Sociological Perspective on Teenage Drug Abuse

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There are many major social issues in the world today. These social issues vary from teen depression and suicide to world-wide poverty. A significant social issue seen today is teenager drug abuse. Drug abuse has become a very big problem in most, if not all, societies. Every day in the United States, an average of two thousand teenagers able prescription drugs by using them without a doctor’s guidance. Prescription drugs aren’t the only concern, marijuana use by teenagers, specifically twelve graders, has also increased. Every day, 6.5 percent of twelve graders used marijuana up from 5.1 percent in 2007. Sociologists apply particular sociological perspectives to social issues. To better understand teenager drug abuse, functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interaction are going to be applied using a sociological perspective.
Functionalism, or functionalist perspective, had its origins with the works of Emile Durkheim. Functionalist theories see crime and deviance resulting from structural tensions and a lack of moral regulation within society. (pg. 172) Durkheim saw functionalism as inevitable and a necessary element of any modern society. In today’s age, people have more freedom than they had in traditional societies. This being said, there is more individuality leading to nonconformity. Durkheim said that deviance is necessary for society because it brings about social change. Drug abuse can be defined as being deviant.
Functionalism and teenage drug abuse go hand in hand. Teenage drug abuse has risen as modern societies have continued to develop. Durkheim said that crime and deviance was inevitable; teenage drug abuse is an inevitable activity. This activity causes social change such as new laws legali...

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...eir peer group. Being able to fit in and also being able to climb up in their peer group may make them act by abusing drugs.
When sociologists apply the sociological perspective to different social issues, in this case, teenage drug abuse, they look at functionalism, conflict theory, and interaction theory. Through these different theories, sociologist can analyze social issues and have a better understanding of them. Teenage drug abuse has grown in society over the past few years. Using the sociological perspective, sociologists can better understand teenage drug abuse and other social issues.

Works Cited

"DrugFacts: High School and Youth Trends." National Institute on Drug Abuse. N.p., Dec. 2012. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.
Gibbens, Anthony, Mitchell Duneier, Richard P. Appelbaum, and Deborah Carr.Introduction to Sociology. 8th ed. N.p.: W. W. Norton &, n.d. Print.

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