The Effects Of Substance Abuse On Adolescents

In the article, “Risk and Protective Factors for Alcohol and Other Drug Problems in Adolescence and Early Adulthood: Implications for substance Abuse Prevention “(1992) authors, Hawkins, Catalano, and Miller, discuss the implications which can lead to drug use and abuse. The authors suggest that “abuse of alcohol and other drugs during adolescence and early adulthood remains a serious public health problem” (p.64). Drug use is noted as being seriously harmful, able to easily to become addicted to, as well as it can be toxic to those around, including family members. As suggested by the article, “certain characteristics of individuals and of their personal environments are associated with a greater risk of adolescent drug use” (p.81). The

Nearly 25 percent of teens drink alcohol because they think it is fun; however the problems it may bring are not so fun (Hyde 22). There over six times more teen deaths per year from alcohol than any other drug (O’Malley 30). Alcohol affects the body of teens as well as all of the developmental processes. A major issue of teens drinking is that it increases the chance of becoming an alcoholic in the future; which leads to lowered self-control, impaired judgment, and lowered inhibition (Heath 12). Alcohol can completely change the life of a teen from the time they start drinking till death. Alcohol affects so many aspects of a person’s life and once it does, it is so hard to get life back to normal. Alcohol effects teens by harming them

The teenage years can be some of the most confusing times in a person’s life. During these years of life, one may begin to experiment with risky choices such as turning to drugs and alcohol for means of fun. What he does not know at that point, is this “harmless fun” can turn into a severe, life-long problem if he is not careful. Youth who are exposed to drugs and alcohol are not only susceptible to the health risks that come with using them, but are also put in a position to become addicted to the substances.

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.

According to The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), substance abuse among teenagers and adolescents is transforming into America’s number one public health problem, as numbers of high school and college students abusing drugs and alcohol are on the rise (2011). In a national survey done by CASA at Columbia University, they found that 75 percent of high school students have used an addictive substance. In addition, 46 percent of high school students reported currently using an addictive substance, and approximately 12 percent of high school students were discovered to meet the clinical diagnosis criteria for substance abuse disorder (2011).

The adolescent period of a human is the developmental phase of child to adult. During this time in a human’s life the entire body is developing rapidly, there are many factors that can affect the natural development. Alcohol is one of the most common depressants used and abused by adolescents which can alter the development of the body, especially the development of the brain. “When data from the World Health Organization’s Global Burden of Disease study were used to calculate cause-specific disability-adjusted life years for young people aged 10–24 years, the main risk factors were found to be alcohol.” (Marshall, 2014) There are many reasons why adolescents use alcohol, whether they are aware of the potential consequences

Adolescent brains are particularly vulnerable because they are not yet developed fully, with some studies finding impaired memory and reasoning skills in adolescents who engage in binge drinking,” (Davie, 2012, p. 44). There are many dangers and long term effects resulting from alcohol for adolescents because of the fact that their brain is still developing, “It can also cause long-term mental health problems such as depression, self-harm, impaired memory and, in extreme cases, psychosis,” (Davie, 2012, p. 44). Some motives for alcohol consumption and misuse in adolescents are also included throughout the article, “Reasons why adolescents misuse alcohol are multifactorial and can be placed into three categories: individual reasons, social reasons and peer influence,” (Davie, 2012, p. 45). Alcohol can also cause the individual under the influence to harm themselves or others without meaning to, “There has been an increase in anti-social behaviour along with the rise in alcohol misuse, suggesting a link between the two {Anderson and Hungerford 2007). 'Passive drinking' is also a common problem and refers to the secondary damage caused to people other than the drinker,” (Davie, 2012, p.

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.

Alcoholism amongst adolescents is a major public health problem. The purpose of researching alcoholism amongst adolescents is because alcohol is a drug. The drug of alcoholism is the most common and also the most abused drug amongst adolescents. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) believes that alcoholism amongst adolescents can lead to binge drinking and its on the rise. The CDC states, “ Alcohol use is responsible for more than 4,300 annual deaths among underage youth. Although drinking by persons under the age of 21 is illegal, people aged 12 to 20 years drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in the United States. More than 90% of this alcohol is consumed in the form of binge drinks. On average, underage drinkers consume more drinks per drinking occasion than adult drinkers (CDC 2014)”. The CDC also notes, “Youth who start drinking before age 15 years are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at or after age 21 years. (CDC 2014)” Understanding the attributable causes of alcoholism drew my attention to researching literature and studies of the causes.

A person’s teenage years mark the peak of growth and self-discovery. Adolescences are still figuring out the world around them. Newly founded freedoms open the gateway to test new boundaries. Because of this, most teens turn to experimentation with drugs or alcohol out of curiosity and when looking for a new way to have fun. Just think, teenagers are too old for games and too young for adult activities and responsibilities. Slurring words or acting in an altered way can provide entertainment for many teens. According to the Teen Rehab Center, 68% of high school seniors have tried alcohol at some point (“Drug”). Drinking alcohol at a young age can be detrimental. For example, those who start drinking alcohol before the age of 15 are six

Adolescence can be a complex time in life. This is greatly due to changing hormones, desire of peer acceptance, and experience seeking. This can lead to risky behaviors that begins earlier in adolescences, and peaks at the later stage just before adulthood. Risky behaviors can include drug or alcohol use or abuse (Broderick & Blewitt, 2015). This paper will examine the relationship between adolescences and alcohol use, and the effect that alcohol have on the developing brain. As well as, how a healthy spiritual development can effect substance use in adolescences. In addition, it will discuss the issue of local drug or alcohol use, and examine the presence of drugs or alcohol within the community. Finally, it will examine and analyze the issue and possible treatments.

Substance abuse is can be a serious problem at any stage of life, especially during adolescence. The effects of using drugs, alcohol, marijuana, and other substances have a major impact on not only your physical health, but also your mental health. I wanted to research the effects that substance abuse has on adolescents because that is the group I want to work with. I am interested in this topic because adolescence is a time where various aspects influence a young person’s life. Being that I want to work at the high school level, that is a time where students are trying to figure out who they are and what they want to be, while also trying to fit in with the people around them. This topic is important because as a future school counseling,

Project Know released an article regarding adolescent drug abuse. The author(s) write in an authentic and unbiased manner driven to annul the negative connotations behind drug addiction such as stating the fact of how addiction can trap even the most responsible and intelligent students. Instead, they get real with readers by normalizing addiction as a contractible disease to any teen. Furthermore, the article is cleverly aimed to help non-drug users understand the intensity of drug usage and why people get into drugs in the first place by explicitly depicting the highs and lows a drug user experiences. Overall, this is a useful resource that can aid society to understand the true essence of addiction to help addicts and resources are cited

Alcohol use and the associated alcohol use disorder are costly public health problems. This paper explores the public health importance of alcohol use in adolescence as both a distinct problem and risk for chronic alcohol use disorder across the life span. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) prevalence is rising for adolescents, characterized by increasing numbers of adolescents engaging in binge drinking that results in risky behavior, injuries, and death (Hanes, 2012; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2014). The estimated prevalence of alcohol use disorders in adolescents

The following comprehensive and thorough literature review focuses on the youth substance use and abuse. This paper describes our western society’s history with substances, the types of substances described in the currently available literature, the various existing prevention and treatment programs, factors which have been attributed to youth substance and abuse. Primary and secondary sources were utilized, providing a broad picture of the ever-growing challenge of youth substance use/abuse. This review shall then summarise and conclude the findings of substance use and abuse in today’s youth and how this information can potentially benefit professionals working with this population/generation.