Teenagers and Drug Abuse Essay

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

As a counselor in training and an advocate for individuals’ mental health and wellness, I chose to become an official member of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and create an advocacy project to enhance adolescent mental health and wellness by advocating for more available protective factor to reduce substance use and abuse among this population. The purpose of this paper/project is to address and improve the rate of substance use and abuse among adolescents in Pitt County, more specifically in Greenville, North Carolina. This paper goes into great detail of the description of the population (adolescents), providing statistical evidence of adolescents’ use of drugs in Greenville. An increase in youth involved community activities, community service work and parental involvement will be discussed as ways to create a healthy, anti-drug, and stable environment for adolescents in Greenville, North Carolina.

Many teenagers between the ages of 12-18 are exposed or already on their way to addiction to substances that are not good for our mental or physical health. Many teens experiment with drugs but aren’t addicted. According to addictioncenters.com “teen drug abuse can have long term cognitive and behavioural effects since the teenage brain is still developing.” A study also shows that half of all new drug users are under 18. This is because our brains are still seeking the “thrill” and temptation of substances. Other common reasons are curiosity, peer pressure, stress, emotional struggles and wanting a escape. Thankfully drug use among teens, despite popular opinion are significantly decreasing. The teenage brain is very immature. By doing drugs as a teen you are at a greater risk for being an addicted adult.

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

According to current statistics released by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, “In the United States in 2011, there were an estimated 25.1 million adolescents aged 12 to 17. In the past year, more than one quarter of adolescents drank alcohol, approximately one fifth used an illicit drug, and almost one eighth smoked cigarettes” ("A Day in the Life of American Adolescents," 2013, para. 1). Substance abuse is major problem amongst adolescents. Some are experimenting, but some adolescents may become dependent on a particular substance. If one becomes dependent on a substance as an adolescent it could be detrimental to their future health and success as an adult. Spear (2003) stated in an article titled Alcohol’s

Persistent substance abuse among youth is often accompanied by an array of problems, including academic difficulties, health-related consequences, poor peer relationships, mental health issues, and involvement with the juvenile justice system. There are also significant consequences for family members, the community, and society in

Adolescence, usually defined as individuals between the ages of 12 and 20, is a period of transition, brain development and challenges1, 2, 3. Adolescence is the peak time to engage in risk taking behaviors2. Substance use is a common occurrence among adolescents. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse has identified adolescent substance use as one of the United States’ top public health concerns4. In fact, an individual’s chance of becoming a cigarette smoker drastically declines if smoking is not initiated by the time the individual is 18 years old. Alcohol and Marijuana are the most commonly used substances among adolescents1,2,3. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Study, the Center for Antisocial Drug Dependence, Monitoring the

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.

One fact from the source was that “Teenage drug abuse is one of the major international concerns that we are facing today. There are various reasons why teenagers begin using drugs. For many teenagers, getting high on drugs is their way of getting into the “in crowd.” As a result, teenage drug abuse is often rooted in the concept of social acceptance.” This fact is important because it explicitly explains the possible reason behind the behavior of drug abuse. Another fact is that “Teenage drug abuse may also be rooted in the concept of testing oneself. There is a fallacy floating around that if you are not able to handle drugs, then you are weak. Given this, teenagers begin using drugs in an effort to prove themselves. Many times teens take more and more of a drug to try to impress their peers. At a party, a teen may take repeated hits off a bong amid the cheers of their friends. With this level of support and praise from friends, teens often feel good about themselves, leading them to repeat this behavior.” This fact is important because it brings how social status and popularity could also be a major factor. My last fact is that “If a teen’s parents or other immediate family members have struggled with abuse and addiction, it increases the likelihood of the teen developing a substance abuse issue as well.” This fact is also important because it shows how it can be spread through family genes and that it has been a major problem for many generations. My third source speaks about a certain branch of drug abuse popular in teens called

Substance abuse is something that teens and adolescents battle every year. More than millions of teens face this issue and every year the number rises and high schools across the nation are seeing a need for school-based prevention programs to decrease the amount of students that are dropping out from these issues. These programs are geared towards helping problems such as alcohol and drug abuse. Although majority of large high schools have these programs, the number of students with these issues continues to rise and the problems are getting worse. “Adolescent substance use increases the risk of significant mental health problems such as conduct disorder, depression, anxiety, and substance dependence.” (Shekhtmeyster, Sharkey, & You, 2011, p.386) It is very obvious that these prevention programs are not digging deep enough into the issues to truly hit the root of the problem to become effective. Researching the substance abuse programs inside these high schools and their counseling programs, as well as their effectiveness can lead to better standards and interventions that can help these students who intend to have bright futures and are trying to move past their problems with drug and alcohol abuse.

In the last couple of years, according to the Centers for Prevention and Disease Control, teen substance abuse has declined. That’s the good news. The bad news is that teen use of heroin is skyrocketing, especially in the Midwest.

Including families in the treatment of substance use in adolescents has been a debate for several years in the addictions world. Some claim that involving families may hinder the client’s ability to improve due to not being honest, fear, and the lack of relationship one may have with their family members, specifically parental figures. Adolescents may not be honest with themselves or family members due to fear of disappointing or fear of punishment. Many providers and policy-makers do not view family member involvement as essential for successful treatment and recovery and see family as part of the problem rather than part of the solution (Hornberger & Smith, 2011). However, some researchers have found that families are an important resource for young people as they journey through substance use treatment.

     In today’s society, teens are a common target of anti-drug campaigns and government advertisements. The goal of these campaigns is to make teens and young adults aware of the dangers associated with drug use. While these campaigns are generally effective, teens are still greatly tempted by the dangerous, exciting, and fast-paced world of club drugs. Despite the information they are constantly receiving from their teachers, parents, and government media, some teenagers will still adamantly pursue drugs in hopes of finding “a good time.”

The biggest consequence to casual drug use can be that it develops into a true addiction. Very few addicts recognize when they have crossed the line from casual use to addiction. Most teens don't think that they will become addicted, and simply use drugs or alcohol to have a good time and be more like their friends. When teens become addicted they lose friends, develop health problems, start to fail in school, experience memory loss lose motivation, and alienate their family and friends with their negative behaviors and often unpredictable emotional swings.”

On the other hand, there are also those adolescents who try drugs just to experience the high and have no real factors that led them to be more likely to try drugs. (Newcomb, PhD, Maddahian, PhD, & Bentler, PhD, 1986) The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is quoted by (Venturelli, 2000) as reporting “between 1996 and 1997, current illicit drug use increased significantly for youth age 12 to 13, rising from 2.2 to 3.8 percent” (pg. 73) It is also reported that in 1998, the highest rates of drug use were found among people ages 16 to 17 at 19.2%, followed by 18 to 20 year olds at 17.3%.