Drug Abuse Among Teens

A commercial once aired on television describing the effects of smoking on the brain. It began with a person holding an egg and saying, "This is your brain". The person then cracked the egg into a frying pan and as the egg sizzled the voice was heard saying, "This is your brain on drugs". The message was powerful while at the same time informative. Smoking not only affects a person physically, but mentally as well. However, most people do not know the severe mental damage smoking inflicts since the focus is primarily on the physical effects. Drug abuse is becoming a growing problem among teenagers. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse's 1999 survey of 2,000 teens, about 14 million teens ages 12 to 17, 60% are at moderate or high risk of substance abuse1. A leading reason for this increasing number is that it is getting easier and easier to obtain drugs. Marijuana is easier to buy than beer, while cigarettes are the easiest to buy. Forty-seven percent of all teens say cigarettes are easiest to buy, 27% say marijuana and 12% say beer. The older the teen gets, the easier it is to buy marijuana rather than beer1. There are a number of different reasons teenagers begin to use drugs. Many kids use drugs for the same reasons adults use drugs- to get high, to feel happy, stimulated, relaxed, or intoxicated. Drugs can also be used to ease stress, frustration, tension, disappointment, fear or anger. Many teens turn to drugs when they feel as though they have no where or no else to turn to for help. Depression is a major reason teens might turn to drug abuse. They are overcome with a feeling of emptiness and hopelessness and tend to try to fill the void by using drugs. When teens are particularly stressed or upset they may use more drugs than normal in an attempt to ease their distress. Teens that are shy or fearful may begin to use drugs to boost their self-confidence. Many teens use them to fit in or are peer pressured

Bibliography: Bender, David. Teen Addiction. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1997. Cavanaugh, Christopher. AA to Z: Addictionary of the 12-Step Culture. New York: Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 1998. Davidson, Jonathon. Herbs for the Mind. New York: The Guilford Press, 2000. Henderson, Elizabeth Connell. Understanding Addiction. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2000. Ketcham, Katherine. Teens Under the Influence. New York: Ballantine Books, 2003. Torr, James. Drug Abuse: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1999. Williams, Mary E. Smoking. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2000. Yutsis, Pavel. Why Don 't I Remember?. Garden City Park: Avery Publishing Group, 1999.