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Effects of peer pressure on adolescents
Effect of drug abuse essay free
Effects of peer pressure on adolescents
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A teenager is likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol, especially during high school. Some teenagers try it and do not like it, others love it. This love for drugs and alcohol becomes a regular activity, and then a teen may become dependent on the drug or drink, and can progress to addiction. These stages of substance abuse affect one's relationships, health and ambitions. Families and friends are devastated when their loved ones resort to drugs and alcohol. Relationships are ruined when someone is addicted to escaping reality by distorting their mind because an addict will steal and lie to get their next high. Parents want to help, but it reaches a point where they cannot tolerate the mischievous behavior any longer. Friends begin to distance themselves, avoiding contact with the person abusing drugs. Whether physical or mental, health is important. When a person ingests drugs or alcohol into their body, their health begins to deteriorate. Physically, a body becomes more prone to infections or viruses. Furthermore, one is more likely to engage in reckless activities that can damage their body. Looking from the psychological aspect of health, a person who uses drugs and alcohol can become dependent, welcoming the intoxication to soothe their trauma. Moreover, an addict begins to surrender their ambitions. One establishes a feeling of comfort in being inebriated. An abuser of drugs or alcohol forgets what is important in life, and stops going to school or work. Instead of spending time doing homework or paying bills, they get high. Long-term goals become nonexistent; the only things that matter are the next time one can cease to feel emotion. There are immeasurable amounts of information on why teenagers abuse dru... ... middle of paper ... ...tute on Drug Abuse, (. (2009). Monitoring the Future: National Results on Adolescent Drug Use. Overview of Key Findings, 2008. National Institute On Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia, U. (2010). National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XV: Teens and Parents. National Center On Addiction And Substance Abuse At Columbia University, Researcher asserts drug abuse is a chronic disease -- primary care role needed in treatment. (2005). DATA: The Brown University Digest of Addiction Theory & Application, 24(2), 3. Department of Education, W. C. (2007). The Challenge. Volume 14, Number 3. US Department of Education. Office of National Drug Control, P. (2010). Back to School: Keeping Our Children Safe, Healthy, and Drug-Free in the New School Season. Fact Sheet. Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Robertson, E. B., David, S. L., Rao, S. A., & National Institute on Drug Abuse (2003). Preventing drug use among children and adolescents: A research based guide for parents, educators, and community leaders (2nd ed.). Bethesda, Md: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse.
That being said, drugs and alcohol, can cause ones to lose their lifestyle and even their loved ones. Using and abusing drugs and alcohol can also lead to addiction. This creates a whole different empire in one’s life. Some may even steal, lie and cheat, just to obtain their ability to get there next fix. Sometimes getting their next fix can even create a door way to putting them in jail or prison. Even to the point of no return, this could create the loss of one’s own
...y, H. (2008). Drug use and abuse: a comprehensive introduction (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.
Liehr, P, Marcus, M, Carroll, D, Granmayeh, K L, Cron, S, Pennebaker, J ;( Apr-Jun 2010). Substance Abuse; Vol. 31 (2); 79-85. Doi: 10.1080/08897071003641271
When we view substance use disorders, alcohol is the most widely used drug within the United States and 11 percent of workers have drinking problems (Frone, 2006). Over 20 million people used illegal substances in 2006 and 7 million people abused prescribed medications. Of the 18 million drug abusers, 18 years or older in 2006, 13.4 million (74.9 %) were employed full or part time (SAMHSA, OSA). These addiction problems have an expenditure of $276 billion dollars per year with most of this cost from loss of productivity and health care (H. Harwood, D. Fountain, and G. Livermore, 1992).
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”) .
Changing Substance Use: What We Know And What We Need To Know." Annals Of Behavioral Medicine 37.2 (2009): 117-125. Academic Search Complete. Web. 6 Nov. 2011.
Glazer, Sarah. “Preventing Teen Drug Use.” CO Researcher. 28 July 1995: 659-662. Mack, Alison.
Substance abuse among teenagers and young adults continues to call for a national concern for a number of reasons, one of them being the impact of these illicit substances on their health immediately or in their later lives. This research will concentrate on the abuse of cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy. Reports from various agencies frequently describe drug users as severely impaired health wise, recent research suggests that these outcomes are not extremely severe as people thought (Edwards, 2004). A thorough review of present literature suggests that substance abuse can leave the users vulnerable to a number of health problems. Many of these problems however can be tackled with a diversity of interventions. The study suggests that the home setting or the societal bond of the individual may have a strong authority over his substance abuse than being judged individually (Horwood, 1997).
After interviewing my teenage cousin whom has been in several altercations at home and school, enlightened me on the ways that teenagers in her age group gets involved in drug use. Kids start as young as ten years of age using, selling, and experimenting with drugs. My teenage cousin was expelled from public schools when she started experimenting with drugs. She was surrounded by many challenges when she enrolled in the alternative behavioral school. Many students, whom attend the alternative behavioral school use drugs, sell drugs, are on probation, have been arrested, engage in sexual activity and drink alcohol.
Perhaps most substance abuse starts in the teen years when young people are susceptible to pressure from their peers. One of the main concerns when dealing with substance abuse is the long term problems with substance such as addiction, dependency and tolerance. The physical state of an individual, who is addicted to a substance, will deteriorate over a long period of time. This is due to the chemicals that are being put into an individual body. One of the most important aspects of the effect of substance abuse on society includes ill health, disease, sickness, and in many cases death. The impact of substance abuse not only affects individuals who abuse substances but it affects our economy. Our government resources are negatively impacted by individual who abuse substances. According to (Lagliaro 2004) the implication of drug users extend far beyond the user, often damaging their relationships with their family, community, and health workers, volunteer and wider
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...
Drug addiction is a very big problem in today’s society. Many people have had their lives ruined due to drug addiction. The people that use the drugs don’t even realize that they have an addiction. They continue to use the drug not even realizing that their whole world is crashing down around them. Drug addicts normally lose their family and friends due to drug addiction.
Drug abuse has been a hot topic for our society due to how stimulants interfere with health, prosperity, and the lives of others in all nations. All drugs have the potential to be misapplied, whether obtained by prescription, over the counter, or illegally. Drug abuse is a despicable disease that affects many helpless people. Majority of those who are beset with this disease go untreated due to health insurance companies who neglect and discriminate this issue. As an outcome of missed opportunities of treatments, abusers become homeless, very ill, or even worst, death.
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.