Adolescent Substance Use Research Paper

As a counselor in training and an advocate for individuals’ mental health and wellness, I chose to become an official member of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and create an advocacy project to enhance adolescent mental health and wellness by advocating for more available protective factor to reduce substance use and abuse among this population. The purpose of this paper/project is to address and improve the rate of substance use and abuse among adolescents in Pitt County, more specifically in Greenville, North Carolina. This paper goes into great detail of the description of the population (adolescents), providing statistical evidence of adolescents’ use of drugs in Greenville. An increase in youth involved community activities, community service work and parental involvement will be discussed as ways to create a healthy, anti-drug, and stable environment for adolescents in Greenville, North Carolina.

According to current statistics released by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, “In the United States in 2011, there were an estimated 25.1 million adolescents aged 12 to 17. In the past year, more than one quarter of adolescents drank alcohol, approximately one fifth used an illicit drug, and almost one eighth smoked cigarettes” ("A Day in the Life of American Adolescents," 2013, para. 1). Substance abuse is major problem amongst adolescents. Some are experimenting, but some adolescents may become dependent on a particular substance. If one becomes dependent on a substance as an adolescent it could be detrimental to their future health and success as an adult. Spear (2003) stated in an article titled Alcohol’s

Adolescence, usually defined as individuals between the ages of 12 and 20, is a period of transition, brain development and challenges1, 2, 3. Adolescence is the peak time to engage in risk taking behaviors2. Substance use is a common occurrence among adolescents. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse has identified adolescent substance use as one of the United States’ top public health concerns4. In fact, an individual’s chance of becoming a cigarette smoker drastically declines if smoking is not initiated by the time the individual is 18 years old. Alcohol and Marijuana are the most commonly used substances among adolescents1,2,3. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Study, the Center for Antisocial Drug Dependence, Monitoring the

The articles by Asbridge (2014), NHTSA (2015), and Substance Abuse and Mental Health (2012) talk about how there is a decline in drunk driving, but a significant increase in drugged driving. Drunk driving and drugged driving is a very serious issue, the problem is more people are aware of the effects of drunk driving and that is why it has declined, but the effects of drugged driving are not well known and that is why more people are getting behind the wheel and driving. In 2013, 9.9 million people age twelve or older reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2015). It is scary that 9.9 million have admitted to getting behind the wheel after taking an illicit drug and it is even scarier that twelve- year-olds are getting behind the wheel while high. Abridge and Topham (2012) explain that driving while high is not a new issue and has been studied since the 1980’s. Research shows there is a large increase in fatal accidents from this issue. Drawing on respondent self-reports, police records, hospital registries, and coroner data, three observations can be made: the prevalence of driving after marijuana use has risen in recent years, driving after marijuana use is higher in younger populations, and in certain populations driving after marijuana use surpasses the rates of drunk driving (Asbridge). Impaired driving is a

Substance use disorder, misuse, and dependence are among the most prevalent causes of adolescent morbidity and mortality in the United States (Brannigan, Schackman, Falco, & Millman, 2004; Newcomb and Bentler, 1988a; Sussman, Dent, and Galaif, 1997). Substances of all types are being widely used or misused by teens and emerging adults in the United States (Johnston et al., 2004). Adolescent substance misusers experience numerous social, economic, physical, and legal consequences, for example, truncated development (Newcomb and Bentler, 1988b). Substance use–related disorders are associated with such problems as poor academic performance, job instability, teen pregnancy, and the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. Crimes such as stealing, vandalism, and violence are associated with “heavy drug use” in adolescence. Adverse immediate consequences occur (e.g., overdoses and accidents). Also, drug-using youths are more likely to develop disorganized thinking and unusual beliefs that may interfere with problem-solving abilities and emotional functioning and may lead to greater social isolation and depression (Sussman and Ames, 2001), though the prevalence of dysfunctional thinking is not known. Substance dependent adolescents endure consequences of additional problems such as drug tolerance effects, withdrawal symptoms, and preoccupation with using a drug to the exclusion of other activities.

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.

The available data related to drug abuse among teenagers and young adults, ages 18-26 in anything but ambiguous. Based on the data gathered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2013, more than half of the 2.8 million new illicit

Adolescent substance abuse is a major problem in society. There are many risk factors that can contribute to adolescent substance abuse. One of the main risk factors is peer pressure. When adolescents start at a young age there is an increase in health problems, addiction, and over all poor social outcomes. Parental influence has substantial effect on adolescents because the adolescent sees their parents and they learn by their example. Media plays a role in the use of drug and alcohol use among young people. Many school systems have implemented programs that teach adolescents about the problems of substance abuse that is funded

Since the 1970s, government-funded research studies have shown emerging patterns of substance use, misuse and abuse among school-aged adolescents. Studies such as the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), Monitoring the Future (MTF), Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) are intricate research studies that compiles data on the prevalence and long-term effects of substance abuse in and outside of the school setting. Funded and sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Substance

Substances abuse on today’s teens has become one of the main problems in the United State Society. Even though the Juvenile Department Center has create different programs and campaigns to help lower the rate of juveniles abusing substances, it seems hopeless. Now, this problem has directly affected Jane, who’s her son (which is a teen) has become involved with abusing three different substances. To be specific, Jane’s son has been abusing Percocet’s, Alcohol, and Marijuana. Jane has ask this author to provide her with facts in order to help her comprehend and help his son with the problem he has got himself into. Therefore, this paper will explain three things: explain the effects these three substances (Percocet’s, alcohol, marijuana) have on her sons, explain which drugs are addictive and what this means for treatment, and offer her the best treatment option/s for her son.

In 2013, 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or older used an illicit drug in the past month. The increase of illicit drug use mostly reflects the increase in use of marijuana. There were about 19.8 million current users in 2013, up from 14.5 million in 2007. That is a 1.7 percent increase in 2013 from 2007. Its use is more prevalent among males than females – a gender gap that widened in between those years. Data from the 2013-2014 NSDUH (National Survey of Drug Use and Health) research indicates the usage of marijuana among adolescents is about 1 in 14 aged 12 to 17. Rates of marijuana use ranged from 4.98 percent in Alabama to 12.56 percent in Colorado. Of the 10 states with the highest ratings of marijuana usage within adolescents, 5 were in the Northeast, 4 were in the West, and 1 was in the South. Of the 10 states with the lowest ratings of marijuana usage, 5 were in the South, 4 were in the Midwest (including Nebraska), and 1 was in the West. In a study involving 12th grade students, students who were female, with a good home and two parents, or strong religious commitments were less likely to use marijuana and drive, whereas African American children were more likely to use marijuana and drive compared to students of other

It was mid-summer on a beautiful day, where the birds were singing and kids run about here and there. Playing by the playground with my friends and neighbors, I heard a siren. It was all too normal to hear this song of urgency when you live near the highway, but this one was different. It was closer, it was louder, it was outside the towns entrance. People rushed to the site to see what had occurred so close to home. As my group came closer, a white car stare back at us, but it was a stranger’s car, one we were not familiar with, a sigh of relief. Behind that car, another car lies on its hood, flipped and shattered. I heard my friend cried, she screamed to move forward but was held back. Firemen and police officers rushing to pull out two bodies. They were young, younger than we were, one was little girl lying in the ambulance, my friend’s little sister. Only fourteen, her first year in high school, but she was motionless. Her boyfriend, the driver, disoriented, but he was fine, only a scar on the forehead. I found out later my friend, the driver drove drunk and crossed a red light, the oncoming vehicle smashed into the passenger side and little T left us that day.

Substance abuse has a tremendous effect on society. It not only impacts the individual, it affects families, communities and taxpayers. It discriminates against no creed anybody can become a victim to drugs, legal or illegal. According to Matthew David O’Deane, he describes substance abuse as the following: “Substance abuse is the overindulgence in and dependence of a drug or other chemical leading to effects that are detrimental to the individual’s physical and mental health”. Chemical dependency can cause young people to join a gang or maintain their allegiance to the gang because it’s a means of making money to support their habit.

Adolescent substance use or abuse remains number one public health challenge revealing that teenage years is the grave age for the beginning substance use and its implications. Using dangerous substances when the brain is still undergoing development increases addiction and other catastrophic risks among young people. Substance abuse among young people in the metropolitan environments constitutes common syndromes that can greatly affect the individuals, families and societal health. In 2012,

Since 2000, the drug use rate in America has risen to the highest it’s ever been. In a survey done in 2009, 8.7 percent of people age 12 and up said that they used illegal substances within a month of taking the survey, a 9 percent increase since 2008 (Abuse, National Institute on Drug, 2010). This statistic alone is very concerning due to