Drug Abuse In America

Teen Drug Abuse in America

Imagine you are at a social event and someone offers you drugs, maybe you ponder the thought and possibly feel a little tempted, however being a somewhat responsible adult and secure with the person you have become you refuse the said drug. Now imagine an insecure, troubled teen that's at that same social event that gets offered drugs. Since this teen is not secure with the person they are and peer pressure is a factor, the temptation to accept the offer in order to fit in is overwhelming. There are several triggers that can lead a teen to abuse drugs, some of which may include peer pressure, emotional distress, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and environmental stresses. A recent poll conducted by the Partnership for a Drug Free America found that adolescents listed drugs as the most important problem facing people their age, followed by crime, violence in school and social pressures (Sallin, 2006; Partnership for a Drug Free America).

Almost 2/3 of all young Americans try illicit drugs before they even finish high school and one out of 16 seniors smoke marijuana daily. The average age in the United States of initial alcohol abuse is 12 in fact 93% of all teenagers have some experience of alcohol by the end of their senior year in high school. The average age of experimentation of drugs is 13 (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2002). It's no wonder one of America's most challenging issues related to teens is drug abuse.

Adults have pressures like teens do; however, adults have a better emotional awareness and a higher rate of self-control. Most of an adult's relationships with peers have already been established; therefore the pressure to be accepted is non-existent. Adult's have a higher sense of responsibility and have developed good personal and social skills and have a higher education of the potential consequences of drug use.

According to one study that was conducted that used comparisons of drug abuse by age and there was in fact a substantial variation. The rate for substance dependence or abuse was 1.2 percent at age 12, and rates generally increased for each successive year of age until the highest rate (23.6 percent) at age 21. After age 21, the rates declined with age. The following year the same study was conducted and again a similar pattern by age was noted. The rate of substance dependence or abuse was 8.9 percent for youths aged 12 to 17; 21.0 percent for persons aged 18 to 25; and 7.0 percent for persons aged 26 or older. Among persons with substance dependence or abuse, illicit drugs accounted for 58.1 percent of youths, 37.2 percent of persons aged 18 to 25, and 24.1 percent of persons aged 26 or older (U.S Department of Health & Human Services, 2005).

A contributing factor in why teens maybe at a higher risk for drug abuse is that they have more exposure to drugs than adults. Many teens obtain a large majority of their drugs on school grounds. If not exposed to drugs right at school, peers may experiment with drugs and offer them to one another, which greatly increases the risk.

Another factor that may increase this risk is that teens have a different attitude about drugs and some believe parties are more fun with drugs or that drugs are just fun in general. Drugs can produce intense feelings of pleasure, as they stimulate various parts of the brain that are responsible for feelings. Drugs can intensify or dull the senses. These effects in turn create false perceptions and increased feelings of security, which in many cases, help teens feel more sociable and relaxed among their peers. Many teens are very insecure with their self-image and are unsure how their peers perceive them; therefore, in an effort to fit in and be part of the "in-crowd" they are afraid to say no when offered drugs. Some teens feel that if they don't do drugs that they won't fit in anywhere or they may feel they risk losing their friends. Most teens don't know how to turn the peer pressure off which in turn can have disastrous consequences.

The determinants of drug abuse are often specific to the particular drug and the perceived benefits from the drugs. For example, stimulants are a class of drugs that elevate mood, falsely increase confidence, and boost energy levels and create acute alertness. Hallucinogens distort all the senses and cause illusions. Depressants and Cannaboids reduce anxiety and create a calm feeling. Inhalants cause lower inhibitions. Opiates and other depressants produce a sense of calmness, which in turn reduces anxiety. Anabolic steroids enhance athletic performance by increasing muscle mass (Help guide, 2005). The effects of any of these types of drugs may seem appealing to a teen that feels he or she is an outsider.

In addition to illicit drugs, prescription drugs are a new emerging trend among teen drug abuse. As reported in the Partnership for a Drug Free America's annual tracking study: Prescription medication abuse by teens and young adults is a growing problem in the United States. It is reported that one in five teens has abused a prescription pain medication, one in five report abusing prescription stimulants and tranquilizers, one in ten has abused cough medication. More than three in five teens say Rx pain relievers are easy to get from parents' medicine cabinets; half of teens say they're easy to get through other people's prescriptions; and more than half of teens say prescription drugs are "available everywhere;" In addition, 43% of teens believe pharmaceuticals are cheap and 35% believe they are safer to use than illegal drugs (Sallin, 2006, Partnership for a Drug Free America). The studies also found teens believe the key reasons for abusing prescription drugs is their widespread availability and easy access. According to the data, Leinwand (2006) states that "kids