Drug Abuse And Addiction Among Teenagers

To illustrate the magnitude of the research problem and provide a frame of reference, this section begins with a brief overview of the increased use of pharmaceuticals and prescription drug abuse in the US. The section continues with the relationship between illicit drugs and prescriptions, adolescents’ abuse, personal and social factors; then concludes with the theoretical approach. The Social-Ecological Theory, will be applied in researching prescription drug abuse, possible influences and protective factors in adolescents in relation to prescription drug abuse, to develop focused intervention strategies and educational programs for this population, similar to other substances such as tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana.

Today drugs are considered to be an acceptable social phenomenon by many teenagers. If parents are involved with children on a day-to-day basis, they will more than likely know when the child starts to take drugs because of the big changes going on in their lives. There are many positive alternatives to drugs, so drugs are not the only fun and "cool" things to do (www.nodrugs.com 2).

There are many reasons people misuse or abuse prescription drugs like for instance they think it’s a safer way than to use illegal drugs, they are “not addictive”, or they are easier to acquire than illegal drugs. Approximately 40% of adolescents reported that they thought prescription drugs are much safer to use than illegal drugs, even if they are not prescribed by a doctor (Bukstein and Nquyen). The accessibility to prescription drugs is at a high. People acquire the drugs through diversion which is the most common means of obtaining prescriptions for unintended purposes (Elliott). Diversion is the channeling of prescription drugs from legal use to illegal use (Ford and Watkins). Getting drugs from siblings,

According to Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Study, conducted among high school students, over 70% tried cigarettes, 25% smoke daily for at least a month and over 80% of students have used alcohol at least once5. Many factors impact the likelihood of adolescent substance use. One risk factor for adolescent substance use is perceived ease of access to substances4. Also, the type of substances being used by adolescents varies by geographic location. Students living in rural areas report higher perceived access to alcohol, smoking tobacco, chewing tobacco and steroids while students living in urban areas report higher levels of perceived access to marijuana, cocaine, inhalants, ecstasy, methamphetamine and hallucinogens4. Depression during adolescence is linked to substance abuse. Students who did not have many peers of the same racial/ethnic group in their school reported poorer school attachment, which in turn is related to depressive symptoms3. Positive relationships among peers tend to have an impact on substance use in

Prescription drug abuse is a problem that is not just focused on adults. There has been a substantial rise in prescription drug abuse among teenagers. Teens are abusing prescription drugs for a number of reasons, including to get high, pain treatment, and/or because they think that it will assist them with school work (Coalition against Drug Abuse, 2014). However boys and girls tend to abuse some types of prescription drugs for different reasons. For example, boys are more likely to abuse prescription stimulants to get high, where girls would abuse them to stay alert to study or for weight loss.

The existence of a myriad of social problems among teenagers that both parents and states have to deal with is a factor whose weight ought not to be treated lightly. The increasing level of drug use among the adolescents constitutes one of the ever increasing situations in the society and may, as a matter of fact, be a representation other underlying issues. The level of the situation in the contemporary world, though not discussed as much as it ought to be, has reached alarming levels. There seems to be an increasing predisposition among the use to take the drugs as it's reflected in the escalating trends of drug abuse among this generation of individuals (spooner, 1999). The ever deteriorating levels of this situation coupled with the widespread permissiveness in the society and the absence of attention from appropriate caregivers at different institutions only means that the need to address the problem is paramount. Different avenues of solutions can be applied in reducing the level of the problem and averting the massive negative consequences that come with the phenomena. Dealing with this issue is not a matter of instance as the different parameters of the problems, its causes and possible workable solutions have to be discovered. As such, research on these dynamics is a mandatory undertaking.

The article, Prescription Drug Abuse: An Epidemic Dilemma, explains the significant increase in prescription drugs among youths, and drug-impaired driving. The research was conducted by Robert L. DuPont (it was published in 2010); his research produces useful knowledge since raises awareness of prescription drug abuse. Although the research article displays strengths, it also displays weaknesses.

Prescription drug abuse is an ongoing problem in rural teens. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health suggests that 13% of teens between the ages of 12-17 have experimented with nonmedical prescription drugs at some point in their lives. Researchers have identified several factors linked with nonmedical prescription drug use such as their school enrollment status, history of depression, and a two parent household presence (Gever, 2010).

The purpose of this paper seeks to analyze the effects of prescription drug abuse. In the first article identified the author seeks to identify the differences between peer and parent influence on the misuse of prescription drug as it relates to ethnicity. The second article to be investigation into prescription drug use misuse and drug problems as it pertains to motivational context. The third and final article seeks to education young adults on medical prescription drug use. A parent’s attitudes regarding substance use may help to clarify practical racial/ethnic deviations in prescription drug misuse among teens. The findings add provision to the growing evidence that parents continue to endure a critical part of adolescents '

"Prescription drugs are the number-one drug problem that we face today," says David Rotenberg, executive director of the adolescent treatment center at the nonprofit Caron Foundation. "They are more widely prescribed, more widely available, and more widely abused by adolescents than they have ever been before."(DiConsiglio, 1) Abuse of prescription drugs is one of the fastest growing problems for young adults in the U.S. today. It is a concerning problem because of prescription drug’s widespread availability and little known negative side effects. Prescription drugs are being abused by many young adults and college students. This research

Hannah is a fifteen year old girl who was recently sent to a rehabilitation center for the result of abuse of prescription medication. 6.1 million high school students currently use addictive substances, and like Hannah, 1 in 3 of them are addicted (“National Study Reveals,”2011). Although the number of teens using these drugs are decreasing, the numbers are still dangerously high. Due to it’s high risk of addiction, dangerous consequences, and growing availability, substance abuse among teenagers is a serious trend being presented among all United States adolescence.

Prescription drugs are making parents more overwhelmed than ever before about their teenaged child! Why must they worry so much about their teenaged child? “When you can stop you don’t want to, and when you want to stop, you can’t…” (Davies). This quote signifies that adolescents and adults have the option to quit or not try the drug when being introduced, but when they get started on the drug and they are thinking abouting quitting, they cannot because of the addiction they have on the drug. Each day they try to stay away from the drug, but they are have really bad withdrawals. Middle and high schools should inform parents about the strategies for preventing, recognizing, and addressing prescription drug abuse.

Thesis: There are many contributing factors that can lead to heroin and other drug use among high school students, factors such as, the availability, peer pressure, and socio- economics issues.

During my extensive research, the very first statistic that grasped my attention was found on drugabuse.com. In an article entitled Popular Drugs by Demographic, the following statement was made: “Unfortunately, teenagers make up the largest group of drug users in the country.” (2016) Illegal drugs being used by young people include marijuana (including synthetic), inhalants (hairspray, markers, spray paint, etc.), and bath salts. It is also found that teens have also abused prescription medications such as: pain relievers, tranquilizers, and ADHD medications.

According to Aprile Benner, adolescent is the time on which there is rapid change and development of heightened exploration of identity where socialization moves from the parent to peers. Although substance issues emerge during this stage in one’s life. Furthermore, researchers have found that risk for drug, alcohol use, and related offenses is higher in suburban school, schools with fewer minorities and low income students (Benner, 2015). Students that show depressive symptoms are positively linked to substance use (Benner, 2015). One of the common reasons that adolescents may choose to abuse over the counter drugs(OTC) which may include enhancing cognitive function, reducing pain, sleep problems, feelings of sensation aiding in psychologically coping with stress and negative emotions and finally weight loss (King, 2013). Peers also has substantive influence when it comes to drug use (King,