Teen drug
abuse is a common occurrence across high schools across the country. A drug is any chemical that produces a
therapeutic or non-therapeutic effect in the body. Chemicals, on the other
hand, are a broad class of substances -- including drugs -- that may or may not
produce noticeable effects in the body. Many chemicals have harmful
effects on the body, especially in high doses. Alcohol is a drug -- not a
food, in spite of the calories it provides. Nicotine is a chemical that is
also a drug. The group of "illegal" drugs includes dangerous chemicals
that have only toxic actions (Focusas). Increasing amounts of teenagers begin
experimenting with drugs in high school, and in some cases middle school. Some
teens will experiment and stop, or continue to use occasionally, without
significant problems. Others will develop a dependency, moving on to more dangerous drugs and causing significant
harm to themselves and possibly others (Focusas). There is no way to tell how
one will react to the experimentation with drugs. Teenagers often do not see the
link between their actions today and the consequences tomorrow. They also
have a tendency to feel indestructible and immune to the problems that others
experience (Focusas).
Teenagers use drugs because they believe it is a social tool or that there is no
way to have fun on the weekends without it. Whatever the case may be, rarely do
teens see the negative effects of drugs and their behavior. For some, the
problems become apparent yet due to apathy that drugs cause, they are not
concerned and continue to engage in activities that involve much risk. The most common drug that teenagers' abuse is Marijuana. This
can be due to the perceived harmlessness in it. Marijuana is known as the
gateway drug. It is the drug that most people start off using. About one half of
the people in the
The trend in drugs amongst teens consists of Marijuana, Mushrooms, Cocaine, Ecstasy, and pharmaceutical prescription drugs. Locally, the three most common used drugs are Marijuana, Cocaine, and Ecstasy. The reality that teens experiment with drugs is generally accepted. The dangers of it are not well acknowledged. The progressive behavior is often not recognized. This is just one of the many effects drugs can have on some one. Its' effect to make someone oblivious to the obvious. At the rate that teen drug abuse is going, not only will our futures be harmed but those of our descendants as well. For example, there are kids who have parents who are still active in their addiction that they, the kids themselves, use with their parents. Can you imagine what society would be like if our generation grew up and raised our kids that way? Drugs give a negative impact to our society and it is a major problem that needs to be fixed before we feel its consequences in the years to come.
Drug abuse is defined as the non-medical use of a substance for any of the following reasons: psychic effect, dependence, or suicide attempt/gesture*(D.A.W.N). The use of prescription drugs in a manner inconsistent with accepted medical practice; the use of over-the-counter drugs contrary to approved labeling; or the use of any substance (e.g., heroin, marijuana, peyote, glue, aerosols) for psychic effect, dependence, or suicide. It’s not necessarily taking a lot of drugs. It is the amount that taken and the intent which makes it an abuse. A person with HIV taking a lot of medication is not a drug abuser. A person who steals prescribed drugs from a medicine cabinet for the intent of feeling a high is illegal and considered drug abuse.
The N.I.D.A. conducts annual surveys amongst teens in high school. Overall, there has been nearly a one-third decline in the past year of marijuana use among 8th-graders, dropping from the 1996 peak level of 18.3 percent to 12.8 percent in 2003. For 8th graders in 2003, the past year marijuana use rate, 2.8 percent, is the lowest rate since the 1996 peak of 18.3 percent. Rates of ecstasy use decreased significantly across all three grades for both annual and 30 day use. Past year use among 8th graders decreased from 2.9 percent in 2002 to 2.1 percent in 2003; 10th grade, 4.9 percent to 3.0 percent; 12th grade, 7.4 percent to 4.5 percent. Over the past 2 years, annual prevalence of ecstasy use has fallen by more than half among both 10th- and 12th-graders. From peak levels reached in 2001 in all three grades, annual prevalence has fallen from 3.5 percent to 2.1 percent among 8th-graders, from 6.2 percent to 3.0 percent among 10th-graders, and from 9.2 percent to 4.5 percent among 12th-graders. Cocaine use showed few changes across the board from 2002 to 2003. After rising between 2001 and 2003 (National Institute of Drug Abuse).
Marijuana is a green or gray mixture of dried, shredded flowers and leaves of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. It is usually smoked as a cigarette (called a joint) or in a pipe or bong. In recent years, it has appeared in blunts. These are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and re-filled with marijuana, often in combination with another drug. Some users also mix marijuana into foods or use it to brew tea. The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). In 1988, it was discovered that the membranes of certain nerve cells contain protein receptors that bind THC. Once securely in place, THC kicks off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the high that users experience when they smoke marijuana. The short-term effects of marijuana use include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate, anxiety, and panic attacks (Marijuana addiction).
Scientists have found that whether an individual has positive or negative sensations after smoking marijuana can be influenced by heredity. A recent study demonstrated that identical male twins were more likely than non-identical male twins to report similar responses to marijuana use, indicating a genetic basis for their sensations. Identical twins share all of their genes, and fraternal twins share about half. Environmental factors such as the availability of marijuana, expectations about how the drug would affect them, the influence of friends and social contacts, and other factors that would be different even for identical twins also were found to have an important effect; however, it also was discovered that the twins' shared or family environment before age 18 had no detectable influence on their response to marijuana (Marijuana addiction).
MDMA (Ecstasy) is an illegal drug that acts as both a stimulant and hallucinogen, producing an energizing effect, as well as distortions in time and perception and enhanced enjoyment from physical experiences. Typically, MDMA (an acronym for its chemical name 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is taken orally, usually in a tablet or capsule, and its effects last approximately 3 to 6 hours. The average reported dose is one to two tablets, with each tablet typically containing between 60 and 120 milligrams of MDMA. It is not uncommon for users to take a second dose of the drug as the effects of the first dose begin to fade. Ecstasy affects the brain by increasing the activity of at least three neurotransmitters (the chemical messengers of brain cells): serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Like amphetamines, ecstasy causes these neurotransmitters to be released from their storage sites in neurons resulting in increased neurotransmitter activity. Compared to the very potent stimulant, methamphetamine, Ecstasy causes greater serotonin release and somewhat lesser dopamine release. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in the regulation of mood, sleep, pain, emotion, appetite, and other behaviors. The excess release of serotonin by Ecstasy likely causes the mood elevating effects experienced by Ecstasy users. However, by releasing large amounts of serotonin, Ecstasy causes the brain to become significantly depleted of this important neurotransmitter, contributing to the negative behavioral aftereffects that users often experience for several days after taking Ecstasy (DrugAbuse.gov)
Cocaine is the most potent stimulant of natural origin. This substance can be snorted, smoked, or injected. When snorted, cocaine powder is inhaled through the nose where it is absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. When injected, the user uses a needle to release the drug directly into the bloodstream. Smoking involves inhaling cocaine vapor or smoke into the lungs where absorption into the bloodstream is as rapid as by injection. Each of these methods of administration pose great risks to the user. Cocaine is a strong central nervous system stimulant. Physical effects of cocaine use include constricted blood vessels and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Users may also experience feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. Evidence suggests that users who smoke or inject cocaine may be at even greater risk of causing harm to themselves than those who snort the substance. For example, cocaine smokers also suffer from acute respiratory problems including coughing, shortness of breath, and severe chest pains with lung trauma and bleeding. A user who injects cocaine is at risk of transmitting or acquiring diseases if needles or other injection equipment are shared (whitehousedrugpolicy.com).
Drug addiction is a treatable disorder. Through treatment
that is tailored to individual needs, patients can learn to control their
condition and live normal, productive lives. Like people with diabetes or heart
disease, people in treatment for drug addiction learn behavioral changes and
often take medications as part of their treatment regimen. The ultimate goal of
all drug abuse treatment is to enable the patient to achieve lasting abstinence,
but the immediate goals are to reduce drug use, improve the patient's ability to
function, and minimize the medical and social complications of drug abuse. There
are several types of drug abuse treatment programs. Short-term methods last less
than 6 months and include residential therapy, medication therapy, and drug-free
outpatient therapy. Longer term treatment may include, for example, methadone
maintenance outpatient treatment for opiate addicts and residential therapeutic
community treatment.
Therapeutic communities (TCs) are highly
structured programs in which patients stay at a residence, typically for 6 to 12
months. Patients in TCs include those with relatively long histories of drug
dependence, involvement in serious criminal activities, and seriously impaired
social functioning. The focus of the TC is on the re-socialization of the
patient to a drug-free, crime-free lifestyle
(drug-rehabs.com).
http://dawninfo.samhsa.gov/tools/glossary.asp
http://www.marijuanaaddiction.com/
http://www.drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.com/