Teenage Drug Abuse : A Wide Variety Of Social Influences, Stressful Events, And Mental Disorders

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.

Teenagers abuse a variety of drugs, both legal and illegal. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry names the following as the legal drugs that teens experiment with: alcohol, prescription medications, inhalants (fumes from glues, aerosols, and solvents) and over-the-counter cough, cold, sleep, and diet medications. The most commonly used illegal drugs according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry are: marijuana (pot), stimulants (cocaine, crack, and speed), LSD, PCP, opiates, heroin, and designer drugs such as Ecstasy. These drugs are all dangerous and have serious consequences associated with them. Some of the negative consequences associated with teen drug use are: a higher risk for

In “Drugs in Schools: Myths and Realities,” Peter Venturelli (2000) discusses the reasons as to why many students and young adults turn to drugs and how the increase rate in drugs encouraged schools to adopt a policy on them. It is evident that there has been an increase in the use of licit and illicit drugs among teenagers in the United States. According to Venturelli (2000), drugs are defined as “any substance that modifies body functions.” With that being said, drugs can affect an individual’s perception of reality through their attitude, personality, and behavior. The article reports an increase of drug use from teenagers aged 12 to 17 and indicates the rate has increased from “11.7 percent in 1992 to 18.0 percent in 1995” (Venturelli, 2000). As the public became aware of the results, many schools decided to implement a policy of zero tolerance for drugs for safety and education purposes. For example, drugs can create problems for students because it can affect their thinking, which can hinder their education. In addition, researchers realized that education on drugs and TV advertisements, has had little to no effects for frequent drug users (Venturelli, 2000). Venturelli (2000) thoroughly discusses the reasons as to why teenagers turn to drugs for help. Individuals between the ages of 13 through 18, also known as adolescents, experience changes as they begin to discover the world around them. Adolescents bodies begin to change as they go through puberty. For instance,

The effect that illicit drugs have on adolescents and how we can help them reduce their risk.

Drugs are not good for anyone but they can affect teens the most, due to the fact that their body is still growing. This is why teens can not drink until the age of 21, when the body is done developing. Not to mention, the drugs will damage their brain, heart, and other organs, including that some drugs can give them a heart attack. When teens do drugs, they are less able to do well in school, sports, and other extracurricular activities. This is usually how teens drop out of school due to poor decisions and lack of care. Teens usually go through phases in their life, like going through the phase of trying to fit in or feel temporarily numb to the feeling or because they may be depressed. Drugs will not solve your problems, In Fact they only cause problems on top of the ones you already had. This is when their body becomes addicted that without the drug, they cannot function correctly. Many teens still in school usually start smoking, or using snuff that contains the most addictive drug in the U.S, Nicotine. By the same token, many harmful chemicals are in Nicotine, including: Carbon monoxide, Cyanide, Ammonia and 4,000 other chemicals, them being some of them. Although Nicotine isn't illegal, if over the age of 18, it is still very harmful and it can lead to illegal Drug use if not careful. The only way to stop teens from falling into these

Substance abuse is the excessive absorption or use of a drug or multiple drugs. Many teens try alcohol, tobacco, or other recreational drugs for fun and other purposes rather than medical purposes such as marijuana, ecstasy, and cocaine. Some teens try these substances only a few times and end up not being able to control their cravings for them because they are extremely addictive. The use of drugs among teens, especially the illegal ones, are due to peer pressure, the media and television, imitation of adult role models, the need to be accepted by the society, and stress. Substance abuse can lead to serious problems such as performing poorly in school, loss of family and friends, family problems, and lasting legal issues. Alcohol and drug abuse is a leading cause of teen death and injury related to car crashes, suicides, and violence. Conventional drugs, these days, are easy to get since a huge number of our population use them. Therefore, teens are involved in the usage of drugs and substance abuse because they have easy access to them.

Substance abuse and usage is a growing factor in today 's society. During a study taken in 2014 by

Adolescence is the period of time from puberty to adulthood. During this time, children experience physical, emotional, and psychological development. There are also developments in the adolescents’ sense of self, including independence and making their own choices. Because of the multitude of decisions to be made during this time, there can be a lot of room for error or misjudgements. One very common bad decision is substance use and abuse. Although drug and alcohol use is common and many users don’t develop a dependence on the substances, the adolescents who end up developing the disorders of substance abuse and dependence make substance use a major public health concern (Sanchez-Samper, Knight, p. 83). Substance abuse can lead to many developmental problems in adolescents.

Drugs and alcohol still remain a major concern in society. Research has shown that alcohol use in minors has declined, but there was a noticeable increase in the use of narcotics in high schoolers, and in more recent years the use of marijuana has increased (Broderick & Blewitt, 2015). Research has also provided information that in areas of a lower socioeconomic, alcohol use was apparent, proving that environmental conditions are correlated with alcohol use (Handley, Rogosch, Guild, & Cicchetti, 2015).

A drug is a substance that modifies one or more of the body's functions when it is consumed. Therefore, many common foods qualify as drugs. According to this definition, some of our most cherished beverages such as tea, coffee, and cola are drugs. However this paper focuses on drugs that are abused by teenagers. Surveys show that cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and inhalants are the most commonly used drugs among teenagers age thirteen through eighteen. One of the most startling findings from recent data is the degree to which to which teenagers are now involved in drug use. This drug abuse problem has gotten worse. Perhaps our society must hit "rock bottom" before changes can occur.

Young people and the use of drugs is on the rise, youths have been using and taking more drugs than ever before. The common reason youths are taking the drugs is too find relaxation, use for socialisation, curiosity and peer pressure. The most common form of drugs that young people are using is alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and amphetamines. Around one in five teenagers try cannabis at least once. Parents are often coping the blame for the children’s behaviour but can’t always be the blame. Youths parents are afraid that their children will progress too taking drugs such as these ‘Ice’ and heroin etc. although there is no evidence that cannabis being a gateway drug for youths into trying more drugs.

In today's society nothing affects lives of teenagers more than alcohol,drugs or prescription medications. Teens use drugs and alcohol to help with problems they have in life. Those problems can range all the way to financial struggles all the way to something simple such as peer pressure. There are over hundreds of reasons why teens use drugs and alcohol to cope but the main ones are to help with peer pressure or bullying, household problems and relationships with family, and negative influences from family and friends. All of those are serious issues that teens are facing right now and to cope with those issues they are falling to an addiction of drugs and alcohol. Teens feel that using drugs and alcohol will help them ignore those

To begin with, there are many main causes for substance abuse in teens. Firstly, many teens abuse substances to “have fun” and to create interesting stories to tell or to share a common way to entertain themselves with others. This reasoning is shown in a survey conducted by the surgeon general’s office in 1991, in which 41% of teens reported that they drank when they were upset, 25% drank when they were bored, and 25% drank to feel the effects of being high (Clark 6). This evidence suggests that teens are using and abusing substances for a form of pleasure and enjoyment, which is causing them to continue their use for the same feeling. Secondly, many teens abuse substances because their parents or peers pressure and even inadvertently influence them to do so. According to a study taken in 1978 within the North Carolinas, 59% of students with at least one parent that drinks regularly, will themselves likely become heavy drinkers (Clark 6). This evidence implies that parental use of substances is influencing and leading their children to use and abuse

Drug abuse is becoming a growing problem among teenagers. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse's 1999 survey of 2,000 teens, about 14 million teens ages 12 to

Teen drug use/abuse is common. According to the U. S. Department of Health & Human Services, the most common drugs teens use are alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and prescription drugs (2016). Other drugs used are inhalants, over-the-counter medications, and other illegal drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. The use of drugs and alcohol increase the risk of injury or death. According to WebMD, alcohol and drug abuse is a leading cause of teen death or injury related to car crashes, suicides, violence, and drowning (2014). A drug is anything that can alter the mind or body.