 18% felt there was none, and 84% of twelve graders felt there was a health risk, while 15% felt there was none. Given these results on average of all grades, 20% of the students surveyed were unaware of the dangers of alcohol use. If one calculates, using the formular of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (2003), “three teens are killed each day when they drink alcohol and drive. At least six more die every day from other alcohol-related causes” (table 79). The impact of this student population’s lack of knowledge equates to 49 of those students per week who most likely will die because they do not understand the dangers of alcohol.2
“The behavior, drug abuse prevention experts say, is notably different from the use of drugs like marijuana or cocaine…The goal for many young adults is not to get high but to feel better - less depressed, less stressed out, more focused, better rested. It is just that the easiest route to that end often seems to be medication for which they do not have a prescription” (Harmon 2005, p.1) According to the Partners...
Drugs cause an overall disturbance in a subjects’ physiological, psychological and emotional health. “At the individual level, drug abuse creates health hazards for the user, affecting the educational and general development of youths in particular” (“Fresh Challenge”). In youth specifically, drug abuse can be triggered by factors such as: a parent’s abusive behavior, poor social skills, family history of alcoholism or substance abuse, the divorce of parents or guardians, poverty, the death of a loved one, or even because they are being bullied at school (“Drugs, brains, and behavior”) .
Glazer, Sarah. “Preventing Teen Drug Use.” CO Researcher. 28 July 1995: 659-662. Mack, Alison.
In today’s culture, illegal drug use among adolescents is a significant issue. Usually when teens feel worried or strained they will turn to these actions for release. Prescription drugs, Marijuana use, and tobacco use has become the most commonly available and used drugs among teens. In fact, “CASA reports that more than one-third (8.7 million) of teens can get prescription drugs within a day and nearly one in five (4.7 million) can get ...
Furthermore, mental illness and drug addiction are conditions that often occur together. This is a person who has two brain disorders that influence one another, and which both need treatment. Some say that certain drugs may actually cause mental illness in individuals with a weak genetic profile (Genetic Science Learning Center, 2011).With that being said, symptoms may get worse, but drugs do not necessarily cause mental illness. Some people may begin using drugs of abuse as a form of self-medication. For instance, drugs of abuse may temporarily relieve some of the symptoms associated with stress, anxiety, or depression, but the problems will still exist. Therefore, the form of self-medicating when using drugs can lead to harmful effects in a person’s mental health. People who have been undiagnosed may also suffer from serious mental disorders. So they may take drugs to relieve their symptom which is known as self-me...
The use of drugs and mind-alternating substances has been a part of society for decades. The ‘high’ that people attain from the use of such substances is very attractive and exciting however, the effects of this use are minimized. Particularly for youth, a group of individuals who are seeking independence and experimentation, drug use represents the balance between taking risks and taking responsibility for one’s actions. However, the developmental processes of adolescents are known to not encompass the maturity required to fully think through such decisions. As such, the use of a ‘smaller-scale’ drug like marijuana is even more minimized. The purpose of this paper is to discuss what the risks of using marijuana are for youths, why they are the most affected, how this problem has progressed over the last three decades, and what preventative measures and treatment options are in place. It will also discuss what schools, parents, and government agencies could be doing to help improve the issue, and the impact that this issue is having on society.
...olescences to abuse drugs depending on the influencing stimuli. We must educate the adolescences on respectable behavior and consequences to drug seeking behaviors and addiction.
After interviewing my teenage cousin whom has been in several altercations at home and school, enlightened me on the ways that teenagers in her age group gets involved in drug use. Kids start as young as ten years of age using, selling, and experimenting with drugs. My teenage cousin was expelled from public schools when she started experimenting with drugs. She was surrounded by many challenges when she enrolled in the alternative behavioral school. Many students, whom attend the alternative behavioral school use drugs, sell drugs, are on probation, have been arrested, engage in sexual activity and drink alcohol.
Oftentimes, there are underlying mental health issues that are undiagnosed or existing conditions that are medicated, which can invariably lead to an increase in adolescent alcohol and substance use disorders. There are a myriad of cultural and societal risk factors that contribute to adolescent alcohol and drug use. A risk factor is defined as “any attribute, characteristic or exposure of an individual that increases the likelihood of developing a disease or injury”. These risk factors can be identified through family history of substance use disorder, sense of inferiority, pleasure seeking, low self-esteem, unemployment, poor social support, desire to experiment and poor social support (Thomas, N. L., Naregal, P. M., Mohite, V. R., Tata, S. H., Karale, R. B., & Kakade, S. V. (2015). The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Second Risk of drug abuse increases greatly during times of transition, such as changing schools, moving, or divorce.
In today’s society, the most frequent problem amongst teenagers is the use of drugs. Drug addiction is a disease that consists on the dependency of substances that affect the central nervous system and the cerebral functions. Substance abuse produces an inappropriate behavior in people. Teenagers are most vulnerable to drug abuse because of the influences around them, and young kids do not have a clear vision of the consequences that drug use can cause.
Few people deny the dangers of drug use, while many teens are curious about drugs. They should stay away from drugs because drugs affect our health, lead to academic failure, and jeopardizes safety. Drugs are used from a long period of time in many countries. The concentration of drugs has increased from late 1960’s and 1970’s. Drugs can quickly takeover our lives. Friends and acquaintance have the greatest influence of using drugs during adolescence.