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How to prevent drug abuse among youth essay
The impact of drug abuse in teenagers
The effects of drug abuse on youth
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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...
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...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.
Masci, David. “Preventing Teen Drug Use.” CQ Researcher, 15 March, 2002, Volume 12, No. 10. Accessed October 1, 2003,
Smith, Karen. “Alcohol Use by youth and Adolescents: A Pediatric Concern.” Pediatric American Academy of Pediatrics. 12 April, 2010. Web. 26 March, 2014. .
Alcoholism comes with many problems and consequences that are dangerous for young teens. In America the average age for a girl’s first drink is thirteen, and for a boy it’s eleven. Young teens that drink are more likely to do with or
Years ago, the common image of an adolescent drug abuser was a teen trying to escape from reality on illegal substances like cocaine, heroin, or marijuana. Today, there is a great discrepancy between that perception and the reality of who is likely to abuse drugs. A teenage drug abuser might not have to look any further than his or her parent’s medicine chest to ‘score.’ Prescription drug abuse by teens is on the rise. Also, teens are looking to prescription drugs to fulfill different needs other than to feel good or escape the pressures of adulthood. Teens may be just as likely to resort to drugs with ‘speedy’ side effects, like Ritalin to help them study longer, as they are to use prescription painkillers to check out of reality. Pressures on teens are growing, to succeed in sports or to get high grades to get into a good college (Pressures on today’s teens, 2008, theantidrug). Furthermore, because prescriptions drugs are prescribed by doctors they are less likely to be seen as deleterious to teens’ health. A lack of awareness of the problem on the part of teens, parents and society in general, the over-medication of America, and the greater stresses and pressures put upon teens in the modern world have all conspired to create the growing problem of prescription drug abuse by teens.
...esh our minds on how to just say NO! Drugs shouldn’t ruin youth’s life. On an average day in 2006, 3,600 adolescents smoked marijuana for their first time. EXPLAIN If you help cut, that number by at least a quarter it will be a success. So, here I am to persuade you, to really take some time to think about how D.A.R.E can help kids deal with drugs.
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).
...ssures to be the best they can be academically. With all these pressures of adolescence on the rise, more and more teens are falling prey to the alluring “high” that allows a temporary leave from their problems and stress. Because teens lack the maturity and knowledge to understand long term consequences, they tend not to think about the down falls that they will face as a result of the drug use. This is especially true when it come to marijuana, as it is seen by so many as the harmless drug. With the increased use of marijuana by youth over the last three decades, it is imperative that better preventative measures, and firmer penalties, be put in place to educate and raise awareness concerning the risks and dangerous side effects that marijuana use can have. Only once society has put these preventative measures in to action, will there be an effective change seen.
Magill, E. (Ed.). (2011). Teen health series:Drug information for teens (3rd ed.). Peter E. Ruffner.
Knowing the risk of using drugs often helps teenagers avoid doing so. According to one source, “Teens who consistently learn about the risks of drugs from their parents are up to fifty percent less likely to use drugs than those who don’t” (11 facts). This matters because when teenagers are more aware of the risk, they are less likely to use drugs, knowing what the causes are.
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.
Many of those who do, get addicted or dependent on that drug. While young teens are out doing these illegal drugs, some of their parents have no idea that their children are doing these kinds of things. With this being said, Drugs are a nationwide phenomenon. The affection of drugs on young teens is greater than we thought. With one particular drug being “relatively easy” to obtain,
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...
The first step when beginning to implement drug education in a classroom or school is for the individual that is considering the topic to deem why the implementation is important. There are three main reasons teachers have found the implementation to be important. The first reason is that students are more likely to come in contact with drugs by hearing about them, or using them. By having a program implemented into a classroom or school, it can assist individuals to gain knowledge about the topic. The purpose of this is to help individuals make healthy, responsible decisions about drugs now and in the future that will reflect the individual’s identity and morals. The second reason is to help promote a healthy lifestyle for students. Teachers believe that by engaging students in drug education programs, it can help to benefit well-being of the students so that healthy lifestyles are reached to the fullest potentials. Lastly, teachers have found it to be important because teachers can act as a partner with parents, guardians, and other members of the community, in order to ensure that students are being provided with accurate and developmentally appropriate drug education. The school can provide knowledge to students in an area that is sometimes difficult for parents, guardians, and the community to talk about.
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.