Teenage Drug And Alcohol Abuse

The talk of substance abuse has been a long and serious one. With an over stimulated society, it is not uncommon to see the countless reports and hear the chatter among peers expressing concern about the “drug epidemic.” With how prevalent the talk of drugs are it starts to influence younger and younger crowds. Especially young adults. With the ever changing times, young adults are becoming more and more open to the world around them. However, with the spiraling numbers of substance abuse among young adults, it is time for outside intervention. The main way to rectify this growing issue is to understand what these substances are, the staggering statistics within correlation to them, and what measures can be taken to help those currently

Hannah is a fifteen year old girl who was recently sent to a rehabilitation center for the result of abuse of prescription medication. 6.1 million high school students currently use addictive substances, and like Hannah, 1 in 3 of them are addicted (“National Study Reveals,”2011). Although the number of teens using these drugs are decreasing, the numbers are still dangerously high. Due to it’s high risk of addiction, dangerous consequences, and growing availability, substance abuse among teenagers is a serious trend being presented among all United States adolescence.

The D.A.R.E. program was founded in 1983 by Los Angeles police chief Daryl Gates and the Los Angeles Unified School District, and it stands for “Drug Abuse Resistance Education.” As of today, it is a K-12 education program that teaches students about drug prevention, violence, gang membership, bullying, and internet safety in the United States as well as 52 other countries. As an international nonprofit organization, it is also one of the most prevalent drug abuse prevention programs in the United States and allegedly the world. Curriculum consists of elements such as resistance, self-esteem and skills training, and workbooks. All of the D.A.R.E. classes and curriculum are taught by trained police officers.

Substance abuse is something that teens and adolescents battle every year. More than millions of teens face this issue and every year the number rises and high schools across the nation are seeing a need for school-based prevention programs to decrease the amount of students that are dropping out from these issues. These programs are geared towards helping problems such as alcohol and drug abuse. Although majority of large high schools have these programs, the number of students with these issues continues to rise and the problems are getting worse. “Adolescent substance use increases the risk of significant mental health problems such as conduct disorder, depression, anxiety, and substance dependence.” (Shekhtmeyster, Sharkey, & You, 2011, p.386) It is very obvious that these prevention programs are not digging deep enough into the issues to truly hit the root of the problem to become effective. Researching the substance abuse programs inside these high schools and their counseling programs, as well as their effectiveness can lead to better standards and interventions that can help these students who intend to have bright futures and are trying to move past their problems with drug and alcohol abuse.

According to teendrugrehabs.com, over 60 percent of teens have reported that drugs of some kind are kept, sold, and used at their school. Over 23 million people over the age of 12 are addicted to alcohol or some other drug. One significant issue, among many, that our nation faces is the abuse of drugs and alcohol among our youth. This is a problem for all age groups, but every day more and more people under the age of 18 are experimenting with drugs to “fit in” with the crowd.

Substance abuse accounts for a high number of deaths in the United States. Alcohol is the third leading cause of deaths in the country with approximately 88,000 deaths occurring annually (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). In contrast, almost 40,400 annual deaths are related to the use of illicit drugs. As reported by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (2014), 24% of youths in the eighth grade, and 64% in the twelfth grade, have used alcohol in the past year. Of the adolescents ages 12-17, 11.6% have used alcohol in the past month, 6.2% have engaged in binge drinking, and 5.6% have smoked cigarettes (Fisher, G.L., & Harrison, T.C., 2013). Substance abuse is defined as the continuous use of alcohol and/or other drugs despite consequences in one or more areas of a person’s life (Fisher, G.L., & Harrison, T.C., 2013). Substance abuse relates to other problems, such as illegal behavior, family conflict, poor academic performance, lack of respect for authority, deficiencies in self-confidence, and psychiatric symptoms (Liddle, Rowe, Dakof, & Henderson, 2009). Although substance abuse is a prevalent issue, interventions have been implemented to assist these individuals in making a change.

Substance abuse has long been a problem across the United States. Adults over drink every day and smoke many packs of cigarettes in only few days. However substance abuse it not only a problem among adults any more, adolescent teenagers are now also among those who are over using substance in a critical manner. Substance abuse is a growing problem for developing adolescence all across the United States and a good way to help battle this is needed.

The D.A.R.E. program has become the national symbol for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education programs, which are partnered by experience police officers, parents and schools throughout the United States. All D.A.R.E. officers are those who are members of agencies that share the responsibility protecting the trademark mission that is D.A.R.E. This program has been taught in all 50 states and at least 49 countries. During the late 1970’s and early 1980’s there was an unparalleled rise with drug among our youth in Los Angeles. As a result, in 1983, the Los Angeles police department decided to form this program.

In a world filled with violence and traumatic events, young adults are the most vulnerable to them. We see a trend in students hanging out with the wrong crowd digging a deeper hole for themselves; getting involved with drugs, alcohol, and eventually becoming dependent and addicted to them. In discussions of substance abuse and the external factors affecting teenage youth, I believe that parents, society, age, and peers are main factors that contribute to a teenagers ' drug addiction.

D.A.R.E., the acronym for Drug Abuse Resistance Education is a program that educates young children in elementary schools, middle schools and high schools intended for students in Kindergarten through to the 12th grade to prevent and decline drug and alcohol abuse, peer pressure, violence and many other potential future dangers for children. The program consists of lessons and activities that involve more participation, active learning, supplemental take home activities, and optimal lessons. D.A.R.E. started in 1983 in Los Angeles, because drug and alcohol abuse was overwhelming police departments and worrying neighborhoods. By 1989, the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance had

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).

“D.A.R.E” is an international nonprofit organization. It is the most prevalent drug abuse prevention program in the United States, which is often referred to as the most prevalent drug prevention program in the world! The original D.A.R.E. program was developed in 1983 as part of a joint effort between the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Unified School District to "break the generational cycle of drug abuse, related criminal activity, and arrest." The original curriculum consisted of core elements such as resistance, skill training, and self-esteem building, supplemented with additional information on gangs and legal issues related to drug use. The program focused mainly on something called "gateway" drugs, which are drugs such as tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and inhalants, which usually lead to harder drug use.

Alcohol abuse can cause wrecks, smoking can cause many different cancers. Whenever people under age consume alcohol, they tend to do stuff that they will regret. Whenever people under age smoke they have some sort of cancer in/on their body. When adults drink they still have a chance to wreck but the percentage of adults getting in a wreck is less of a chance of an underage drinker. They have age restrictions for a reason.

Although drug and alcohol abused in teenagers has decreased over the last few decades, it is still extremely prevalent in today’s youth. In fact, almost 50% of high school seniors have abused a drug of some kind, and more than 70% have used alcohol ("Teen Drug Abuse Facts | Teenage Alcohol Statistics", 2015). Drinking and driving has also played a role in the leading cause of teenage deaths, car accidents. While schools and local law enforcement work together to try to limit the use of drugs and alcohol in teenagers, it is impossible to eradicate it completely.

I chose an article from the Chamberlain Library entitled Teens and alcohol abuse. This article coincides with my previous discussion topic college students and underage drinking. This article outlines the statistics for alcohol use and abuse among teenagers and young adults. It defines alcohol abuse as “a pattern of heavy drinking that significantly compromises a person’s physical health and social functioning” (Sherwood, 2015). It is estimated that 855,000 Americans ages twelve to seventeen fit the diagnosis of alcohol use disorder in 2012 (NIAAA, 2012). It goes on to say 35% of American teens have had at least one alcoholic drink by age 15 and 65% begin drinking by age 18.