Tobacco And The Consumption Of Alcohol In The United States

Adolescence is a time where adolescents grow and mature at a rapid rate. It is also a time where adolescents are more vulnerable to taking risks, such as using and becoming addicted to illegal substances, due to raging hormones. Whether or not an adolescent chooses to engage in drug use and abuse depends on their home environment and those they choose to associate themselves with. Adolescents are confronted with an enormous amount of pressure to participate in risky behaviors by their peers. According to Broderick and Blewitt (2015), “risky behaviors are behaviors that constitute a departure from socially accepted norms or behaviors that pose a threat to the well-being of individuals or groups” (p. 389). One such risky behavior is drug use and addiction. Some adolescents use cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and prescription drugs in order to get “high”. Adolescents who engage in drug use are likely to become addicted, and thus, their addiction will negatively affect their brain development.

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

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

One may be astonished to discover that in 2012 “..about 17 percent of American high school students were drinking, smoking or using drugs during the school day” and this number has remained relatively stagnant throughout the years (Kuczynski-Brown). The amount of students who take part in the illegal acts of drinking, smoking, and drug use has been difficult to combat. Students do not understand that these substances can result in harmful consequences down the road. This is why it is imperative that, as a society, we begin looking for solutions to defeat these harmful habits, and sometimes, addictions. The earlier we begin to inculcate the effects of these substances on the young, the better. That is why the prime-time to spread this message

With such an expansive history in Connecticut, the subject of tobacco is just as encompassing. With roots in Windsor colonial history through its height in the 1950s, sources try to capture it all at a surface level. Scholars have studied tobacco over time evaluating its role in the community at that moment in time. Over a variety of sources, overall the response to tobacco in Windsor has been positive as it serves as both an economic influence and a cultural one as well. Starting at one of the most recent sources, Brianna Dunlap looks at the entire Connecticut River valley as the backdrop as Connecticut’s tobacco industry in Connecticut Valley Tobacco. Published in 2016, Dunlap captures tobacco’s history starting at its roots in the 1600s through Cuba’s reopening trade ports in 2015. This book serves to establish Windsor’s connection with tobacco and how it changed over time to match the changing landscape around the tobacco sheds.

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

Throughout the United States history alcohol has always been a topic of interest. Alcohol has been around for centuries and quite frankly, most people enjoy it. What people do not appreciate is that the government thinks that they have the right to tell people what age they are allowed to consume it. Laws that have restricted the consumption of alcohol have never held their weight. The Prohibition is a fantastic example of this. Citizens of the United States were willing to go to jail if they were caught with alcohol. The law was so poor that the United States repealed it with the 21st amendment after a short amount of time. The United States government feels as if it is there responsibility to control the consumption of alcohol. Some

Since the 1970s, government-funded research studies have shown emerging patterns of substance use, misuse and abuse among school-aged adolescents. Studies such as the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), Monitoring the Future (MTF), Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) are intricate research studies that compiles data on the prevalence and long-term effects of substance abuse in and outside of the school setting. Funded and sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Substance

Marijuana use is much safer than the consumption of alcohol or the use of tobacco. Both alcohol and tobacco are the most deadly and addictive drugs, as well as the most used and abused, compared to marijuana. With marijuana, the pros outweigh the cons; where with alcohol and tobacco, that is not the case. As studies show, alcohol and tobacco are available everywhere, which causes them to be more risky and dangerous than the illegal drug, which is marijuana. Alcohol and tobacco are dangerous drugs that need to be eliminated for the sake of the people’s health and safety, unlike the use of marijuana, for the reason that it is not a deadly drug, it is a medicine that is beneficial to the people’s health, and it is harder to access.

Several themes have emerged through the analysis of the individual interviews. Adolescent tobacco use is greatly influenced by one’s social circle. Although, parental tobacco use may contribute somewhat to tobacco use in their children, peer pressure seems to take precedence in determining tobacco use in adolescents. Moreover, the ease in accessing cigarettes, when compared to drugs like marijuana or cocaine, seems to also influence tobacco use. Similarly, the interviewees reported that they ended up smoking tobacco more often because getting their hands on a pack of cigarettes was much easier than getting access to any other drugs. Furthermore, a lack in self-esteem, or a perceived lack in control over certain aspects of their life, such as,

Nowadays students are not only being pressured to smoke by their peers and by their surrounding, but they are also watching their parents smoke. Many teens have been influenced by

One of the largest issues today is adolescent smoking. According to a heath based website, nearly 90% of adult smokers start while they are still teens and they never intend to get hooked. They may start by bumming a cigarette or two from a friend at a party, and then go on to buying an occasional pack. Soon they realize that they can't go without that pack. They've gotten used to reaching for a cigarette first thing in the morning, after meals, or during any stressful time. They become addicted, both physically and psychologically. According to the American Lung Association, each day 6,000 children under the age of 18 smoke their first cigarette. Almost 2,000 of them will become regular smokers – that’s 757, 000 new smokers annually!

Smoking and alcohol consumption are well established as risk factors regarding oral cancer incidence. Previous studies indicated a possible additive effect of alcohol and tobacco on oral cancer risk, yet no observational studies in the last 25 years have accounted for their interaction. This study was initiated to elucidate smoking and drinking single, joint and interactive effects on oral cancer incidence. A hospital-based observational study collected patient data using questionnaires from 4 Sao Paulo, Brazil, hospitals, November 1998 to December 2008. Patients were recruited based on having squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity or oropharynx. Using 1,144 cases and 1,661 controls, age, gender and schooling level effects were assessed using logistic regression, and variables with significant odds ratios (ORs) for oral cancer were included in the models as confounders. Individual and joint effects of smoking and drinking on oral cancer risk were also assessed by logistic regression using ORs based on two types of analyses (models). In the first, exposure variables drinking and smoking were treated as binary (never, reference group; ever, risk group), and in the second categorized into three levels (never, reference group; level-1 and level-2, risk groups). Results indicated that independent effect of drinking was not associated with oral and oropharyngeal cancer, while the independent effect of smoking remained significantly associated with the

Alcohol and illicit drug consumption are all too prevalent today in high schools, colleges, and all across the globe. Students seeking to fit in or forget about the repetitiveness of school and homework have a tendency to experiment. Drug addiction is known by the scientific community to be a psychological condition based on excessive, obsessive, and compulsive actions. Once that regular user crosses the line into addiction their only concern is their self and their life revolves around the getting, using, and finding ways and means to get and use more. Most people start using drugs and alcohol occasionally, which is a voluntary decision,

Tobacco; one of the most profitable products in history, an addictive substance, and a deadly killer. Smoking tobacco used to be a thing that was endorsed in American society. Now, with the new medical advances and knowledge, society has seen the side effects of smoking and how fatal it actually is. Teenagers have been one of the largest age groups that have been affected by smoking. After analyzing all possible reasons as to why teenagers would smoke while knowing it can affect their health, three possible reasons stuck out the most. Teenagers smoke despite knowing the health problems that originate from smoking because of peer pressure, an “invincibility” mentality, and seeing a role model or family member smoke.