Teens, Drug, and Alcohol Use Essay

Drug Teen’s are Most Likely to use the First Time Trying or Using a Drug in 2008: In 2008, of the 2.9 million persons aged 12 or older who used illicit drugs for the first time, within the past 12 months, a majority reported that their first drug was marijuana (56.6 percent). Nearly one third initiated with psychotherapeutics (29.6 percent, including 22.5 percent with pain relievers (PERCOCET, OXYCONTIN), 3.2 percent with tranquilizers (XANAX), 3.0 percent with stimulants, and 0.8 percent with sedatives). A sizable proportion reported inhalants (9.7 percent) (HUFFING) as their first drug, and a small proportion used hallucinogens as their first illicit drug (3.2 percent). http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/statistics-teen-drug-use-abuse-addiction/

Throughout schools in the United States, there is a growing issue in our elementary through highschool aged students. Drugs and alcohol have begun to overtake childrens lives as young as twelve years old. There are many types of drugs involved from prescription drugs, which is the number one drug, to alcohol, marijuana, meth, cocaine, heroine, or inhalents.

Teenage drug abuse is an issue that can result from a wide variety of social influences, stressful events, and mental disorders. Drug abuse among adolescents is a troubling issue because it decreases focus, increases the chance of consistency in behavior during adulthood, increases the chances of developing emotional issues, permanently damages the brain, and damages tissues in every system that can lead to death. Previous scientific research has identified that social factors, including the media and peers, play an important role in psychological development and impact the adolescent's decision to start experimenting with substances (Botvin 888). Appropriate solutions for the teenage drug abuse issue already exist, but the only remaining

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.

Today drugs are considered to be an acceptable social phenomenon by many teenagers. If parents are involved with children on a day-to-day basis, they will more than likely know when the child starts to take drugs because of the big changes going on in their lives. There are many positive alternatives to drugs, so drugs are not the only fun and "cool" things to do (www.nodrugs.com 2).

As a parent, you are surely disheartened to watch your teenager struggling with addiction. Dealing with the situation is difficult because your teenager has not yet developed the capability of completely under standing the dangers related to their behavior. Many times, it falls on you as the loving parent to be the one to find them the help they need. When your child is ready, you should take the time to seek out the right teenage drug addiction treatment center.

Due to how high the drinking age is teens have started to turn away from drinking and have become interested in other dangerous substances and drugs. A study found in the US states that after the drinking age was increased from 19 to 21, 22% of students reported that “they are going to take drugs.” Teens are always trying to show off to their friends how cool they are by taking these substances and drugs which will just lead them to an unhappy live in prison and or a rehab

In the book “Drugs and Sports”,on page 13, the author Rodney G. Peck states that “Experts believe that the disease of addiction can be passed down from parent to child.” He also states that, “ a teen who has a parent with an addiction (or a parent who is recovering from an addiction) may be more likely to become an addict as well. Teens should talk with their parents and not follow their steps to addiction. Drug addiction usually starts with something called a gateway drug. One commonly used gateway drug would be weed, the easiest drug to get in the streets and everywhere.

ParentsMatterToo provides endless information about drug use, a common topic that would be discussed with the support groups would be the warning signs. Parents need to be observant if they suspect that their child is using drugs. Warning

Teens are intelligent. They can be influenced due to the immaturity of their brain, though. According to National Geographic, their immature brains can make them susceptible to impulse, pulling them towards bad people. When they are into a drug and it is connected to a person, a young addictive prone mind can be gravitated toward bad people. This is when a parent or guardian should step

Prescription drugs are making parents more overwhelmed than ever before about their teenaged child! Why must they worry so much about their teenaged child? “When you can stop you don’t want to, and when you want to stop, you can’t…” (Davies). This quote signifies that adolescents and adults have the option to quit or not try the drug when being introduced, but when they get started on the drug and they are thinking abouting quitting, they cannot because of the addiction they have on the drug. Each day they try to stay away from the drug, but they are have really bad withdrawals. Middle and high schools should inform parents about the strategies for preventing, recognizing, and addressing prescription drug abuse.

Among adolescents aged 12 to 17 years, 9.8 % are estimated to be current users of illicit drugs, with 4.9 % using drugs other than marijuana. Nearly three quarters of students have started to drink alcohol and nearly half (47%) have tried using an illicit drug (not including alcohol or tobacco) by the senior year of high school.” (Hassan, Harris, Sherritt, Van Hook, & Brooks, 2009)

Drug use is an increasing problem among teenagers in today's high schools. Most drug use begins in the teenage years, these years are the most crucial in the maturing process. During these years adolescents are faced with the difficult tasks of discovering their self identity, clarifying their sexual roles, assenting independence, learning to cope with authority figures and searching for goals that would give their lives meaning. Drugs are readily available, adolescents are curious and venerable, and there is peer pressure to experiment, and there is a temptation to escape from conflicts. The use of drugs by teenagers is the result of a combination of factors such as peer pressure, curiosity, and

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.

Methamphetamine users increased in 2013, with 595,000 current users, compared with 253,000 users 2010. Statistics shows that most people started using drugs as teens, 2.8