Alcohol, Smoking and Drugs

A recent study from Yale University suggests that drug is a development disorder, one that affects teens in particular. The reason for this is certain areas of teens brains that control impulsive behavior are not fully formed. During adolescence, the human brain begins to release more chemicals affiliated with new experiences and the desire to repeat them. Areas of the brain that adults use to think about the risks of behaviors are still developing in teens. The bottom line is this, teenagers are more likely to experiment with drugs than any other age group.

Adolescence is a time where adolescents grow and mature at a rapid rate. It is also a time where adolescents are more vulnerable to taking risks, such as using and becoming addicted to illegal substances, due to raging hormones. Whether or not an adolescent chooses to engage in drug use and abuse depends on their home environment and those they choose to associate themselves with. Adolescents are confronted with an enormous amount of pressure to participate in risky behaviors by their peers. According to Broderick and Blewitt (2015), “risky behaviors are behaviors that constitute a departure from socially accepted norms or behaviors that pose a threat to the well-being of individuals or groups” (p. 389). One such risky behavior is drug use and addiction. Some adolescents use cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and prescription drugs in order to get “high”. Adolescents who engage in drug use are likely to become addicted, and thus, their addiction will negatively affect their brain development.

These numbers reveal that teenagers face an apparent exposure to drugs, and have little trouble getting a hold of some if desired. This article concludes that drug use and its consequences are not stressed enough in the current high school curriculum. The statistics prove that more needs to be done to identify and educate students at risk for drug use.

Drugs can result in teens not doing well in school, which can lead to lower academic opportunities and career options.

Today’s teenagers are more prone to drug abuse because they see it as a way of rebellion. Author Tiana Rosenberg stated on 2012 that more and more teens are smoking each year because it is considered cool. It’s a form of teenage rebellion, the carelessness and disobeying adults. Teens think they are invincible and overweigh the pleasures of doing drugs over the risks. Part of the brain dealing with making decisions are still developing (Moore

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.

In the last year over a million teens in America alone between the ages 12-17 met the criteria for substance abuse and addiction. Teens should be made aware of the effects of drugs. There are ways to teach teenagers the negative effects of drugs. Such as, fiction novels.

Children and teenagers also face dangers when they use drugs, often beginning to experiment with drugs in grade school. According to a recent USA Today article, children between the ages of 12 and 17 who use marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol are 266 times more likely to use cocaine than those who do not use those three substances. Children who use drugs learn less, are absent from school more often, quit school more frequently,

Research done by Bilchek and Crowe (1998) concludes that there are a host of problems that can arise when using prescription and illegal drugs. The most common problems that can arise have to do with academics, physical and mental health and delinquency (Bilchek and Crowe 1998). When students begin experimenting with illegal and prescription drugs, it can cause a destructive ripple effect in their lives. Beginning with academics, students that abuse illegal drugs may begin to have declining grades, a lack of motivation, and skip class more often. When students are concentrated on getting the next high, they will lose the motivation to study and keep up their grades. It could even escalate as far as skipping class or dropping out. This leads to poor performance and a downward spiral effect. If an individual becomes more concerned with the next high or rush he or she gets than their education, they will be unfortunately more likely to drop out. As a result of dropping out, the only option as a source of income is to find a low paying job to pay for the addiction that will inevitably form and be difficult to overcome. Not only will substance abuse have an effect on one’s academic career, but their physical and mental state as well. When an individual is under the influence, their ability to make suitable choices is considerably hindered. This can lead to injuries from

According to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, tobacco use in America starts during youth and young adulthood. 88% of adults who smoke tobacco said that they began smoking or using tobacco products before the age of 18. The use of tobacco products causes many deathly body affects such as lung cancer and heart diseases. Another substance that is popular among youth is the drug called marijuana. In America, over 10% of people ages twelve to seventeen smoke marijuana. Some of these users smoke almost every day. Although marijuana has started to become used for medical purposes, there are still negative side effects for people of such young ages. For example, since marijuana goes directly to the bloodstream it affects brain functions and learning abilities, coordination, as well as judgment. Despite the fact that the amount of youth using drugs is still higher than most Americans want it to be, in earlier decades it was much worse. During the 1980’s over fourteen percent of youth were using just marijuana. Those youth were also using drugs like cocaine, meth, and tobacco products. During the 1980’s, the percentage of youth in prison began to rise. A study was conducted to see how many of these children in jail used drugs before their arrests and from these tests, it was observed that over 56% of them used drugs. The reason for such a high percentage in youth is that drug dealers and drug users began to target schools. Students would be

One fact from the source was that “Teenage drug abuse is one of the major international concerns that we are facing today. There are various reasons why teenagers begin using drugs. For many teenagers, getting high on drugs is their way of getting into the “in crowd.” As a result, teenage drug abuse is often rooted in the concept of social acceptance.” This fact is important because it explicitly explains the possible reason behind the behavior of drug abuse. Another fact is that “Teenage drug abuse may also be rooted in the concept of testing oneself. There is a fallacy floating around that if you are not able to handle drugs, then you are weak. Given this, teenagers begin using drugs in an effort to prove themselves. Many times teens take more and more of a drug to try to impress their peers. At a party, a teen may take repeated hits off a bong amid the cheers of their friends. With this level of support and praise from friends, teens often feel good about themselves, leading them to repeat this behavior.” This fact is important because it brings how social status and popularity could also be a major factor. My last fact is that “If a teen’s parents or other immediate family members have struggled with abuse and addiction, it increases the likelihood of the teen developing a substance abuse issue as well.” This fact is also important because it shows how it can be spread through family genes and that it has been a major problem for many generations. My third source speaks about a certain branch of drug abuse popular in teens called

Among adolescents aged 12 to 17 years, 9.8 % are estimated to be current users of illicit drugs, with 4.9 % using drugs other than marijuana. Nearly three quarters of students have started to drink alcohol and nearly half (47%) have tried using an illicit drug (not including alcohol or tobacco) by the senior year of high school.” (Hassan, Harris, Sherritt, Van Hook, & Brooks, 2009)

The teenage years can be some of the most confusing times in a person’s life. During these years of life, one may begin to experiment with risky choices such as turning to drugs and alcohol for means of fun. What he does not know at that point, is this “harmless fun” can turn into a severe, life-long problem if he is not careful. Youth who are exposed to drugs and alcohol are not only susceptible to the health risks that come with using them, but are also put in a position to become addicted to the substances.

There are many consequences and other issues that comes with teenage drug abuse. Abusing drugs at an early age can affect your brain in many ways. Drugs interfers with the nuerons in the brain that usually sends, recieves, and processes information. As years pass in abusing drugs, it will later cause addiction. Addiction is a horrible brain disease in which people can not stop using drugs, even when they really want to stop.

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.