... Drug Abuse Among Teenagers Drug abuse among teenagers ia a very serious issue today. Not only does it physically and emotionally destroy our youth, but it also affects society as a whole. Sometimes educating teens or entering rehabilitation programs are not enough of a deterrent. What causes teenagers to go beyond normal experimentation of drugs and become addicts? Like any teen, peer pressure is a biggie. If one wants to fit in with their peers they tend to do as they do. Perhaps to fit into a certain group you must behave and use as they do. Another reason may be not fitting into the group of your choice. Teenagers tend to go through many changes, physically, hormonally, and emotionally. Then there is always the neighborhood or environment that they live in. Perhaps the neighborhood is active into drugs and crime. These affects are greater than the early stages in life. The teen knows more than the baby or toddler. Perhaps, they believe ”they know it all!” They want a certain independence from their parents and families. Growing pains are tough. Some teens even become depressed and drop out of school. Some may even return to drugs as an escape from the pressures of school, peers, and families. With many causes or reasons that teens may find to use, after a period of time they become “hooked” or addicted. They may start off with alcohol, cough medicines, pain patches, bath salts or marijuana and then move on to prescription drugs, crack, cocaine...
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...knows bad things can happen to drug users. They become addicted. They can have serious or even fatal health problems. They can ruin their personal, social and professional lives. They may even end up in jail. But why do young people start taking drugs in the first place? What are the causes of drug use among young people? Curiosity, escape from the reality, the peer pressure. The first cause is simple curiosity. Many teens have heard about drugs, and they are curious to experience them for themselves. They have heard that drugs can be fun, or make a person feel and act different. Maybe they have seen their friends or family members behave differently while on drugs, and they want to see how it really feels. They see drugs on TV and movies every day. Many young people encounter them at school, at home or in their neighborhood. It is not unusual to be curious about something they see and hear about so often, so many people first try drugs because they are curious about them. Another reason young people take drugs is to escape their reality. Maybe their home life is not very happy. Maybe they have a boring job, are not doing well in school, or are just not happy with their life for whatever reason. For many people, drugs are a way to escape that unhappy reality. They can feel a little braver, stronger, a little smarter, more beautiful or more important. Of course this doesn’t last long, but that doesn’t matter. For the brief time that the drugs are taking effect, the user...
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...Creative Process Searching for the challenges is the first stage of the creative process, and this take place when an individual can meet his or her challenge in an imaginative, original, and effective way. As individuals challenges are often sought out, and they come in forms of issues or problems. For example, drug addiction among teenage boys are more prevalent today than in previous years, and it is causing a problem that can but young teenage boys at risk for health complications and mental issues. According to the United States department of human health services (2006) the percentage of young teenage boys using drugs are much higher than teenage girl, especially between the ages of 14 to 18 (Para. 1). Drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, household chemicals, and ecstasy is the six top drugs of choice among teenage boys, and this presents a challenge on how to treat and prevent drug abuse. Influences such as peer pressure, the media, stress, and family history also presents challenge when dealing with teenage boys and drug abuse. According to Hans (2009) family history of drug addictions can cause teenage boys to develop drug abuse...
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...Name: Course: Professor: Date: Drug legalization. Drug legalization will not by any chance help reduce the effect of drugs on an individual and the society as a whole. The effects brought about by the abuse of drugs are many and well known to us. Some of these effects include, destruction of the human character, a person’s dignity and autonomy is destroyed, the sense of responsibility is swept away, drugs subvert productivity and there is loss of memory affecting to the greatest extent students. Legalization generally means removing a legal prohibition against something that is currently not legal. (Dictionary.com) Then by legalizing drugs; we will be making the sale and use of drugs which is currently illegal to be legal. The sale of drugs will be done freely on every corner of our streets just like candy without anyone bothering the other. Legislation advocates deny that the amount of drug use would be affected, I conquer with the opinion, making drugs legal will increase their availability and use. For instances, “when powder cocaine was hard and expensive to get, it was found in the circles of the rich, famous and privileged”. (William J Bennett) There is an argument that legislation of drugs will reduce the number of street crimes in our streets. Research has proven otherwise. Most drug criminals on our streets were into crime well before they got involved with drugs. Legalizing drugs won’t stop these criminal from because they will continue their criminal activities...
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...Tuesday, 2 June 2009 EFFECT OF SOCIAL VICES ON THE YOUTH. “Drugs are tearing apart our societies, spawning crime, spreading diseases such as AIDS, and killing our youth and our future.” Kofi Annan, former UN secretary General. This statement by Kofi Annan is very true today. Despite well-known risks, people continue to abuse drugs, and such abuse continues to destroy lives. Drug abuse costs the United States an estimated 100 billion dollars a year in health care, reduced job productivity, lost earnings, and crime. Well, do you know which group suffers most? It’s the youth. According to a Brazilian study, 24.7 percent of youths between 10 and 17 years of age have already tried some kind of drug. Also while teenage drug use in the United States may have declined somewhat in recent years, alarming numbers of young ones there are addicted. Consider seniors in high school. According to one study, 37 percent had at least tried marijuana in the previous year. One out of 5 had used it in the past month. Almost 1 out of 10 had tried the drug ecstasy in the past year.’ The most murderous group of Americans are in the 18-to-22 age group,” according to a recent report. “In 1979, says the FBI, they accounted for 25% of all murder arrests.” The British Office for National Statistics reports that “12 per cent of pupils aged 11-15 had used drugs in the last year. . . Cannabis [marijuana] was by far the most likely drug to have been used.” Particularly alarming was the fact that “more...
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...TEEN DRUG ABUSE It is a vulnerable time of life as teens navigate the precious bridge between childhood and adulthood. One of the most challenging issue for this young age group that is ill prepared to make unwisely decisions, such as using and abusing drugs. Teenage substance abuse can greatly alter behavior. It aslo can cause a change in their brain which can lead to addiction and other serious health problems. Though some teens who use drugs do not progress to become abusers, or addicts in adulthood, drug use can put teens in a very serious position, even to a small degree of substance abuse can have negative consequences. School and relationships, notably family relationships are among the life areas that are most influenced by drug use and abuse. There are many possible reason your teen may turn to drugs and abuse it. One practical reason or excuse can be peer pressure. Peer pressure is a powerful force at any stage of life, but it is very influential during adolescence. The desire to be accepted by those around you such as your friends or a friend of friend can lead to that. Spending times with your friends could be fun sometimes but what is not fun is sharing intensely pleasurable drug induced euphoria. The effects can be entertaining at the moment and could make great stories the next day or down the road, until someone gets seriously injured. A desire to try something new because of curiosity can be very intense. Sometimes the parents who may also abuse drugs children...
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...Drug Testing in School Youa Vang DeVry University Drug Testing in School Drug use has continued to increase within the past years. “An estimated 22.5 million Americans from the age of 12 or older had used an illicit drug or abused a psychotherapeutic medication in 2011. That is 8.7 percent of the US population (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2012).” Most people start taking drugs in their early teenage years because they get pressured easily. With drugs being one of the biggest pressures, it can happen anywhere outside of home. One usually gets talked into trying drugs because he either was stressed out, he wants to fit in, or he wants to look cool. Drug use can have a huge impact on one’s behavior and academic performances. It will make it difficult for a student to get along with others and to concentrate, not only at school, but, also, at home. By using drugs, one can experience sudden memory loss. Students entering junior high and beyond should receive drug test regularly and randomly to prevent drug abuse, help students stay in school and benefit their life long decision-making. Drug testing in school is not about catching students who use drugs. Rather, it is to prevent students from using it and to seek help for those that need it. Mandatory drug testing would be a way to ensure students’ safety and help them stay in school. By requiring drug testing, students will have a reason to say no when being offered any. When a student uses drugs and comes...
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...| The Addiction of America | The Abuse of Prescription Drugs in the United States | Sean Barnes | Western Governors University | 12/19/2014 | The abuse of prescription drugs in the United States has reached epidemic proportions and continues to get worse. Most people, however, do not realize how big the problem really is. It continues to get worse every year and it demands our attention. In 2011, just three short years ago, an estimated 52 million people in the United States over the age of 12 had used prescription drugs for a non-medical reason (National survey on drug use, 2011). The most commonly abused prescription drugs are pain relievers. Why are people abusing these drugs and where do they get them? This paper will attempt to answer those questions as well as pose a possible solution on how it can be corrected. Analyzing the Problem To begin, we must first take a look at why so many American citizens are abusing prescription drugs. Most will probably tell us that they became addicted to pain relievers after some sort of horrible accident or surgery. They were prescribed these medications by their Primary Care Provider and told to take them in the correct manner, which are usually one or two tablets/pills every four to six hours apart, as needed for pain. What they were probably not told by their Primary Care Provider is that they should not take them sooner than directed, nor should they take them whenever they are not experiencing pain. The directions on...
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...NUR/440-Health Assessment and Promotion for Vulnerable Populations April 11, 2011 Sheila de Vaugh, APRN, BC CBS Evening News correspondent Ben Tracy reported on April 6, 2011 that teenage drinking and drug use has increased by 22% and that 71% of all teenagers have had a drink of alcohol before finishing high school. Most teenagers believe that smoking marijuana is not a big deal and that parents and society opposed cigarette smoking more (Tracy, 2011). Celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Brittany Murphy, and Anna Nicole Smith overshadow the issue of prescription drug abuse when every day people are experiencing the same outcomes. Emergency room (ER) nurses are the frontline in treatment of individuals suffering from addiction, withdrawal, and overdose. Still, many doctors and nurses have become hardened because of the belief that patients are drug seeking, which leads to poor management of pain and increased disparity accessing health care. In this paper I will present demographics on prescription drug abuse, issues of cultural competence and sensitivity, and strategies nurses can use to alleviate health consequences for this vulnerable group. Finally, I will conclude by presenting a brochure that ER nurses can use to identify patients at risk for substance abuse and to assess for early referral to treatment. Consequently, looking at the big picture can help health care providers to assist individuals at risk without judgment. Demographics The Center...
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...We’ve all heard it before. An elderly person rants on and on about how “corrupt” the youth of today is. Yes, we’ve seen examples of youth disregarding the idea of being law-abiding citizens, but do youth really deserve all of the blame? Not necessarily so. Today’s youth, like youth throughout time, are being influenced. The problem is just that the influences of today’s world such as, the media, education, drugs, and alcohol are growing steadily negative and poorer in quality. Social networking, the media, music, education, various drugs, and alcohol affect today’s youth in negative ways. Youth and the Media Some of the most influential vectors affecting teenagers are social networks, the media, and music. Social networking sites dominate the time of many teenagers. Paired with the entertainment industry, and things being said on television or the radio, social media can definitely change people's mindsets and emotions. Think about it. Very often, you see children posting statuses on Facebook or tweeting on twitter. And when these kids are watching television, listening to the radio, or reading magazines, often times the wrong messages are being projected to the ears of teens. The result is a changed teenager. The result is a teenager whose mind is being corrupted by the face of a few people. Nowadays, many teens have a Facebook account. The website is simple. You upload some statuses, you like somebody's pictures, you see what your friends like and update. Even though...
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...Treatments for Adolescent Substance Abuse Substance abuse is no stranger to today’s society. In fact, substance abuse has been an issue for many, many years now. A somewhat recent issue with substance abuse is that adolescents are becoming more involved. Teenagers, in particular, are more vulnerable to experiment with drugs and alcohol. With adolescents being introduced to such harmful substances it can lead to many problems. Not only does substance abuse pose issues with social problems, it also poses issues with educational issues, and it may even lead to death. While there are many problems with adolescent substance abuse, there are ways to solve this prevailing issue. Toddlers and young children are completely dependent on their parents while teenagers are going through different phases in which they are trying to transition into adulthood. Often detrimental stimuli are being introduced and adolescents are more prone to be susceptible to give in peer pressure because the judging process within the brain is not fully developed. (Kirst-Ashman, 2013). With this being said, the actions of teenagers are mainly based on the people that they hang out with. Therefore, if teenagers are around other teenagers that are smoking, drinking, or using other substances then they are more likely to try those substances as well. While a teenager’s peers have a lot to do with the actions they take other factors can lead to substance abuse too. Gangs have been a huge issue in...
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...Implications Of Drug Abuse Among Undergraduates: A Case Study Of The Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Nigeria. Citation: Kobiowu, S.V. (2006) The Social And Academic Implications Of Drug Abuse Amonst Undergraduates: A Case Study of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation. 11 (1), 61-68 [pic] Abstract The researcher investigated the incidence of drug misuse among university undergraduates, with particular reference to Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. The study revealed that the academic pursuit of those undergraduates who engage in drug misuse is not unduly jeopardized, and that the abusers do not socialize extraordinarily, contrary to seemingly popular expectation. [pic] Introduction The term ‘drug’ in the main, would relate to “any substance that, when taken into a living organism, may modify one or more of its functions”, while abuse’ implies “a particular application of a drug more destructive than constructive for society, or the individual”. One may be hooked emotionally and psychologically, and may have a physical dependence, where one has a drug addiction problem, whether to a legal or illegal drug, there is a craving for it. The individual wants to use the drug again and again, and if it is stopped, there are usually unpleasant physical reactions. While it is not everyone who uses drug that becomes...
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...A STUDY ON DRUG ABUSE AMONG YOUTHS AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIP 青年濫藥與家庭關係的研究 THE FINAL REPORT (FINAL version) February 2011 1 PREFACE The project on the study on “DRUG ABUSE AMONG YOUTHS AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIP” (“the Study”) is being undertaken by the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention and the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong (“the Consultant”). The research team comprises the principal investigator (PI), Professor Paul YIP, Director of the Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention and Professor of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong, and eight co-investigators (Co-Is), Dr. CHEUNG Siu Lan Karen (Demographer), Dr. Sandra Tsang (Social and Family Worker), Dr. Samson Tse (Focus group expert on mental health and drug abuse), Dr. Wong Oi Ling (Family therapist, Family Institute), Prof. Karen Laidler (Sociologist, expertise on assessing drug abuse problem), Dr. Paul Wong (Clinical psychologist), Ms. Frances Law (Social Worker), and Dr. Lilian Wong (Associate Consultant, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Tseung Kwan O Hospital, Hospital Authority). We would like to thank Mr. Gary Ip, the research assistant of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration, Ms. Garlum Lau, the senior research officer 2 of the Department of Sociology, the participants and NGOs for focus groups and case studies for their kind and valuable support on this...
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...2008 Lake County Epidemiological Profile The Consumption and Consequences of Alcohol & Other Drugs in Lake County, Indiana Produced by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Lake County Prosecutor’s Office & Lake County Drug Free Alliance The Study Was Funded By the State of Indiana Via a Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) State Incentive Grant (SIG) The Grant is Being Administered Under the Supervision of the Co-Chairs, Sheriff Roy Dominguez and Prosecutor, Bernard A. Carter John Ayre Key Jr., Chief of Staff With Support from Calumet College of Saint Joseph’s Public Safety Institute Completed Monday, March 18, 2008 Our Vision: A Healthy, Safe and Drug-Free County Encouraging and Enhancing Creativity and Productivity Among All Citizens Our Mission: To Eliminate Substance Abuse In Lake County This document is written for key community stakeholders and policymakers and presents data and analysis to support the development of a county-wide systemic framework and approach to reducing alcohol use and abuse and eliminating drug use in Lake County, Indiana. This document and the efforts described herein were funded through a Strategic Prevention Framework...
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...been accepting of many of these activities, even when they were illegal, because of corruption, because the activities were seen as inevitable, or often because the activities were economically important. Early Texas and the Republic of Texas Before the arrival of the European settlers in Texas, the plant peyote (peyotl in Nahuatl) had become a popular hallucinogenic among tribes in the Rio Grande Valley as well as parts of West Texas and Chihuahua. Tribes in the area included the Carrizo Coahuiltecan and later the Lipan and Mescalero Apache, and even the Karankawa and the Caddo tribes. The plant came to be used for both recreational and ritual usage. Its hallucinogenic effects were regarded with suspicion among the Spaniards and the drug was never widely used outside the Native American communities. Gambling was a popular pastime in many parts of early Mexico...
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