Substance Abuse Prevention On Adolescents

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,

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

Adolescence, usually defined as individuals between the ages of 12 and 20, is a period of transition, brain development and challenges1, 2, 3. Adolescence is the peak time to engage in risk taking behaviors2. Substance use is a common occurrence among adolescents. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse has identified adolescent substance use as one of the United States’ top public health concerns4. In fact, an individual’s chance of becoming a cigarette smoker drastically declines if smoking is not initiated by the time the individual is 18 years old. Alcohol and Marijuana are the most commonly used substances among adolescents1,2,3. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Study, the Center for Antisocial Drug Dependence, Monitoring the

According to James A. Hall and Douglas C. Smith, substance abuse among adolescents is an enormous societal problem that we need to develop high quality and cost-effective treatment options for. Substance abuse problems during adolescence poses many risks for the future. Adolescents who use are more likely to have addictions as adults. They are also more likely to face delays in normal adult roles, such as relationships, employment, and education (Hall and Smith, 2007).

Drugs can Long lasting effects on the developing brain and may interfere with family, positive peer relationships and school performances. Most adults develop a substance use disorders report having started drug use in adolescence or young adulthood, so it is important to identify and intervene in drug use early. Adolescents can benefit from a drug abuse intervention even if they are not addicted to a drug. Substance use disorders range from problematic use to addiction and can be treated successfully at any age. For young people, any drug use , is cause for concern, as it exposes them to dangers from the drug and associated with the risky behaviors and may lead to more drug use in the future. Parents and other adults should monitor young people and not underestimate the significance of what may appear as isolated instances of drug taking. Routine annual medication visits are an opportunity to ask adolescent about drug use. Standardized screening tools are available to help pediatricians, dentist ,emergency room doctors psychiatrist, and other clinician determinants and adolescent level of involvement in tobacco, alcohol, and illicit and nonmedical prescription drug use. When an adolescent reports substance use, the health care provider can assess its severity and either provide an onsite brief intervention or refer the teen to a substance abuse treatment program. Legal interventions and sanctions or family pressure may play an important role in getting adolescents to enter stay in, and complete treatment. Adolescents with substance use disorders rarely feel they need treatment and almost never seek it on their own. Research shows that treatment can work even if it is mandated can work even if it entered into unwillingly. Substance use disorders treatment should be trailered to the unique needs of the adolescent. Treatment planning begins with a comprehensive assessment to

My project “Addiction Prevention” was intended to provide information to parents regarding the dangers of drug use among teens in our community, and to encourage parents to become aware of the hazards using illicit substances. I began by providing a survey to current middle school students regarding the use of illicit substances on our campus. This wasn't my first choice of how to start. I wanted to create a presentation informing our community of the top five most consumed drugs in America, that would inform teens about the dangers that alcohol or drugs possess. Then later on, my adviser and I realized that it would be more effective if I present information to parents regarding the use and availability of illicit substances using information provided by students through an anonymous survey. The purpose of giving students a survey was to enlighten parents about the realities of drug use among young students, what the students’ perceptions are about drug use, and to hopefully start a dialogue between parents and students. Doing the survey on April 8 through Google Docs using questions like “Do you think think your school is drug free?”, would help me generate stats and percentages with the intention of making parents aware of how vulnerable their child is to drugs and alcohol, and how dangerous it could be in long term and short term.

Substance abuse has become a notable public health threat to today’s adolescents. Substance abuse is associated with an array of behavioral and psychological consequences that can jeopardize the future of the young people. Lifelong dependence is another possible consequence of drug abuse among adolescents. Ultimately, counselors are supposed to come up with effective programs to address addiction issues among the adolescents to prevent them from relying on drugs in future. Counselors rely on direct counselling, group counselling, community collaborations and parent participation to make a difference in the lives of adolescents abusing drugs. Nonetheless, counseling adolescents with substance abuse is challenging and in order to make a difference, counselors must be prepared to handle those challenges.

The use and abuse of substances can have a big impact on children and adolescents. It comes with various negative health affects. The use of alcohol and other drugs can affect the development of adolescents’ brains in ways like decreased performance in cognitive tasks like memory, attention and spatial skills as well as compromised quality of white matter in the brain. Using alcohol and other substances that alter the brain function can result in an increased risk of serious drug use later on in life, failure in school, and poor judgments that can result in

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.

Research shows the young adolescents who are exposed before 14 years of ages are more likely to develop dependence or addiction to the substance used. Another primary protective prevention method is by good and strict parenting. Parents should be able to monitor their child’s activities or influences to prevent experimentation of substances and also strong close family bonds (Ford, 2016). Support from the family members is very critical in the preventive precautions of a child. Because again one of the major factors that lead to substance about starts at home. Parents must be present throughout the childhood years to guide and orient the child.

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

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.

The abuse of drugs and alcohol has been a known issue over past decades. The media paints the picture that alcohol and drug use is fun and the only way to have a good time. While alcohol in moderation is fine, many people find themselves going over board and abusing it. Elicit drugs like cocaine and heroin are highly addictive and have several adverse effects. People find themselves depressed and anxious so they ultimately try to use these drugs to mask the pain instead of getting help for their problems. This reoccurring cycle affects the family system as a whole unit not just the individual. It is our jobs as educators to help educate parents in order to help children who are suffering from these alcohol or drug use effects. Children are the innocent victims in this sequence because they have no way of putting a stop to this vicious cycle.

There are several implications to possible solutions because previous research involving the use of pharmacotherapy with adolescents did not show a satisfactory ratio between potential benefits and risks caused by the treatment (Kaminer and Marsch 164). However, Kaminer and Marsch suggest investigating new substances that could be used to complement the behavioral therapy of adolescents who suffer from drug abuse because it could increase the success rates of treatments (180). Although ethical principles must regulate research and treatments of adolescents who suffer from drug abuse, Kaminer and Marsch suggest using the same therapeutic approach for pharmacotherapy among adults because adolescents could potentially benefit from the same approach while keeping risks at the minimum (180).