Causes Of Adolescent Drug Abuse

Stress and weight control among teens are some other reasons why they use drugs, smoke cigarettes, or drink alcohol (Teen Detox, 1). “Younger Children, at eight-grade level and below, are at a greater risk, because their personalities haven’t developed well enough, and the aren’t mature enough to know how to handle altered states of consciousness. As with any drug, the younger the age of first use, the higher the risk” (Dr. Larry Chait, Teen Addiction, 64).

Three decades from now, T.L.O., a student at a New Jersey High School was caught smoking in a school restroom, and was brought to the assistant principal’s office. The 14-years-old teenager denied smoking, so the assistant principal persisted in searching her purse and found cigarettes, and rolling paper which is associated with marijuana (T.L.O. vs. New Jersey). Nothing has changed since then. If you look a little closer, you can see teenagers lying around doing drugs here and there. They are no longer determined to succeed in life; instead all they can think about is where the next supply of cocaine will come from. What has our future come to? Research done by scientists and other professionals provide evidence that substance abuse by teenagers is an ever-growing problem due to teen’s poor judgement, it’s irreparable damage, and inability to compete with drug addiction.

A teenager’s brain and body is still developing, which makes them more acceptable to the harmful effects of drug use. The early use of abuse

A few of the many reasons why people begin to take drugs is because of sensation-seeking, social conformity, or the fact that they are just curious. Substance abuse has been a common concern among specifically, the younger population. Adolescents and young adults are more easily influenced by society and other factors because their brains are not fully developed yet. Science explains, “By 18–20 years old, most of the subcortical white matter and association pathways have reached a plateau. Risk-taking behavior and novelty-seeking may provide, with an appropriate feedback, a mechanism to optimize brain development in adolescence” (Adolescent Brain Development, Risk-taking and Vulnerability to Addiction). By the early twenties, people will begin to realize the consequences that follow while engaging in risky behavior and will less likely do it.

There should be parental control over prescription medications for any child under eighteen years of age. A teenager that is undergoing surgery or might have slight ADHD should not be prescribed addictive medication without a parent. There are young people across Mississippi that have accidentally overdosed on prescription drugs and died. According to Autumn Grooms, “Some teen get-togethers, known as “pharming parties”, have a cover charge of pills that are placed in a large bowl creating “trail mix” (Grooms). This means teenagers are taking multiple pills at the same time, possibly causing a sever chemical reaction or worse, death. Autumn also says, “If teenagers are abusing pharmaceuticals or over-the-counter medications, parents should be able to identify it before it is too late” (Grooms). Parents should be the first people to spot if their child is acting strange in any way. The parents might notice changes in the teen’s behavior, mood, or friends.

A drug is a substance that alters the mind, body or both. Drug use is an increasing problem among teenagers in colleges today. Most drug use begins in the preteen and teenage years, the years most crucial in the maturation process (Shiromoto 5). During these years adolescents are faced with difficult tasks of discovering their self identity, clarifying their sexual roles, assenting independence, learning to cope with authority 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

Doesn’t matter what age, drugs are going to be used and abuse. From the time we are born, till the day we die, prescription drugs are prescribed for doctor approved use. Most prescription drugs are given to help control a disease, an imbalance, sickness, etc. With teenage drug abuse on the rise in most US high schools, it has become a problem parents are facing amongst their children. Being a parent to a teenager who has meddled with prescription drugs has been an unbelievable eye opener. Teens know who they get these drugs from; fellow students, friends, their parents cabinets, etc. Educating parents and discussing the risks with teens about the effects prescription drugs can cause is important to helping

Drug abuse is a pressing issue many adolescents face in America. Teenage brains are not developed enough to the point where completely rational decision making is possible. We as a society must find a better way to inform students so that they can make wiser decisions regarding recreational drug use.

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

the incident of drug abuse, especially in adolescents, has become a major public health concern. Like other drugs, opioid analgesic abuse majority is concentrated in adolescent and the youth. Also, it is more debatable in adolescent period because of unclear long-lasting effects of future addiction. For instance, early initiate of drug abuse has been determined to raise the risk of addiction in the future and these trends are due in part to susceptibility associated with adolescence. Adolescence is defined as a gentle change and shift from childhood to adulthood and the process of continuous "soft event". Therefore, it is difficult to define the exact time onset and offset of adolescence. Adolescence is characterized by behavior

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 development that takes place during the first eighteen years of life is essential in determining how one will handle going on each day. Traveling through these phases, individuals develop coping skills, critical thinking, problem solving, social skills and much more. The adolescent years are most crucial in preparing them for adulthood or college life because it is the skills, emotions and mentality they experience here, that will follow them into adulthood. Unfortunately, the effects that substance use has on the developing teenage brain can also carry over into adulthood and the rest of their life. With recent moves to legalize marijuana, we can expect to see an increase in cannabis use among teens due to increased availability, greater

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

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.

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