When you hear the word drugs, what do you think of first? Most people think of drugs such as cocaine, weed, heroin, and ecstasy; not many people associate alcohol with drugs. Many young people are developing strong drug addictions these days. The amount of teens and young adults using drugs is going down all the time. Although many teens are beginning small, and ending up in a lot of trouble. Cigarettes and beer are just the beginning; eventually if you stay on this path you will move on to bigger things to get the same effects and end up in a rehabilitation centers.
First off, I would like to define what an addiction is. Addiction is defined as a compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance such as a drug. Addiction can be to anything in the world. Being addicted to something doesn’t have to be limited to just drugs. People have the ability to be addicted to anything in the world.
There are many kinds of drugs that young people are getting addicted to these days. Some of the main drugs that are used today by teens and young adults include the following: Marijuana, crack/cocaine, heroin, and LSD. Also a new fad in drugs known as “club drugs” are entering the picture for teens. Some of these drugs include ecstasy, Rohypnol (Roofies), and Methamphetamine (Speed).
Marijuana is a mixture of leaves, stems and flowers of the Indian hemp plant Cannabis sativa, and is smoked or eaten for its hallucinogenic and pleasure-giving effects. The psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is concentrated in the flowers. Hashish, a drug prepared from the plant resin, has about eight times more THC than marijuana. (www.allsands.com) People who use marijuana seem to go through two different phases. The first phase being the initial stimulation. This stage consists of hyperness and euphoria. The second phase consists of sedation and a version of tranquility. Many people associate an increased appetite with the use of this drug. Also a heightened sensory awareness and of pleasure go along with the use. Negative effects can include confusion, acute panic reactions, anxiety attacks, fear, a sense of helplessness and loss of self-control. Like alcohol intoxication, marijuana impairs reading comprehension, memory, speech, problem-solving ability and reaction time. In addition to side effects to memory and behaivior, marijuana has effects on your health as well. Smoking this
Dr. Wilkie Watson is a neuropharmacologist at Duke and is a co-author of the book, Buzzed: The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy. Dr. Watson presented facts concerning the affects of alcohol, marijuana and other drugs on the adolescents mind. The frontal cortex of the adolescent brain is not fully developed therefore, individuals under the age of twenty-one are more susceptible to addiction and other harmful consequences. At this stage in neurological development, the brain can respond adversely to different drugs, which can result in chronic mental impairments. Adolescent brains are not fully wired until the age of twenty-one so individuals are more likely to be unable to plan effectively, hold several thoughts at once and inhibit inappropriate behavior. Drugs generally create a more intense and longer lasting high for adolescents compared to adults. Studies also suggest that children that begin drug use at an earlier age are more likely to become dependent to drugs in adulthood. Approximately 30%-50% of kids age 13-15 who regularly drink will become alcoholics. Chronic drug use can cause possibly fatal effect and changes in the brain.
First of all, some people feel smoking marijuana can get hyper, which providing them the emotion of happiness, and helping them to see the world from a different perspective. However, marijuana will cause a lot of healthy problems to human’s body. Marijuana has many physical effects on human such as rapid heart rate, red eyes and dry mouth. Because the chemical THC will enter into the body when people are smoking it, THC will enter through the bloodstream to the brain. The chemical affects them to feel ecstasy and unreality; therefore, THC will make them feel more confused if people smoke marijuana for a long time. According to, “ Treat marijuana abuse like a health problem” (McMillan, 2007, July 17), it shows using marijuana can cause more serious health issues on human’s body such as bronchitis, emphysema, and cancer. In addition, using marijuana has also been linked to lung damage and affects the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. For example, if marijuana ...
What is marijuana? Marijuana substance extracted from the plant Cannabis can be smoked as tobacco, but it can also be consumed by other means, such as mixing it with food or beverages. Marijuana is the most commonly used poison after tobacco. The impacts are a mixture of arousal and a weakening of the central nervous system, and its impact depends on the kind of mental activity and dose consumed by the individual. Marijuana is a hallucinogenic and usually causes addiction. All forms of marijuana are mind-altering. In other words, they change how the brain works. “They all contain THC the main active chemical in marijuana. They also contain more than 400 other chemicals. Marijuana’s effects on the user depend on its strength or potency, which is related to the amount of THC it contains. The THC content of marijuana has been increasing since the 1970s" (http://uodos.uoregon.edu/SupportandEducation/SubstanceAbusePreventionandStudentSuccess/Marijuana/tabid/83/Default.aspx)
Addiction is defined simply as a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as drugs) or do something like gambling (Addiction, 2016). Addiction can be crippling and can control all aspects of your life to the point of not being able to function as a productive member of society. Addicts can have a life long struggle, even once sober, or clean, from the addiction.
Our society today, definitely has a drug culture feel to it because of the music industry, film industry, and the overall attitude of the world helps mold the teens of today into thinking that it is okay to abuse drugs. Today, a person can rarely find a song that does not have a reference to smoking marijuana, taking prescription pills, or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. Within films, they are producing films about having the wildest parties, drinking with all your friends, and taking drugs without thinking about the consequences. The youth of today refer to partying as getting “turnt up”, which means “thee act of getting drunk and high to thee highest degree” said by Urban Dictionary. If this is the mindset of the future of this world, then we are all in for a rude awakening and need to address these matters fast.
In 1993, cocaine use increased for all ages thirteen through eighteen. Every teenager has used drugs at least once in their life. The literature review confirmed that teenagers engage in drugs on a daily basis. According to the National Survey on Drug Abuse conducted in 1997 and 1998, more than one-fourth (28.2 perecent) of the youth aged thirteen to eighteen report that marijuana experiences, and about four percent used cocaine, 1.1 percent admits to using heroin, and nine percent used inhalants. These statistics are about the same as the statistics in 1992 and 1993.
Main Point: What defines an addiction? According to Psychology Today, “Addiction is a condition that results when a person ingests a substance…. or engages in an activity….that can be pleasurable but the continued use/act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, relationships, or health.” This can range anywhere from drug use to eating disorders, to gambling, to even texting in today’s generation. Shocking to say the least, especially when most people do not even know they are addicted or are an addict until they realize this definition.
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).
There are many different definitions in which people provide regarding addiction. May (1988) describes that addiction “is a state of compulsion, obsession, or preoccupation that enslaves a person’s will and desire” (p. 14). Individuals who suffer from addiction provide their time and energy toward other things that are not healthy and safe. The book
Addiction is a very strong word that brings along many negative connotations. When we think of an addiction we imagine someone who depends on a certain substance, most likely alcohol to have their needs met. Addiction is defined by the Webster dictionary as, "a compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal." Even though our society sees addiction and only applies the word to drug addicts and alcoholics, there is a much wider range of subjects that fall under the umbrella of what an addiction truly is. An addiction is a dependency on any kind of materialistic object that you use on a day to day basis that brings
Adolescences in particular can be easily influenced to abusing a drug or multiple drugs. I believe this happens because teens often lack education, live in an environment where drugs are readily available, are peer-pressured and the lack of proper growth of the frontal lobe. Many factors contribute to adolescences experimenting with drugs. As side from being a child, the adolescence stage is of great importance. Healthy habits and activities are supposed to be instilled within this stage of life. The adolescence stage can be very perplexing and what is made into a habit then is easily carried on into adulthood. Our genes act together with our environment to contribute to the addictive behaviors we are motivated to develop. If addiction is left untreated it can ultimately lead to de...
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.
Recreational drugs are not limited to any particular group in society meaning that a very wide variety of people choose to use these drugs these of course include teenagers, parents, business people and often very dedicated students for a number of reasons. For a long time the common misconception that only youths use drugs and those who do are disrespectful and dishonest has become out dated and inaccurate. Teenagers can use drugs and there are certainly individuals who do who are disrespectful and dishonest however this is more likely to do with an individual’s personality than their use or experimentation of drugs.
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.
Children are introduced to drugs and alcohol at a very young age. Many of them see alcohol and drugs in their homes, used by their parents on daily bases. Some of these children don't even realize that it is wrong, "not normal", and not accepted in other homes until they are old enough to understand that situation in their home is a problem and that it is wrong. Minors usually begin using alcohol at around age 13. Statistics show that by the time they are high school sinners, 81 percent of teens have used alcohol. Alcohol consumption and alcohol abuse are more widespread among young people than many adults realize. Drug abuse is also very high.