Drugs & Alcohol Among Young People

There is no doubt that there is a prevalence of substance abuse throughout several age groups. To a certain extent, a society is faced with the reality of controlling substance abuse. Or allow it run rampant throughout the community. Often times, we hear and read about the level of substance abuse among teen, young adults and mid-aged

This leads to a bigger problem for our youth, where 81% of OTC drug abusers also end up using marijuana and hallucinogens (King 68). Over a million arrests are made every year for

Millions of people throughout the world are taking drugs on a daily basis. If you were to ask someone why they take prescription drugs, most people would be taking them for the right reason. However, it’s estimated that twenty percent of people in the United States alone have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons.1 Prescription drug abuse is a serious and growing problem that often goes unnoticed. Abusing these drugs can often lead to addiction and even death. You can develop an addiction to certain drugs that may include: narcotic painkillers, sedatives, tranquilizers, and stimulants.1 Prescription drugs are the most common abused category of drugs, right next to marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and

Underage drinking is very common in the United States. Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug in the United States, even more so than illicit drugs (Marijuana, Cocaine, etc…) and tobacco. “In 2012 the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 24% of youth aged 12 to 20 years drink alcohol and 15% reported binge drinking. In 2013, the Monitoring the Future Survey reported that 28% of 8th graders and 68%

This policy was enforced because a statistic was made; that between 2011 and 2012, an estimated 8.9% of adults used an illegal drug. And 19.3% of young people aged between 16 and 24 also used an illegal drug. Drug misuse has a negative effect on the health, wellbeing and quality of life of too many people. It also drains public resources. Crimes related to drugs cost the UK £13.3 billion every year.

Why are medications like cocaine, marijuana and heroin illicit? Cocaine, Maryjane and heroin are unlawful on the grounds that a great many people imagine that these controlled substances are just too unsafe for anybody to utilize. They the impacts of these substances demolish the body and psyche so gravely and rapidly that nobody ought to attempt them. We have law against medication is so that the individuals who use unsafe medications are putting themselves at a high hazard. They chance their wellbeing and their lives. Since they are infringing upon laws they additionally however themselves at the danger of getting captured. They hazard their flexibility and their future just for medications. Every year medication utilization is the reason for countless at home in the workplace and out and about. Everyone pays the cost of medication misuse: more cops also, detainment facilities more hospitals and treatment focuses and

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,

Amongst those who become addicted to misusing their drugs and people readily taking advantage of this situation, there is an irrefutable and profitable market. Due to the growing accessibility and faulty restrictions on prescriptions, almost anyone can acquire opioids, and there is a large population of patients that sell their medication rather than use it. An article by Celine Gouder entitled “Who Is Responsible for the Pain-Pill Epidemic?” reports her experience with a cancer patient. According to Gouder, her patient "was selling his prescription narcotics to help support his wife and himself," and when hospitalized, overdosed when his medicine was actually administered to him. Though the legality of sharing, trading, and selling prescription medication is heavily restricted, the penalties for doing so are almost never applied, which fosters growth in these illegal activities. According to the CDC’s “Prescribing Data,” on opioid overdose:

Due to how high the drinking age is teens have started to turn away from drinking and have become interested in other dangerous substances and drugs. A study found in the US states that after the drinking age was increased from 19 to 21, 22% of students reported that “they are going to take drugs.” Teens are always trying to show off to their friends how cool they are by taking these substances and drugs which will just lead them to an unhappy live in prison and or a rehab

Again this is a perfect example of the social learning theory. No parent should want their child and or children exposed to drugs for any reason whatsoever. If the parents have friends who come over and use drugs in the house where the children are, then that is just as bad as the parents doing it themselves. A parent’s job is to protect their children at all times regardless.

Despite its decline throughout the '80s, drug use has been rising since 1992.  While, 13 million people use some illicit drug each year (5 percent of the U.S. population), over 37 percent of Americans have used drugs at one time or another, despite their illegal status.  Use among twelfth graders increased between 27 percent and 40 percent between 1992 and 1997.2    15,000 people died of drug abuse in 1998, compared to roughly 400,000 from smoking and 100,000 from alcohol.3   What's more, a significant number of drug overdoses are the result of poor quality drugs - often poisoned in the process of dealers maximizing profit by diluting and substituting ingredients.  There has never been one recorded death from the use of marijuana.

There are a tremendous amount of drugs around the country, that are being abused and illegal used. Some of the major drugs that have been abused for decades, and still are being abused today, are heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. Most of these drugs are the cause of many deaths among the various communities. Whether it was an overdose or violence to get the drug. According to Sanders, marijuana is the most preferred drug to almost all of current drug users (981).

In present time, recreational drug use in the United States has become a widely recognized topic that has generated a large amount of research over the years, which makes it a topic well worth discussing. Statistical findings show distinct trends that reveal important information on not only the types of drugs being abused, but

Even though people need their prescriptions, the abuse of them is getting out of control and we need to find a way to regulate it better,because it can destroy a family, cause some to become addicted, or even kill them. Prescription drugs are no joke, they can be worse than illegal drugs like marijuana, cocaine, and even heroin. The only difference is a doctor can prescribe these types of drugs. The problem we run into with prescription drugs is there is not enough being done to keep the person from becoming addicted or them selling to others. In 2007 2.5 million Americans abused just painkillers (Drug free world). That is not even including the other two types. Now it is starting to affect teens, one out of every ten teenagers admit to abusing a prescribed drug(Drug-free world).

Drug use in the United States has increased for the past few years. A report conducted by Tobias Salinger from NY Daily News, in 2013 an estimated 24.6 million Americans age 12 or older 9.4 percent of the population had us an illicit drug in the past month. The increase is due to the increase of marijuana use, because it is so common. Marijuana use has increased since 2007. In 2013, the number of current users ager 12 or older was 1.5 million; however, this number is lower than 2002, to 2007 ranging from 2.0 million to 2.4 million. (Tobias Salinger, NY Daily News)