A drug is a substance that alters the mind, body or both. Drug use is an increasing problem among teenagers in colleges today. Most drug use begins in the preteen and teenage years, the years most crucial in the maturation process (Shiromoto 5). During these years adolescents are faced with difficult tasks of discovering their self identity, clarifying their sexual roles, assenting independence, learning to cope with authority 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 availability. Drugs addiction among adolescents in turn lead to depression and suicide (Shiromoto 12). One of the most important reasons of teenage drug usage is peer pressure. Peer pressure makes drugs seem popular, makes you have a fear of being an outcast, and since everyone is doing it, it is the "cool" thing to do…right? Wrong. Peer pressure represents social influences that effect adolescents, it can have a positive, or a negative effect, depending on person's social group and one can follow one path of the other. We are greatly influenced by the people around us. In today's colleges, drugs are very common; peer pressure usually is the reason for their usage (www.nodrugs.com 1). If the people in your social group use drugs, there will be pressure a direct or indirect pressure from them. A person may be offered to try drugs, which is direct pressure. Indirect pressure is when someone sees everyone around him using drugs and he might think that there is noth... ... middle of paper ... ...any non-profitable organizations that help teenagers to cope with drug use. There are help lines, community services that offer information about drugs, and individual counseling is available almost in every education institution. Bibliography: Dolan, Edward F. Jr. Drugs In Sports. New York: Library of Congress Catalog in publication Data, 1986. Dryfoos, Joy G. Safe Passage. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. Henican, Ellis, and O'Brien, William b. You Can't Do It Alone. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1993. http://www.narconon.org/html/soln1/sol4.htm. Shiromoto, Frank N., and Sooren, Edgar F. Drugs & Drinks: Painful Questions. Monterey, CA: Choice Press, 1988. "Teen Drug Abuse." CNN. 28 Mar. 1999:6. The Information Series on Current Topics. Illegal Drugs. Texas: Information Plus, 1997. www.nodrugs.com.
Goldman, Bob, and Ronald Klatz. Death In The Locker Room II: Drugs and Sports. Chicago: Elite Sports Medicine, 1992.
Brecher, Edward M. (1972) Licit and Illicit Drugs; The Consumers Union Report on narcotics, stimulants, depressants, inhalants, Hallucinogens, and marijuana- including caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. New York, 291-390
There are many contributing factors and political issues that address substance abuse. Throughout the years, many researchers have designed many interventions and social policies designed to treat people who have used, abused, and became addicted to substances. Today, there are many new studies that address substance abuse at the individual, group, family, and community or policy levels. Today, there are many services that are effective for decreasing recidivism in youth who have completed a substance abuse program. A substance abuse treatment program or center is the best way to treat individuals who have abused substances.
To prevent juvenile drug use communities provide programs to educate parents and children. Teens how are involved in the community and sports are more likely to not do drugs. Coming from someone who has had problems with substance abuse overcoming a problem is extremely hard. However having the support of family and friends is what gives most people the encouragement to overcome their addiction.
Worsnop, R. L. (1991, July 26). Athletes and drugs. CQ Researcher, 1, 513-536. Retrieved from
In certain circumstances, the consumption of drugs might have had originated because of a psychological disorder that needed drugs in order for t...
In the world people face many challenges in many instances the youth of today are “raising” themselves. Many youths are faced with making adults decisions and they face a higher risk of making poorer choices which could lead to drug abuse, violence, and HIV/AIDs. This paper is design to look at what could help in the prevention of drug abuse among adolescents. There are many programs that are designed for detox and treatment for addiction however there is a need to break the cycle of learned behaviors and promote better coping skills before the onset of addiction.
Masci, David. “Preventing Teen Drug Use.” CQ Researcher, 15 March, 2002, Volume 12, No. 10. Accessed October 1, 2003,
Patterns and trends of substance use among adolescents fluctuates from generation to generation. There are many factors related to the increased risk for substance experimentation. For example, generational substance use, poor parental monitoring, and low academic performance contribute to elevated risk for substance use (Allison, et al., 1999). Substances that have remained on the forefront for adolescent use and abuse include alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana (Hussey, Drinkard, Flannery).
Shipe, Jr., J, & Savory, J (eds.). Drugs in competitive athletes. Boston: Blackwell Scientific Publications.1991.
Poor peer relationship can be seen as both cause and consequence of teen substance abuse. To develop in a negative and unhealthy environment can lead a person to make poor decisions, and to make poor decisions can lead a person to build a relationship with other individuals who share their same detrimental practices and who do not provide a positive peer support. To make a poor decision can lead the youth to get involve in deviant behavior due to being under the influence affect the person 's judgment and increases the chances of getting involved in delinquent
While working in a rehabilitation center in San Diego, I had the opportunity to work with many different types of addicts and abusers. The one type of addict that truly stood out to me was drug addicts. There are so many different types of drugs in this world that it is overwhelming to hear that kids and teens today are experimenting with drugs such as, cocaine, meth, and other new forms of hybrids. Drugs are supposed to be prescriptive medication to help with illnesses and ailments. During the last 40 years, the meaning of drugs have changed. Going into high school or college, students are more prone to three main drugs: marijuana, adderall, and ecstasy. They are easily and readily available on campuses everywhere. This emphasizes the fact
Adolescences in particular can be easily influenced to abusing a drug or multiple drugs. I believe this happens because teens often lack education, live in an environment where drugs are readily available, are peer-pressured and the lack of proper growth of the frontal lobe. Many factors contribute to adolescences experimenting with drugs. As side from being a child, the adolescence stage is of great importance. Healthy habits and activities are supposed to be instilled within this stage of life. The adolescence stage can be very perplexing and what is made into a habit then is easily carried on into adulthood. Our genes act together with our environment to contribute to the addictive behaviors we are motivated to develop. If addiction is left untreated it can ultimately lead to de...
People think they know all the effects and reasons of why teenagers do drugs, but do they really? The very first day drugs were introduced was the day Columbus first stepped onto the U.S., when the Native Americans first offered tobacco to the newcomers. Drugs came again in the 1850’s, when the Chinese first came to work in the mines and on the railroads, they brought opium smoking with them and later started addicting the people of America. Once the extremely debilitating power of addicting drugs was recognized, many American cities and states, starting with San Francisco, began passing anti-drug laws in 1875. By the 1960’s, the great majority of Americans had forgotten the lessons of the first drug epidemic, and the use of drugs grew over time. Susan Erasmus says in her article "Why Do Teens Take Drugs?": “Studies have shown that there are more teens than ever before are taking drugs and the age at which kids start taking drugs is getting smaller and smaller each day” (2). Teen drugs are a huge problem in America considering: how good it makes them feel, why teens take them, the effects of taking the drugs, and a solution to help stop teen drug use.
The high rates of drug abuse within this country is very high. Many people suffer from drug addictions and the effects that it causes. However, it is a moral panic when a plethora of juveniles are experiencing different types of drugs at such a young age. As children, they are in the developmental stages of their life, and drugs tend to disrupt the growth and development of the youth on a daily basis. There are different trends of drug use among the people of our society and they all serve different purposes .People use drugs in celebrations, rituals, coping purposes, and for pain relief (Bates & Swan, 2014 p.246).