Drug Addiction in Teens

Teen Drug Abuse

    “His lips were ash white. His pupils were popping out,” the boy’s mother, Lilia Astudillo, said. Jose Perez was a 14-year-old from Texas who told his mom "I'm not a drug addict" and told his mom to not take him anywhere for help. 

    The next morning Jose was dead. His mother was planning on taking him for help the next day, but it was too late. Jose was one of three people in his district to die in a span of months.

     It leaves parents thinking "Why didn't I help them sooner", and "What could I have done". This small town in Texas isn't the only town suffering from this problem. 

     Teen drug addiction is a complex issue that has significant implications for many teenagers. It affects their social life, family life, and every aspect of their day-to-day life.  Drug abuse encompasses the misuse of alcohol, marijuana, nicotine, and much more. Drug abuse for teens needs to be addressed by using preventative programs and trying to address where the problem begins whether it's in their household, or because of peer pressure. This all leads down a long road of drug abuse during adulthood. 

       In fact, "approximately 90% of adults with a SUD began using substances at an early age, and extensive evidence now supports the correlation between age and the development of an SUD; that is, the earlier the age at which consumption begins, the higher the incidence of SUDs".

 
     Teens are being easily influenced to use drugs because of their peers. It's a problem in high school and college with tons of substance abuse starting during this time.  "Peer pressure has caused 21% of teens to use an illicit drug at least once!"  

    For example, a teen who sees other friends doing drugs while hanging out will feel pressured to partake to feel involved in the group. This needs to be stopped and as a community, we need to highlight the importance of personal responsibility, and even with peer pressure it's up to us as the next generation of America to make our own decisions. 

     At a young age vulnerability is at its peak and the factor of media influence is on a rise. "Social media exposes teenagers to alcohol-related advertising and substance-related content from their peers. Social media posts from influencers and other teenagers may glorify the use of alcohol and drugs, as it is often portrayed in a positive light." 

    

    Seeing substance abuse in movies, music, and everyday cultural makes it normalize the risky behavior in teens, making it more likely for teens in this era. While cultural factors may be influencing the next generation, we need to combat this by enforcing the law and order and encouraging good personal choices. 

    Another factor that contributes to substance abuse in teens is family dynamics. Things like family conflicts, parental abuse, and parental involvement all increase the chance of drug use in their kids. With strong parental roles and strict moral values within the family structure of this nation, we can limit the use of drugs starting at such a young age. We need our parents and guardians to impact our teen's views on drugs and encourage them with mature decision-making. 

    Lastly, the accessibility of drugs is becoming very alarming. "Nearly 70 percent of people who admitted to having used illicit drugs said they had easy access to them."  The availability of fake IDs, older siblings, and online sources is making it increasingly easy to follow the wrong path.  

    "7,800 people try illicit drugs for the first time, and roughly 50 percent of those people are teenagers." The highlight of law and order and strict drug policies need to be enforced in our schools. With drugs being easily attainable, we need to educate our young on the law of drugs and how one bad decision can be a deal breaker for their future.

         "Adolescence is a risk-taking period during which teens are more likely to try drugs. The part of the brain responsible for reasoning and decision-making becomes less active during this period." Young teens are very vulnerable to the impact drugs will have on their mental and physical behavior. 

    The brains of teens aren't as developed and are sensitive to substance abuse. Depression, parental relationships, and much more have a huge impact on why teens might start to see it as a "way out". The thought of it being a way out needs to be addressed and advocating our freedom in schools and by our parental figures can be a way to reduce this thought. 

    The naysayer's voice here would be that experiencing drugs is just a part of growing up. They would try to downplay the problem at hand and say that teenagers would just grow out of the phase. The quote I used above says " Approximately 90% of adults with a SUD began using substances at an early age". This example is that for some people it's not a "phase" and can turn into a huge problem.

     Numerous prevention programs focus on the well-being of young adolescents. For example, "Rational Emotional Behavior Therapy (REBT) and the therapeutic system based on its principles, known as Rational Emotional Education (REE). This strategy provides tools like recognizing their emotions and changing their beliefs.    

                                                                              Prevention

    To try and prevent the problem the NACADA has proposed a writing competition for secondary school students. The object of this is to try and raise awareness and prevent the use of drugs in young students. It's a way of letting fellow teens get their ideas and solutions about drug addiction out to the public, and to be seen by their peers.  

    Teen Drug abuse is caused by many factors like peer pressure, family dynamics, and media influence. It's a big problem in the world today because it is affecting the next generation. Teens have underdeveloped minds that can be easily hurt. There are preventions but we need to address the problem now, so it doesn't get worse.