Addiction And Substance Abuse Is A Serious Problem Among Teenagers

Many teenagers between the ages of 12-18 are exposed or already on their way to addiction to substances that are not good for our mental or physical health. Many teens experiment with drugs but aren’t addicted. According to addictioncenters.com “teen drug abuse can have long term cognitive and behavioural effects since the teenage brain is still developing.” A study also shows that half of all new drug users are under 18. This is because our brains are still seeking the “thrill” and temptation of substances. Other common reasons are curiosity, peer pressure, stress, emotional struggles and wanting a escape. Thankfully drug use among teens, despite popular opinion are significantly decreasing. The teenage brain is very immature. By doing drugs as a teen you are at a greater risk for being an addicted adult.

Youth who abuse prescription medications are also more likely to report use of other drugs. Multiple studies have revealed associations between prescription drug abuse and higher rates of cigarette smoking; heavy episodic drinking; and marijuana, cocaine, and other illicit drug use among adolescents, young adults, and college students. Interestingly, for this study 36,781 between the ages of 18-22. Nonmedical use among children and adolescents is particularly troublesome given that adolescence is the period of greatest risk not only for drug experimentation but also for developing addiction. The study survey was conducted by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). Prescription drug abuse is not a new problem, however it deserves renewed attention. It is imperative to be aware of the consequences associated with abuse of these medications. For although prescription drugs can be powerful allies, they also pose serious health risks related to their abuse, which can lead to addiction and to death. These years are often when young people initiate or increase their abuse of prescription and other drugs (Kilpatrick& Acierno,

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), alcohol is the most abused drug by adolescents, followed by marijuana and tobacco. Statistics show that approximately 39% of high school seniors’ abuse alcohol, while 23% use marijuana and 16% smoke cigarettes (HHS, 2016). The startling substance abuse figures among adolescence shows that many adolescents are now addicted to drugs.

Drug abuse is an increasing problem in our society, and specifically among teenagers. This increased affiliation with substances is very detrimental to teens. It causes an inability to focus, increases the chance that you will continue your drug abuse through your adulthood and it greatly damages the brain and many other organs. Our brains are developing when we are in our adolescence, which is why it is very important to discourage kids experimenting with drugs.

Non prescribed prescription drug use by adolescents is a major concern. There are many dangers associated with this abuse that teens are not aware of and many teens do not realize the effects these drugs will have on their body and mind as they continue to mature. Most teens use these drugs for recreational purposes such as a study aid to help them stay awake. These teens do not realize that these drugs are just as dangerous as illegal street drugs.

The most immense reason teens start utilizing these drugs is because their friends were pressured through peer pressure. No one desires to be left out, and teens (and some adults, too) find themselves trying things they normally wouldn’t try, just to fit in with the crowd. In these cases, you either look for better friends that won’t pressure you to do irrational things, or find a reasonable way to say no. Teens should plan an exit strategy or plan ahead of time, to resist from giving into temptation. These teens become victims to peer pressure due to the fear of being insulted by making them feel deprived for not doing something, that they eventually do it.  Pressuring them by telling them why they should do it and the fear of rejection by

Drug use is an increasing problem among teenagers in today's high schools. Most drug use begins in the teenage years, these years are the most crucial in the maturing process. During these years adolescents are faced with the difficult tasks of discovering their self identity, clarifying their sexual roles, assenting independence, learning to cope with authority figures and searching for goals that would give their lives meaning. Drugs are readily available, adolescents are curious and venerable, and there is peer pressure to experiment, and there is a temptation to escape from conflicts. The use of drugs by teenagers is the result of a combination of factors such as peer pressure, curiosity, and

A major cause of doing drugs is because of all the stress teens are dealing with. They are doing drugs in this case so they can create a way to escape from their problems. Red Ribbon week explains, quite a few have similar feelings that that the go through, for instance, depression or stress that can be caused by problems at school or with family friends. This has a tremendous impact on their decisions with drugs and alcohol.” Nowadays teens are exposed to a lot more school work and job related things that they feel they have no time to get any of it done, so it builds up a large amount of

During adolescents there are many things that are going on in development with body as well outward influences surrounding them. According to Stevens and Smith, (2013) “When they enter high school, adolescents again face social, emotional and educational challenges” (p. 288). When adolescents face these types of challenges it can come with a lot of stress and stress can lead to be exposed and pressure into doing certain substances. Sometimes adolescents want to fit in with their friends or experience a thrill by trying drug or other substances that makes them feel cool (Feldman, 2014). They can be exposed to different substances in school, or a family member who uses, or out with friends which consents to their social environment. Depending on the substance can become very addicting after the first time of use or after a few times abusing the

Substance abuse has long been a problem across the United States. Adults over drink every day and smoke many packs of cigarettes in only few days. However substance abuse it not only a problem among adults any more, adolescent teenagers are now also among those who are over using substance in a critical manner. Substance abuse is a growing problem for developing adolescence all across the United States and a good way to help battle this is needed.

The social environment during high school can be confusing. At the start of puberty, the search for identity begins. Youth around this age follow the crowd and give into peer pressure. This is the time where you can be part of the "it" crowd, or refrain from it. Interestingly enough, friendships form by similar interests, in particular, drugs and alcohol. An excuse to rebel is exciting and deviant for teens. As this trend becomes more prominent, there are more substance abusers getting involved at a younger age. Between 13-17 years old, they come up with reasons as to why

For several generations now drug abuse among teenagers and young adults has been a major problem in American society. To address the problem successfully in term of diminishing the amount of illegal drug use among this age demographic, we must first understand the patterns and trends over time in terms of what drugs teenagers use, how they obtain them and then use them, and what factors cause or influence them to engage in such activities. First we should define our terms and limits of discussion. “Drugs” here means not only substances that are illegal in themselves like marijuana and cocaine, but misused prescription medications as well as household substances not meant to be used as drugs such as glue and nutmeg. Doctors can actually sometimes prescribe drugs like cocaine, marijuana, and steroids for medical purposes but which are more often used illegally and harmfully. We are not going to consider alcohol even though perhaps it should be because it is a substance used to later mods and our mental states just like illegal drugs. Most of can recite the reason drug are bad for teenagers. Drug use can delay or even permanently damage adolescent brains that are still growing. Drug abuse can lead to poor life choices such as driving under their influence or engaging in criminal activity or just impairing teenagers ability to keep up with schoolwork. The reason we care about teenage drug use from the standpoint of developmental psychology has to do with the impact of drug use

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.

Why do teens use drugs? Many reasons contribute to adolescent drug use. It may be stress, peer pressure, or even the difficulty coping with the ills of school life. Teens use drugs because they have no true guidance. The absence, of certain vital components such as, someone to talk to, morals, values, or even responsibility forces teens to use drugs. One major contributing cause of adolescent drug use and abuse is a dysfunctional family, a family that does not provide all of the above.

Drugs between teenagers is one of the most serious problems, because it causes a change in the behavior of any teenager and a physical change too. Most of the teenagers use alcoholic drinks as a way to escape