The Role Of Drugs And Alcohol Abuse In Australian Society

Drug and alcohol abuse is a significant problem that is affecting the youth of Australian society. It’s evident that the students in which attend school this problem is considering alarming compared to previous generations. Adolescence are frequently beginning to experiment with commonly known drugs such as; alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and forms of illicit drugs such as pills (which are commonly identified as MDMA and ecstasy) (Botvin, 2015). By the time students are in high school, rates of substance use are remarkably high and they are found to be increasing, which in turn is affecting academic achievement (Econ Educ Rev. , 2011). This essay will investigate the way in which alcohol and drug use impact senior schooling. Also outlining the

, 2011). Furthermore, the Federal State agencies and local school districts frequently mandate that schools provide health education classes and programs to students, including content on drug and alcohol abuse increasing (NCIB.org, 2016). In order to receive federal funding under this program, school districts are expected to develop a comprehensive education and prevention plan, which involves students, teachers, parents, and other members of the community. This makes sense from a practical standpoint due to schools offering efficient access to large numbers of youth during the years that they typically begin to use drugs and alcohol increasing (NCIB.org,

According to the same NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) report, teen drinking has decreased by 42% since 2003 alone, and by more than 60% since 1995 (NIDA.org, 2014). Because of most millennial’s being in their 20's or 30's, this demographic is also leaning away from hard liquor, preferring craft beer and wine. It’s evident that the typical millennial can now drink twice as much wine as their parents did at the same age. As states continue to change their laws to allow medicinal and/or recreational use with marijuana, general attitudes about the drug have shifted and have in turn changed the perception of marijuana for society (Botvin, 2015). Access to high-quality and more potent marijuana has also increased. While cocaine, heroin, other illicit drug use has declined sharply in popularity among teens, marijuana use has slowly but steadily increased (NCIB.org, 2016). Alcohol and marijuana are traditionally the two drugs most accessible to teenagers. Teenage alcohol consumption reached a peak in the 1970s and then again in the late 1990s. At the height of teenage alcohol consumption in 1998, 31.5% of high school seniors reported binge drinking (five or more drinks in a row). A statistic shows that 19.3% of student’s ages 12-17 who receive average grades of “D” or lower used marijuana (NCIB.org, 2016). ”We live in a culture that celebrates the “Rite of passage” of turning 18 –