Preview

Why Do Teenagers Abuse Prescription Drugs in America?

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1200 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Why Do Teenagers Abuse Prescription Drugs in America?
Why do Teenagers Abuse Prescription Drugs in America? What do we think when we know that the use of illicit drugs in America has been decreasing over the past decade? Should this be a bad thing or a good thing? Generally, people would think this is good and that our nation is certainly progressing as a whole. But to be honest, how is it possible to have this sort of decrease in a free will country such as America. The answer to this is the new era of drugs. Prescription drugs are the reason why the use of illegal drugs such as marihuana, cocaine, heroin, crack and inhalants has decreased in the last decade. Teenagers are finding new ways to get high, unfortunately in a much more dangerous way and as addictive as illegal drugs. As a matter of a fact these drugs can contribute to lifetime health complications. Now, a question you may ask is why do teenagers abuse prescription drugs in America? In this paper, the major reasons of why this is happening will be briefly discussed. Although the abuse of prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes has been a concern for past decades, the recent drastic increase of young adolescents in America abusing these types of drugs has alarmed many. As an adolescent myself and many others that I know, most of us are always intrigued to try new things without the necessary precautions regarding the consequences. The sensation to try new stuff is a major reason why many teens are experimenting on these new types of drugs. Besides, teens believe that prescription drugs acquired from pharmacies are not as dangerous as the illegal drugs that they would normally find on the streets. Sadly, the easiest prescription drugs to find have the most hazardous effects. In addition, teens practice “pharming” (Banta, par.2). Pharming short for pharmacy or rather pharmaceutical, are outrageous parties in which young adults gather as many different prescription drugs as possible and abuse of them in order to get high. Clearly, these types of


Cited: Banta, Clayton. “Trading for a High.” Time 166.5 (2005): 35. Academic Search Complete Elliott, Eric T., et al. "Teen Prescription Drug Abuse." Clinician Reviews 18.11 (2008): 18-23. Academic Search Complete Klein, Melissa. “Rx for Trouble.” Current Health 2 32.5 (2006): 22-24. Academic Search Complete “Prescription for Danger.” Current Events 106.20 (2007): 4-5. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO Querna, Elizabeth. “The newest war on drugs.” U.S. News & World Report 138.6 (2005): 52-54. Academic Search Complete
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Go Ask Alice Research Paper
    • 1360 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Go Ask Alice Research Paper

    Teenage drug abuse is one of the largest problems in society today and the problem grows and larger every year. Drugs are a pervasive force in our culture today. To expect kids not to be influenced by the culture of their time is as “unrealistic as believing in the tooth fairy,” (Jauman 140). Teens may feel pressured by their friends to try drugs, they may have easy access to drugs, they may use drugs to rebel against their family or society, or they may take an illegal drug because they are curious about it or the pleasure that it gives…

    • 1360 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    How Drugs Affect the Health Triangle
    • 2093 Words
    • 60 Pages

    How Drugs Affect the Health Triangle

    Illegal drugs were first used way before the history was recorded. On that time, they were used to cure diseases and were legal. However, as time passes by, doctors had discovered that these drugs could do more harm than good. Although some of the drugs were considered useful, their side effects may be costly and not worth the risk. As a child, most of the people were taught that using and taking illegal drugs could harm the body. Yet, according to 2010 National Survey on Drug use and Health, more than 22 million Americans age 12 and older—nearly 9% of the United States population—use illegal drugs (Cooper). And more than 20% of young people in the United States have experimented with inhalants at least once by the time they enter 8th grade (Cavendish 497). Furthermore, in 2010, there were 80,000 drug overdose deaths in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s WONDER database (“Which Drugs Actually Kill Americans”). With ignorance, many drug users suffer badly from their own actions, due to the fact that drugs have many lasting effects on the person’s physical, emotional, and social well-being. As a connotation that comes with drugs, they often jeopardize our bodily functions, depreciates the well-being of our physical health. Drugs could corrupt all parts and organs of the body—mainly the heart, brain, lungs, and kidney. Even worse, it could impair the nervous system and could even lead to seizures and paralysis. Although many people are aware of this destructive behavior of drugs, they still take drugs. And as a result, many people’s lives were damaged. Drugs often target and alter neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that allow nerves to communicate at their junctions. Repeatedly taking them could interfere the neurotransmitters in the brain, leading to addiction. For example, drugs like marijuana and heroin mimic natural neurotransmitters. This fools receptors and allows the drug to…

    • 2093 Words
    • 60 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Informative Essay On Xanax
    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Informative Essay On Xanax

    According to www.drugabuse.gov, it is estimated that fifty two million people with at least twenty percent being twelve or older, have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons at least once in their lifetimes. Some of the more commonly known drugs include Adderall, prescription painkillers and Xanax. These are the medications I will be researching and informing about, but there are definitely a lot more than three. Many people are prescribed and use these drugs as directed by a professional, but many also don’t. Adolescents often share or sell their medications to those who are not prescribed, and have no other way of receiving them. Constant misuse can lead to many health problems, and in extreme cases even death. Besides the abuse,…

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Opioid Use In Modern Society
    • 201 Words
    • 1 Page

    Opioid Use In Modern Society

    Crack, booze, pot, meth- from bustling cities to the serene countryside, the atmosphere surrounding an adolescent is permeated with drugs. Substance abuse has been an ever-growing problem in modern society, considering the amount of users today in comparison to half a century ago. In the 1990s, prescription drug abuse witnessed its first skyrocket. The use of drugs such as Vicodin and Oxycontin, increased by a staggering 343% between 1990 and 2005. From then on, drugs would become increasingly popular and would be more commonly distributed. In modern society, opioid use has become a regularity for a multitude of people, including the disadvantaged, the wealthy and successful, the middle class, and has recently been directed towards young adolescents.…

    • 201 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Persuasive Essay On Prescription Drugs
    • 322 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Persuasive Essay On Prescription Drugs

    Contrary to belief, almost all Americans use or have used some type of drug(s). When the topic of drug use and/or abuse brought up, naturally, alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs are brought into the discussion while disregarding medically accepted drugs. Prescription drugs are usually not included although they make up a high percentage of misuse, abuse, and death. Properly prescribed medication causes approximately 106,000 deaths and over 2 million serious side effects. Illicit drugs cause between 10,000 and 20,000 deaths per year, only 10% to 20% of that caused by legally distributed prescription drugs. This number does not include illegally distributed prescription drugs. We often, as a society, blame addicts for their compulsion when corrupt doctors and friends and family. Of course, with maximum testing on prescription drugs before distribution to the public and a proper overview of past medical history of the patient can substantially decrease the number of side effects and…

    • 322 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Prescription Drug Abuse Research Paper
    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Prescription Drug Abuse Research Paper

    Prescription drug abuse is a serious concern because it can easily and quickly lead to addiction or death. Every day in the United States, it is estimated that 2000 teenagers use a prescription drug for the first time without the approval of a doctor. In fact, roughly 7.4 percent of teens from the ages of 12 and 17 in America reported nonmedical use of prescription medications in the past year alone. Many believe that this new drug epidemic is affecting a large portion of the youth population (teens between the ages of 12 and 19) because prescription medications are not found in the streets, but at home-on kitchen counters, bathroom…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Overcrowded Prisons and the War on Drugs
    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Overcrowded Prisons and the War on Drugs

    Schaffer, C.A. (n.d.) Basic Facts About the War on Drugs. Retrieved on April 22, 2006 from:…

    • 1178 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Prescription Drug Abuse Research Paper
    • 2923 Words
    • 12 Pages

    Prescription Drug Abuse Research Paper

    It is important that teens recognize that these are not safe drugs simply because they are not illegal. Schools often teach about the dangers of alcohol, smoking, and the use of illicit drugs, however, with the growing trend of prescription drug abuse comes a new realm of problems. The potential for overdose is extremely high since prescriptions drugs are often prescribe in doses meant for body size and previous…

    • 2923 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Prescription Drug Abuse
    • 1117 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Essay On Prescription Drug Abuse

    Prescription drug abuse is a modern-day disease. In an estimate, over six million Americans have abused prescription medication. However, there is no completely accurate way to measure prescription drug abuse. Many people suffer from addiction because of certain doctors’ carelessness in writing prescriptions. When doctors’ are caught intentionally over prescribing abused medications, they are typically the punishment for their crimes is very small. Young adults are also beginning to abuse prescription drugs by illegally purchasing them from the prescription holder and using them as study or party drugs. Prescription drug abuse has torn apart families, destroyed lives, and has even resulted in death. Some people think that by focusing on prescription…

    • 1117 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Illicit Medications In Children And Adolescents
    • 152 Words
    • 1 Page

    Illicit Medications In Children And Adolescents

    "Illicit medications aren't useful for anybody, yet they are especially awful for a child or adolescent whose body is as yet developing. Illicit medications can harm the cerebrum, heart, and other critical organs. Cocaine, for example, can bring about a heart assault — even in a child or adolescent." "Medications can be awful for you from various perspectives. Indeed, even incidental or exploratory medication use can be hazardous, since medications can have unforeseen unfavorable wellbeing impacts even with one utilize; and medications influence your capacity to apply practical insight—production it more probable that you may take part in dangerous practices that can have genuine results, for example, driving while inebriated. Drawn out medication…

    • 152 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Prescription Medication Abuse
    • 1407 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Prescription Medication Abuse

    The excessive use of prescription medications has become a major pandemic around the world. It seems that teenagers are familiar as to what prescription medication abuse is, and are not aware of how easy it is to become addicted. Statistics say that it is quite normal to overtake prescription medications at very adolescent ages. “In fact, use of prescription painkillers by teens between the ages of twelve and seventeen has jumped 10-fold since the 1960s” (Teens Increasingly Abuse Painkillers Science Daily). Even though commonly used drugs, such as Advil or Tylenol, are helpful for minor health problems; they are not meant to be taken in huge amounts. Teens are influenced by the atmospheres they are exposed to and have curious minds, which…

    • 1407 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Prescription Drugs Research Paper
    • 294 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Prescription Drugs Research Paper

    Prescription drugs are too easy to get and are also addictive. I don’t do any drugs but I can easily access prescription drugs. Prescription drugs are everywhere. One of the main reasons young people abuse prescription drugs is because they are cheap. Individuals my age don’t have an excess of money, so prescriptions drugs are the answer if an individual wants to get high. In high school, most of the abused drugs are marijuana, painkillers, and depressants such as OxyContin and Xanax.…

    • 294 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Prescription Drug Abuse
    • 1377 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Prescription Drug Abuse

    In the United States, easy access to prescription drugs such as sedatives and pain medications is posing a major threat, especially drug abuse and dependence. The nonmedical use of prescription-type drugs (NMUPD), which is the same as using drugs without a prescription, and it is very common among young adults. For instance, drugs such as sedatives, opioids, and stimulants are commonly misused by adolescents simply for the experience or the feeling. The nonmedical use of prescription drugs ranks as one of the most common drug problems in the United States. However, the rate of misuse has slightly declined in recent years. The victims of misuse are mostly young teenagers who don’t have much information…

    • 1377 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Painkillers: a Growing Epidemic
    • 2089 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Painkillers: a Growing Epidemic

    Pudue Pharma, L.P.. (2005). The effects of prescription drug abuse are painfully obvious. Retrieved from http://www.painfullyobvious.com/index.asp…

    • 2089 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Do Teenagers Use Drugs?
    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Why Do Teenagers Use Drugs?

    Young people try drugs for many reasons including relaxation, socializing, curiosity or peer pressure. Alcohol, tobacco and cannabis are the most commonly used drugs by teenagers. Around one in five teenagers have tried cannabis at least once. Parents can reduce the risk of drugs for their children with some strategies…

    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More