Dual Diagnosis Paper

This has led many teenagers to switch over to marijuana and by legalizing it the switch to a safer drug would continue and it would also make it cheaper than other illicit drugs. This correlation can be seen with the statistics provided by the NIDA 2011 study. 25% of teens surveyed said they tried marijuana at least once last year and 6.6% of 12th graders admitted to smoking weed daily. Marijuana use has been the highest since 1981, but at the same time cigarette and alcohol usage have reached historic lows. 11.7% of U.S. teens reported having smoked a cigarette in the last 30 days, compared to 12.8 percent in 2010. Also alcohol usage has reduced, the proportion of 8th graders reporting any use of alcohol in the prior 30 days has fallen by about half (from 25% to 13%), among 10th graders by more than one third (from 43% to 27&, and among 12th graders by about one fourth (from 54% to 40%).

From a young age, I have always wanted to understand other people’s thoughts and feelings. As I have grown older, I have grown even more curious about not only understanding people, but learning how to help them. With this guiding me, my future career goal is to become an Occupational Therapist. Occupational Therapists work with a wide variety of people to help them overcome obstacles in their lives in order to achieve a better quality of life. I specifically hope to work with young children, adolescents, and teens who suffer from emotional, mental, or cognitive impairments. This is due to growing up in a family who fostered challenged children, having siblings with their own challenges, and having many young friends who could have benefitted

The crackdown on marijuana distribution encouraged growers to cultivate plants with a higher content of THC, marijuana's active ingredient, so that they could make more money to compensate for the elevated risk of getting arrested. Drug use is highest among people ages 18 to 25. Marijuana use by teenagers is on the rise; with 6.5 percent of 12th-graders using marijuana every day, compared with 5 percent in the mid-2000s, says the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The increase is partially fueled by the perception that “weed” is not an addictive drug. However, of those who use it, 10 percent will become addicted, says A. Thomas McLellan, head of the nonprofit Treatment Research Institute in Philadelphia.

In a study supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, researchers concluded that teen use did not increase in states that have enacted medical cannabis laws. This study covered twenty-four years of data where students between the ages of thirteen to eighteen were anonymously surveyed on their use or non-use of cannabis within the last thirty days. As more states pass medical cannabis legislation, studies into how these laws impact our youth should continue, but increased teen use should no longer be used as an acceptable reason to provide medical cannabis to those who need

For most people, marijuana is an endpoint in drug use and not a “gateway drug.” New evidence suggests that marijuana can even serve as an “exit drug.” Marijuana tested in areas where it is illegal tends to be stronger, because when access to a particular substance is sporadic, risky and limited, both consumers and producers are incentivized to use or sell the higher potency material. When it comes to using by young people, several recent reports have found that in the majority of states that have approved medical marijuana, use among teenagers has

With all of the drugs that are in use, marijuana seems to be the main substance that is obtained and or used among young teens and adults of all ages(Cassandra J. Dorius, Stephen J. Bahr, John P. Hoffmann and Elizabeth Lovelady

On drugabuse.gov (2015), they show that “In 2014, 21.2 percent of high school seniors had used marijuana in the past 30 days, whereas only 13.6 percent had smoked cigarettes” (para. 9). That statistic alone should make someone think about the problems that youth face. It is easy to say that certain kids are troublemakers. Without the proper attention, motivation and guidance that can be true for some kids, but for the most part it is preventable. Simply put, when youth are busy doing extra activities such as sports they do not have time for the bad activities. Logan (2015) stated “teens, who during times of hormonal changes and challenging social relationships can benefit from the stability of having constant teammates, a trustworthy coach and a focus on something outside of themselves”. By surrounding the youth with good positive friends and role models, they are set up for success. Action and responsibility is necessary when the discussion is about tomorrows

Drugs are now apart of everyday lives, and we must not let it taint the people that will be leading the future. In a survey conducted in 2010, “24.2% of eighth graders, 46.1% of tenth graders, and 63.4% of twelfth grade students…” used drugs. These include, “...marijuana, inhalants, hallucinogens, and steroids”.

Students who become addictive to these substances are more likely to drop out of school, as they lose interest for academic achievement. They miss classes, get poor grades and show discipline problems. According to research by Williams, Johnson, Williams T.R, Saunders, and Nebbitt (2007), “students with lower grades were five times more likely to report marijuana use” (p. 2). Once they are on drugs; they do not care about the academic opportunities. They do not aspire to graduate from school and go to college. The lose scholarship opportunities because “adolescents who drop out of school are more likely to be involved in substance use than are those who complete” (Williams et al., 2007). Also, they have difficulties with memory and concentration. Williams et al., states that “educational statistics report that 48.9% of all African American students entering ninth grade do not graduate on schedule or drop out” (2007, p. 9). Substance abuse ruins the lives of students. They take many wrong decisions and prefer the street and easy

According to a study performed at the University of Michigan, 36.4% of teenagers smoked marijuana before reaching their junior year in high school. Those who haven’t smoked it before claim that their peers who do use marijuana pressure them to partake in smoking it with them in a social setting. Secondly, people who smoke cigarettes on a day-to-day life are more likely to smoke illegal drugs. For many teenagers, smoking marijuana is a way to fight against anxiety, depression or boredom. Nevertheless, consuming drugs is just a method to avoid problems, and ignoring these issues only exasperates the problems in their lives.

After enrolling in medical school, I had firsthand experience in dealing with the pediatric problems and interacting with their parents. As a pediatrician, it’s just not the patients but the parents of the child that you have to deal with. Working as a medical officer after medical school, I saw many pediatric cases. I am currently pursuing an observership at the Children Hospital of Orange County, Orange. The diversity and multiplicity of interesting cases intrigued me on the complexity of the subject. where I regularly see a variety of patients from different socio-cultural backgrounds.. through which I conducted research and presented Grand Rounds on efficacy of mental health outreach in religious settings. I also joined the Association of Medicine and Psychiatry and submitted multiple reviews in its online journal club. These academic and research endeavors exposed me to the

The next growing issue that seems to be occurring all over the U.S. is teenagers and smoking weed, chewing tobacco, smoking cigarettes, and participating in other harmful drug use. Teenagers can start using drugs for multiple reasons. Many try drugs out of curiosity, to party and have a good time, pressure put on by their friends, to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. The use doesn’t typically lead to an addiction and there is no way to tell the amount of uses it takes for a person to get addicted to a substance. That varies from person to person. The use of any drug can become problematic. The most popular drug that is used by teenagers today is marijuana. According to NIDA's 2012 monitoring the Future study; about 6.5 percent of 8th graders, 17.0 percent of 10th graders, and 22.9 percent of 12th graders had used marijuana in the month before the survey ("Marijuana"). The use of marijuana daily is also becoming an increasing problem. In 2012, 6.5 percent of 12th graders reported using marijuana daily, compared to 5.1 percent in 2007. Marijuana affects

For example, colleagues and Eaton found that among high school students, the number of risk behaviors has increased their likelihood of drug addiction and the experience of its down-spiraling effects. For several decades, the literature on adolescents has shown concern about health risks behavior in which teenagers engage. The drug used the most for boys is Marijuana, and the drug used the most for girls is tobacco. In high school, the excuse “Marijuana is not bad for you at all’ tends to be used frequently and this logic is false; Marijuana is bad for you, and so is tobacco. Marijuana has short-term effects that include having poor memory and

While religion and pressure to perform a religious life often work to dissuade teenagers from using drugs, teenagers frequently use discreetly. Drug use among teenagers is widespread, primarily to ease mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, and to enjoy themselves (“Why do adolescents take drugs?”) . These disorders are prevalent among teenagers due to changing hormones, school, and other factors. However, the reality is that drugs such as marijuana actually increase depressive and anxious symptoms, especially later in life (“Mental Health and Marijuana”). Recreational drugs are condemned by religious communities, but this does not ensure that teenagers will abstain- rather, it

Alcohol and marijuana are both depressants and the use is a growing concern in today’s youth by parents, educators, and medical professionals. Cannabis is the most common illicit drug used by adolescence, while alcohol is the leading cause of death in the adolescent years. American society frowns upon the use of any illicit drugs at any age, while alcohol is restricted under 21 because both substances interfere with the memory and learning in the critical learning period. Marijuana is illegal, therefore, being caught with cannabis is much worse than being caught with alcohol while underage. Marijuana also tends to leave a strong odor, which can easily draw attention to authorities. Many teens tend to think that alcohol use has more consequences than marijuana use and therefore view marijuana use as safer than drinking. The decline in teens’ perception of marijuana’s harmfulness could be linked to an increase in medical marijuana dispensaries and the ongoing debate about the medical benefits and legalization of marijuana. Also, in multiple forms of media, the consumption of alcohol is portrayed more often than references of illicit drugs. For example, of the top 200 popular films, 93% portrayed alcohol consumption while 22%referenced illicit drugs.