Introduction
Teenage drug and substance misuse is a global issue. The usage of drugs and other substances by millions of young people threatens the next generation. Youths all around the world have now experimented with a variety of drugs, from alcohol and cigarettes to harder substances like cocaine, cannabis, and heroin. Over the years, drug misuse rates have been rising. In the world, between 153 million and 300 million persons between the ages of 15 and 64 have used illegal substances. Numerous projects and organizations have focused on this problem and attempted to provide solutions. Drug addiction among young people and teens has become widespread around the world, from industrialized to emerging nations, including well-known nations and states like the US, Germany, and China. Adolescents frequently abuse alcohol, cigarettes, cannabis, and cocaine, among other drugs. Teenagers have been using drugs, which has led to significant addiction that interferes with their personal lives and has an impact on those close to them. Despite being aware of the negative impacts of drug addiction, young people continue to do so. The purpose of this article is to outline the main causes and consequences of teen drug abuse.
Causes of Drug Abuse
Peer pressure, parental influence, socioeconomic factors, and other factors are only a few of the reasons of drug misuse that have been scientifically recognized and studied. Several studies have looked at how peer pressure contributes to juvenile drug misuse, starting with peer pressure. Individuals are often determined by their environments, according to conventional wisdom. The majority of young people choose to associate with what are known as peer groups. The majority of people get their first dosage of illicit substances from a friend, member of their family, or a love interest. In this situation, a small percentage of drug users in a group will likely persuade the other users to take drugs as well. The living environment in which people spend the majority of their time has a significant impact on them most of the time. Peer groups typically emerge in one’s immediate surroundings, particularly in young settings like schools, neighborhoods, and social organizations.
Family structure
Personal characteristics are influenced by family behavior and family structure. The majority of contemporary families seek to pursue classy, westernized lifestyles. The majority of the time, a conventional family is connected with ignorance. Cultural values have deteriorated in today’s environment, which has a negative impact on social standards.
Peer relationship
Researchers studied social theories and came to the conclusion that since family and peer interactions are crucial in defining people’s views and behaviors, they should be taken into consideration while analyzing the reasons of drug misuse. Strong traditional family ties are really eroding with time, and old value systems are becoming less significant in the modern world as a result of rising migration and urbanization rates. Nowadays, the majority of parents are observed openly taking drugs and alcohol in front of their kids. This relationship is also forced by congested metropolitan areas.
Social economic status
Another significant contributing factor to drug misuse is socioeconomic position. Population growth rates are alarmingly high worldwide, and several economic difficulties are being faced. One of the key determinants of drug usage and illegal drug trafficking is unemployment. People are seeking for alternate methods of surviving as a result of the widespread unemployment that now exists, particularly in emerging nations.
Unemployment
However, there are other socioeconomic factors that influence young people’s drug usage and addiction in addition to unemployment. Others include the unequal distribution of money to adolescents in industrialized nations, which influences drug usage in the majority of young people. If provided to young people without proper oversight, the money might act as a stimulant for drug misuse and addiction. Due to the income gap, those with low wages may feel pressured to trade drugs, as was described before.
Effects of Drug Abuse
Drug misuse is a risky behavior that can have a number of grave consequences. Drug abusers frequently experience a wide range of negative side effects, from psychological issues to societal repercussions. Drug misuse results in psychological illnesses, which are harmful to health. The psychological effects of drug misuse might manifest right away or even years or even decades after the abuser. According to clinical research, there is a strong connection between drug misuse and psychopathology.
Psychopathology effects
According to clinical data, heavy drug use can cause psychopathology before, during, and even after receiving medical care and going through recovery. Drug misuse among kids and teens therefore causes mental problems, including posttraumatic disorders and emotional syndromes among others, because the adolescent stage is a vital time in human development. These conditions have an undesirable impact on personal growth and development and may have long-term negative implications on a person’s ability to lead a fulfilling adult life.
Spread of diseases
The spread of the most dangerous infectious illnesses, including HIV/AIDS, has frequently been linked to drug misuse. “Of the estimated 16 million persons who inject drugs, about 3 million are living with HIV,” according to the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime. People who were using drugs at the time of their exposure to the fatal sickness have been uncovered. Drug addiction entails sharing of personal goods in addition to the risk of contracting infectious illnesses when intoxicated.
Injecting drugs entails a significant risk of contracting blood-borne viruses including HIV, hepatitis C, and hepatitis B, and sharing infected needles and syringes is a major method of transmission for those viruses, according to a new international assessment. Doctors and medical professionals have pointed out drug misuse as one of the main factors contributing to the development of infectious illnesses on several occasions. Drug misuse typically results in reckless behavior, which forces people to partake in additional risky activities including unprotected sex, prostitution, criminality, and violence, all of which raise the chance of contracting HIV.
Premature deaths
Drug misuse has a global impact on juvenile drug-related mortality, often known as premature deaths. Drug misuse has been the main factor in fatal incidents involving young people who are driving or even just having fun. The main drug-related accidental deaths include suicide instances, traffic accidents caused by drugged driving, murder cases, unintentional overdoses, unintended infections, and even trauma.
Increase in crime rates
Due to the influence of drug-induced hallucinations, young people who abuse drugs often develop the confidence to participate in risky behaviors. Between 99,000 and 253,000 accidental fatalities worldwide were attributed to drug usage in 2010, according to the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime’s annual drug report (16). Knowing that over 77.9 of these deaths included persons between the ages of 15 and 64, including youth, is incredibly traumatic.
Conclusion
Youth drug misuse is unquestionably a global problem. Teenagers’ drug usage has been impacted by a number of variables. Teenage drug usage is influenced by peer pressure, with those who already take drugs encouraging those who don’t. Since the majority of parents have embraced western culture, which causes the social norms that are crucial in forming young people’s behaviour to erode, family structure and family conduct have an impact on drug misuse. This situation has been exacerbated by globalization and migration from rural to urban areas.
Drug usage among young people has been affected by socioeconomic variables such as unemployment, with many unemployed people seeking possible means of subsisting. People who are unemployed become involved in drug misuse and human trafficking. Abuse of drugs has a number of detrimental effects. Among these effects include psychiatric disorders, posttraumatic disorders, elevated HIV/AIDS infection risks, and even a rise in accidents that result in fatalities. If the appropriate authorities do not take strict action to stop the problem, drug usage will likely continue to be the most difficult issue.
Works Cited
“City Colleges of Chicago – Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor.” Www.ccc.edu, www.ccc.edu/careers/Pages/Substance-abuse-and-behavioral-disorder-counselors-.aspx. Accessed 11 July 2022.
NOTICE CITY COLLEGES of CHICAGO DRUG and ALCOHOL-FREE CAMPUS NOTIFICATION.
“City Colleges of Chicago – Addiction Studies Associate in Applied Science.” Www.ccc.edu, www.ccc.edu/colleges/kennedy/programs/pages/addiction-studies-associate-in-applied-science.aspx. Accessed 11 July 2022.
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