Drug Use In Adolescents: A Case Study

In society adolescents face a number of problems. Teens face many different problems wherever they are, but the problem that seems to cause the most problems today for teens are drugs. With drugs come many different problems. Why do adolescents take drugs? There are several factors that can contribute to teens using drugs: peer pressure, family factors, they choose to do them, genetics and stress.
One of the biggest factors for teens using drugs is peer pressure. The definition of peer pressure is “social pressure by members of one's peer group to take a certain action, adopt certain values, or otherwise conform in order to be accepted.” The desire to fit in ensures that there is always new teens that may later become addicted. This is an important factor when it comes to drug use.
According to Reachout.com, there are two ways peer pressure affects teens. Those ways are directly and indirectly. For direct pressure it is having

their peers tell them it is ok to do drugs as it will help them fit in with the others around them that are doing them. The indirect pressure is that their friends are habitually doing drugs and just by being around them would cause them to attempt to do drugs as well.
Family life can be of great influence to adolescent drug use.

This could be due to that they might have had an unpleasant upbringing and being neglected by their parents. Children learn by observing the environment around them. If they see someone do something, they will attempt to emulate that behavior. By watching their parents or other family members in the act of drug use, the likeliness of them doing the same thing increases.
Siegel, L. J., & Welsh, B. (2014) states:
Social psychologists suggest that drug abuse patterns may also result from observation of parental drug use. Youths who learn that drugs provide pleasurable sensations may be most likely to experiment with illegal substances; a habit may develop if the use experiences lower anxiety and fear. (p. 279)
Furthermore genetics can help push a young teen into drugs. If their parents abused drugs then it is likely that trait will also be passed down through to them in their genes. It could also show what type of drugs that they would be susceptible to.
Alcoholrehab.com

states:
Genetic predisposition is considered important in developing a drug or alcohol abuse problem. It is suggested that individuals who have a parent or grandparent who has an addiction are more vulnerable to addiction. This is not to say that people who are born into a family who has substance abuse problems will have the same problems, it simply means that they may be more susceptible to developing an addiction. They may find it harder to quit once if they become addicted, or have more severe withdrawal symptoms.
The teens make their own choices. Adolescents can make the rational choice to do drugs. There may be no sphere of influence, but their own. Siegel, L. J., & Welsh, B. (2014) stated “Youths may choose to do drugs to get high, relax, improve their creativity, escape reality, or increase their sexual responsiveness.” (p. 281) Adolescents are free to make their own choices but with those choices come the consequences that they must face. Even with the help of parents, peers and society, these adolescents are making those choices with or without appropriate information.
In conclusion, there are many factors that cause adolescents to use drugs. The reasons presented were just a few of the many reasons teens use drugs. The reasons can be peer pressure, their family life, their genetics and even the choice is theirs. Teens who use drugs are just usually doing them to escape the reality of their problems.