Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
how to prevent drug abuse among youth essay
The impact of drug abuse in teenagers
the effects of drugs abuse on youth
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: how to prevent drug abuse among youth essay
Drug use, a popular pastime among adolescents, needs to be focused on more intently now more than ever. Drug use among teens leaves permanent marks on their brains and can cause many more problems later in life. Teen drug use is a very really problem, and needs to be addressed.
According to medicne.net, “Individuals who begin using drugs as juveniles are at greater risk of becoming addicted compared to those who begin drug use as an adult due to the immaturity of the teenage brain, particularly of that part of the brain that controls impulses.” This signifies that although popular though says that drug use has no effect on the brain, it actually does and can cause great problems in the future. There are many reasons why teenagers do drugs such as, social pressure, other illnesses such as depression, and it can even be linked to genetics. Many social situations put teens in positions where they feel that the only way to gain acceptance or "be cool" is to do drugs. These adolescents can struggle with self-confidence and the need to make people like them. Boys as well as girls feel these problems.
Although most people believe that attaining drugs is difficult, the reality of that varies greatly. For according to a recent study, "As of 2010, about 30% of 10th-graders used marijuana in the past year. More than two-thirds of 10th graders said they could easily gain access to that drug." This easy availability makes the use of drugs much more convenient. For if drugs are hard to come by, less people will use them. Also according to a study done by Dosomething.org, “More than 60 percent of teens that that drugs were sold, used, or kept at their school.” Schools house an easy means for letting kids give out drugs, and this circumstance s...
... middle of paper ...
...ens use drugs, and by noticing the symptoms and signs of drug use, one can help in the cease to do drugs. Also parents play a large role the influence and ability to control drug use by teens. By learning about the seriousness of drug use, and having the ability to notice the signs, people everywhere can stop teen drug use and save lives.
Works Cited
"Addiction." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.
Dryden-Edwards, Roxanne, MD. "Teen Drug Abuse Symptoms, Warning Signs, Risk Factors, Treatment - MedicineNet." MedicineNet. Ed. WILLIAM C. SHIEL JR., FACP, FACR,. MedicineNet, n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
"Teen Alcohol and Drug Abuse-Topic Overview." WebMD. Heatlhwise, 16 Mar. 2011. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
"Teens: Alcohol And Other Drugs." Teens: Alcohol And Other Drugs. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, July 2013. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.
Smith, Karen. “Alcohol Use by youth and Adolescents: A Pediatric Concern.” Pediatric American Academy of Pediatrics. 12 April, 2010. Web. 26 March, 2014. .
Drug abuse in teens has risen tremendously in America. Although, there are many causes and effects of using drugs, there are many ways to prevent teens from doing them. Even though some teens become addicted to recreational drugs, there are many ways to treat addiction and ultimately live a healthy and stable life.
Kittleson, Mark J. “Teens, Risk Taking, and Alcohol Abuse.” The Truth About Alcohol, (n.d.). Facts on File Health Reference Center.Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
Masci, David. “Preventing Teen Drug Use.” CQ Researcher, 15 March, 2002, Volume 12, No. 10. Accessed October 1, 2003,
In this abbreviated review, we selectively examine the recent literature and current status of substance use and abuse among children and adolescents. Our focus is on psychoactive substances both licit and illicit, including cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, and other drugs. We examine the use and abuse of substances by children and teenagers from five perspectives: epidemiology, etiology, prevention, treatment, and consequences (see Rogers, 1987 , for additional overviews and references).
Beschner, George and Alfred S. Friedman. Teen Drug Use. Lexington, Massachusetts: D.C. Health and Company, 1986.
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.
Drugs cause an overall disturbance in a subjects’ physiological, psychological and emotional health. “At the individual level, drug abuse creates health hazards for the user, affecting the educational and general development of youths in particular” (“Fresh Challenge”). In youth specifically, drug abuse can be triggered by factors such as: a parent’s abusive behavior, poor social skills, family history of alcoholism or substance abuse, the divorce of parents or guardians, poverty, the death of a loved one, or even because they are being bullied at school (“Drugs, brains, and behavior”) .
Most people do not understand how a person become addicted to drugs. We tend to assume that is more an individual problem rather than a social problem. However, teen substance abuse is indeed a social problem considered a priority for the USA department of public health due to 9 out of 10 Americans with addictions started using drugs before the age 18 (CASA Columbia University). Similarly, 1 in 4 Americans with addictions started using the substance during their teenage years, which show a significant different with 1 in 25 Americans with addiction who started using at 21 or older (CASA, 2011).
...olescences to abuse drugs depending on the influencing stimuli. We must educate the adolescences on respectable behavior and consequences to drug seeking behaviors and addiction.
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.
... Hence, Drastic measures need to be taken to prevent the usage among the youth of the future generation. Families and schools are the main factors that can help prevent drug abuse among teens. By creating prevention programs for the children in elementary schools, there is a less chance for children later on in their lives to take drugs. Drug education and information for parents or caretakers, can help children teach the abuse of legal and illegal substances, as families can have discussions about this topic.
Few people deny the dangers of drug use, while many teens are curious about drugs. They should stay away from drugs because drugs affect our health, lead to academic failure, and jeopardizes safety. Drugs are used from a long period of time in many countries. The concentration of drugs has increased from late 1960’s and 1970’s. Drugs can quickly takeover our lives. Friends and acquaintance have the greatest influence of using drugs during adolescence.
Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are not only adult problems. They also affect many teens between the ages of 12 and 18, even though drinking under the age of 19 is illegal. The topic of alcohol first came up when I was in grade 8 and became even more popular in high school. In high school alcohol was more readily available thanks to absent-minded parents who didn’t hide their alcohol and older students willing to make some quick cash by selling to minors.
Drugs or alcohol can cause you to lose everything you possible worked hard for. Some drugs can cause health disorders like cancer, heart disease and respiratory disease. Drugs and alcohol use is higher in males than females due to acceptability by peers. Teenagers are likely to smoke due to pressure from their friends than smoke with other ethnic groups. Students own smoking habits and behaviors are related to social influences “(Tobacco use; Peer Pressure to Smoke Depends on Ethnicity).” Drugs and alcohol impair your judgment; teens that are open with their parent are more likely to resist peer pressure to use drugs but as teens mature they rely less on parents and more...