Substance Abuse Among Adolescent Youth Within Canada

The cost of substance abuse in Canada is astronomical. According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA), in 2002 alcohol accounted for about $14.6 billion and illegal drugs for about $8.2 billion in social cost (Single, Robertson, Rehm, & Xie, 2002). This cost was measured in terms of the burden on health care and law enforcement, and productivity in the workplace or home. Arguably, the greatest cost may be immeasurable: human suffering and tragic loss of lives. This suffering is not limited to only of those wrestling with these problems, but extends those around them: family, friends, co-workers and society as a whole.

Driving while intoxicated persists to be a major problem amongst teenage drivers. Although there are many precautions taken in order to prevent this type of activity, whether by the school, media or parents’, teens proceed to place themselves into these very high risk situations. These persistent behaviors drive us to look further into why teens partake in this type of activity or better yet what and who is influencing this age group. As asked by the principal I will attempt to explain this behavior using several theories

The widespread feeling today is that there are more troubled teenagers than it was in the past, the increase of gangs, drugs, and guns will continue to be a social problem. Youth gangs are increasingly becoming a minority problem, and this trend is likely to increase in years to come, the drugs choices of juvenile may change in the future but that don’t mean it will be less of a problem than it is now, their choice of drugs today is cocaine and methamphetamine. Juveniles will continue to drink alcohol, and there is no reason to believe that the use of alcohol will be less of a problem than at present.

Substance abuse isn’t a new thing. Long ago since the start of human history, people have looked for ways to alter our consciousness with the use of herbs, alcohol and drugs.

Drinking and driving is one of the biggest social issues for teens across the United States. Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after consuming alcohol is a very dangerous thing no matter what age you are. However, teens do not think about the consequences of drinking and driving until it is already too late. Many things contribute to this growing problem of teen drinking and driving. First, there is a lack of education about drinking and driving in schools today. Next, peer pressure is difficult for many teens to resist. Finally, the access that teens have to alcohol and to vehicles is not monitored. According to blah blah study, 000% of high school students admit

(Greg Monforton, Statistics). People between the ages of 19-24 account for the majority of impaired driving accidents. In fact, more 19 year olds are killed or suffer from impaired driving accidents than any other age group. It is clear that skill and their level of maturity. Now you have to wonder, who exactly is causing these accidents? Being a male is already a major problem, in fact 87% of fatally injured impaired drivers are male. Also, summer time is considered the “peak” season for impaired driving, summertime accounts for 40%. Another factor is the time of week, as one can assume, the weekend hold the majority of impaired driving cases. Similarly, the majority of these accidents happen at night. The statistics say enough, one who is over .10% BAC is 51% likely to get into a collision. (Greg Monforton, Statistics). Motor vehicle collisions are the major cause of death for 15-25 year olds. Many of these statics are based on the use of alcohol, but there is also marijuana and distracted driving that plays a major role in car collisions. Canadians that are between the ages of 15-25 have the largest cannabis use in the

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

Persistent substance abuse among youth is often accompanied by an array of problems, including academic difficulties, health-related consequences, poor peer relationships, mental health issues, and involvement with the juvenile justice system. There are also significant consequences for family members, the community, and society in

The results of the government’s efforts to assimilate Aboriginal people throughout Canada’s history has effected multiple generations of families and continues to have devastating effects on First Nations communities today.

Another concern is the behavior of adolescent binge drinkers. In other research it is shown that binge drinkers were more likely to engage in risky driving, such as speeding, running yellow lights, racing other cars, and passing in no passing lanes (Marcotte, T. D., Bekman, N. M., Meyer, R. A., & Brown, S. A. (2012). They also participate more in distractive activities that take their focus away from the road such as changing the station or music on the car stereo system and texting or dialing on their cell phones. In order to reduce the fatalities associated with adolescents and driving under the influence, Graduate Driver Licensing has been implemented in several U.S. States. With the use of Graduated Driver Licensing this would help lower the percentage of fatal crashes by way of new drivers being required to

Considering that many teens are drinking illegally and also choosing to drive, many teens in our nation are lacking maturity. In Dying of Acceptance it states, “Alcohol abuse is involved in almost thirty percent of all academic problems, and about one-third of all emotional difficulties. A study done by the Nemours foundation found that teens who drink alcohol regularly are more likely to have problems in school, try drugs, and be delinquent” (Esherick 60). In addition to this fact, American teens show more likelihood to develop long-term alcoholism. Alcohol, like certain other drugs, is relatively easy to acquire. Some might even feel that alcohol is better than other drugs due to its easy accessibility. “Alcohol, like nicotine, is a gateway to later use of drugs” (Esherick 64). Gateway drugs are truly a gateway to trouble. Teens are more susceptible to the influence of drugs. If drugs are taken in the teenage years, it's likely that the teen will become addicted to the substances with little continuation. This shows how dangerous drugs can be and how a legal drug can be just as dangerous as an illegal drug. Drug use can result in highly delinquent behavior. Alone, drug use can create unwanted tensions. Young adults who use alcohol are not in the best state of mind, and will often influence the younger adolescents. Juvenile delinquency is commonly defined as general misbehavior involving children under the age of eighteen;

Adolescent substance abuse is a phenomenon in our country that has been steadily inclining ever since the 2000’s. The effects of this incline are very straight forward and call for action. The facts are that alcohol and drugs are the leading causes of crime among youth and that alcohol and drugs are the leading factors in teenage suicide. (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc., 2014) Because adolescence is such a crucial developmental age the effects of alcohol and drug use are catastrophic. To fully understand this phenomenon we must firs operationalize all of the factors we are trying to study. The DSM V classifies substance abuse as,

Adolescent substance abuse is a major problem in society. There are many risk factors that can contribute to adolescent substance abuse. One of the main risk factors is peer pressure. When adolescents start at a young age there is an increase in health problems, addiction, and over all poor social outcomes. Parental influence has substantial effect on adolescents because the adolescent sees their parents and they learn by their example. Media plays a role in the use of drug and alcohol use among young people. Many school systems have implemented programs that teach adolescents about the problems of substance abuse that is funded

The severity of this dependence varies between individuals. Roughly 4% of the Canadian population, over the age of 15, are suffering from an alcohol dependency or are alcoholics. The highest percentage of these drinking problems are among people between the ages of 20 and 24. Roughly one fifth of Canada’s alcoholics have admitted that financial and job-related problems have been caused by their drinking (“Alcohol in Canada,” 2016).

          Alcohol is the most widely used drug among youth. It causes serious and potentially life-threatening problems for this population. Research indicates that drinking is associated with risk-taking and sensation-seeking behavior among adolescents. Alcohol has disinhibiting effects that may increase the likelihood of unsafe activities.In 1997, 21 percent of the young drivers 15 to 20 years old who were killed in crashes were intoxicated. For young drivers, alcohol involvement is higher among males than among females. In 1997, 25 percent of the young male drivers involved in fatal crashes had been drinking at the time of the crash, compared with 12 percent of the young female drivers