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Drugs abuse among teengers
Drugs abuse among teengers
Drugs abuse among teengers
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Back then, cough medicine or painkillers were used to treat the common cold. Now in days they are being used particularly different which contradicts its initial use. More and more teens are abusing over the counter medicine, otherwise known as OTC drugs to try to achieve that “high” effect. “Many of these products are widely available and can be purchased at supermarkets, drugstores, and convenience stores. Many OTC drugs that are intended to treat headaches, sinus pressure, or cold/flu symptoms contain the active ingredient dextromethorphan (DXM) and are the ones that teens are using to get high” (“Over-the-Counter Drug Abuse”). Although the percentage on teens abusing illegal drugs has decreased in the past years, over-the-counter drugs (OTC) abusers have increased in abundance. Therefore leads me to believe that there should be stricter laws that limit the access to OTC to prevent teens from acquiring them.
To begin with, some background knowledge on OTC drugs and what is their initial intention for them. Over the counter drugs can be purchased at any pharmacy or drug store and also found at home. One of the most common is cough medicine, used to treat symptoms that come with the common cold or flu. Such as headaches, sinus problems, sore throat. As mentioned above the active ingredient in cough syrup is (DXM). Another commonly used OTC drug is painkillers. Now this are used to relieve “…minor aches and pains such as headache, backache, muscle aches, toothache, menstrual cramps, minor pain of arthritis, and aches and pains due to the common cold. Some pain relievers are also labeled for migraine” ("Pain Relievers and Fever Reducers"). The active ingredient in most painkillers is “acetaminophen and ibuprofen” ("Pain Relievers ...
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...ver-The-Counter Overdoses: A Review Of Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, And Aspirin Toxicity In Adults." Advanced Emergency Nursing Journal 30.4 (2008): 369-378. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
King, Keith A., Rebecca A. Vidourek, and Ashley L. Merianos. "Psychosocial Factors Associated With “Over-The-Counter Drug Abuse Among Youth." American Journal Of Health Studies 28.2 (2013):68-76. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
"Over-the-Counter Drug Abuse." Parents. The Anti-Drug. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.
"Pain Relievers and Fever Reducers." OTCsafety. CHPA Educational Foundation, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.
Poland, Scott. "Teenage Over-The-Counter Drug Abuse." District Administration 47.2 (2011): 70.Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.
"What Parents Need to Know About Teen OTC Drug Use." Teen Over the Counter and Prescription Drug Abuse. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Every day the United States has seen a massive amount of substance use amongst the nation’s adolescent population. The National Institute for Drug Abuse (2012) defined substance abuse as “any illicit use of a substance as drug abuse; this includes the nonmedical use of prescription drugs” and substance addiction as “a chronic, relapsing disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences as well as neurochemical and molecular changes in the brain” (n.p.). Doweiko (2012) stated that when discussing substance use amongst teens, those terms are actually often used interchangeably. He went on to include the figures from the 2009 survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) which detailed the rates of adolescent abuse and addiction. The agency reported 9.3% of teens surveyed are currently abusing some type of substance (SAMHSA, 2009 as cited in Doweiko, 2012). Breaking down the statistics further, Johnson, O’Mally, Bachman, and Schulenberg (2009) stated that a...
...y, H. (2008). Drug use and abuse: a comprehensive introduction (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.
Of course, to obtain a prescription medication such as a strong pain killer, you would think you would need a prescription. So how are so many teens retrieving these drugs that can permanently alter their lives? In this day and age, most teenagers have access to the internet, computer, and all sorts of technology. The statement, “you can find anything on the internet,” holds true in this situation, as many teens are able to purchase all sorts of prescription medication online (4). If a parent suspects their child may be abusing prescription drugs, they should begin monitoring their search history and credit card purchases. It is shocking that teenagers can so easily purchase drugs online, just as easily as purchasing anything else. Another way these teens may be obtaining prescription drugs is by theft. Believe it or not, many teen
Runaway’s teens often encounter problems with drugs such having an addiction. An addiction is a chronic brain disease that causes a person to find drugs in unwanted places, despite how harmful they are to them (Addiction p.4).Taking drugs at any age can lead to addiction, research shows that in earlier stages a person using drugs is more likely to be more seriously
Prescription drugs are making parents more overwhelmed than ever before about their teenaged child! Why must they worry so much about their teenaged child? “When you can stop you don’t want to, and when you want to stop, you can’t…” (Davies). This quote signifies that adolescents and adults have the option to quit or not try the drug when being introduced, but when they get started on the drug and they are thinking abouting quitting, they cannot because of the addiction they have on the drug. Each day they try to stay away from the drug, but they are having really bad withdrawals. Rockingham County Schools should inform parents about the strategies for preventing, recognizing, and addressing prescription drug abuse.
Years ago, the common image of an adolescent drug abuser was a teen trying to escape from reality on illegal substances like cocaine, heroin, or marijuana. Today, there is a great discrepancy between that perception and the reality of who is likely to abuse drugs. A teenage drug abuser might not have to look any further than his or her parent’s medicine chest to ‘score.’ Prescription drug abuse by teens is on the rise. Also, teens are looking to prescription drugs to fulfill different needs other than to feel good or escape the pressures of adulthood. Teens may be just as likely to resort to drugs with ‘speedy’ side effects, like Ritalin to help them study longer, as they are to use prescription painkillers to check out of reality. Pressures on teens are growing, to succeed in sports or to get high grades to get into a good college (Pressures on today’s teens, 2008, theantidrug). Furthermore, because prescriptions drugs are prescribed by doctors they are less likely to be seen as deleterious to teens’ health. A lack of awareness of the problem on the part of teens, parents and society in general, the over-medication of America, and the greater stresses and pressures put upon teens in the modern world have all conspired to create the growing problem of prescription drug abuse by teens.
"The Effects of Drug Abuse on Teens." Casa Palmera. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
A drug is a substance that modifies one or more of the body’s functions when it is consumed. Therefore, many common foods qualify as drugs. According to this definition, some of our most cherished beverages such as tea, coffee, and cola are drugs. However this paper focuses on drugs that are abused by teenagers. Surveys show that cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and inhalants are the most commonly used drugs among teenagers age thirteen through eighteen. One of the most startling findings from recent data is the degree to which to which teenagers are now involved in drug use. This drug abuse problem has gotten worse. Perhaps our society must hit “rock bottom” before changes can occur.
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”) .
Most people do not understand how a person become addicted to drugs. We tend to assume that is more an individual problem rather than a social problem. However, teen substance abuse is indeed a social problem considered a priority for the USA department of public health due to 9 out of 10 Americans with addictions started using drugs before the age 18 (CASA Columbia University). Similarly, 1 in 4 Americans with addictions started using the substance during their teenage years, which show a significant different with 1 in 25 Americans with addiction who started using at 21 or older (CASA, 2011).
(The motive behind a teenager abusing a prescription drug correlates directly with the types of abused medications. I would now like to inform you about the most commonly abused prescription
It has been discovered that most people who struggle with drug addiction began experimenting with drugs in their teens. Teenage drug abuse is one of the largest problems in society today and the problem grows and larger every year. Drugs are a pervasive force in our culture today. To expect kids not to be influenced by the culture of their time is as unrealistic as believing in the tooth fairy (Bauman 140). Teens may feel pressured by their friends to try drugs, they may have easy access to drugs, they may use drugs to rebel against their family or society, or they may take an illegal drug because they are curious about it or the pleasure that it gives them.
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.
People take drugs, tobacco and alcohol for different reasons and some is a result of their background, for leisure and so forth. These uses pose a threat to the health and well-being of adolescents. Adolescents and young adults in their 20s are at the highest risk for illicit drug use. For some drug users, use that begins in adolescence continues well into adulthood. “Addiction is a developmental disease; the earlier an adolescent begins drug use, the more likely their use will progress to become serious abuse or addiction (Johnston, 2012)”. There for earlier exposure is the major impact in addiction and dependence to some extent.
Certain drugs can be injected via a syringe or needle, smoked, ingested through the nasal cavity, and even laced into certain foods and eaten. Unfortunately, in certain areas, drugs can be very easily obtained in an unsafe environment. Usually, drugs affect teenagers the most who are in their high school and college years. It is reported that teenagers can get their hands on narcotics at a myriad of places in their daily lives. They can be found: In the medicine cabinet, at home, at a neighbor’s house, online, a friend, at schools, and at parties. Nowadays, with rapid advancement in drug development, kids as young as 16 can cook and grow their own drugs in their homes. Neglect of strict attention or drug awareness among parents can result in teenagers buying or selling drugs routinely in their