Introduction This paper will discuss the ensuing difficulties regarding teenage non-medical prescription drug use and the possible alternatives to reduce abuse in the youth population. Discussion There is an imperative need for parents to understand the physical and emotional problems their teens may be facing and get them the help they need to adequately and appropriately address the varying issues. Furthermore, most adults think of teen drug use as an outward expression of adolescent rebellion; a means to party and experiment. Moreover, parents are not aware that prescription drugs have become the latest and greatest way to do just that. “Many people ages 11 to 18 routinely take pills such as Vicodin, Percocet, Xanax, Klonopin, Adderal, …show more content…
Drug use impacts perception, a skill adolescent brains are actively trying to cultivate, and can fracture developing neural pathways. Additionally, as our brains are becoming hardwired during adolescence, the pathways being reinforced are the ones that stick. If those pathways include addiction, the impact may lead to life-long challenges. As the epidemic of teen non-medical prescription use and abuse increases, we as a nation need to consider solutions that will insure that our children have a future, redoubling our efforts to modernize strategies that will confront the public health problems we are facing pertaining to our youth. Specific strategies that address the facets of teen life such as peer pressure, decision making, and academic progress, how they spend their free time and choosing friends. “With an approach that involves standardized assessments, early intervention, and promotes teamwork between parents, physicians and educators” Arria, Amelia M. (pp. 43). The rate of prescription drug abuse among adolescents has increased dramatically over the past decade. Prescription drugs are the second most commonly abused illicit drug among adolescents, surpassed only by marijuana. Monitoring the future means that we intentionally generate accurate data that will direct our efforts in designing …show more content…
(2016). Annual Editions: Drugs, Society, and Behavior, 11th Ed: McGraw-Hill Publications. Unit 1, Article 1.5: Lauby, George; Wheelock, Kamie. (2009). “Tackling Top Teen Problem-Prescription Drugs” (pp. 31-34). Unit 2, Article 2.1: Arria, Amelia M. (2011). “Prescription Drug Diversion” (pp. 42-44). Unit 3, Article 3.4: Johnston, Lloyd D. (2012) “Monitoring the Future” (pp. 88-107). Trends in Adolescent Prescription Drug Abuse • Nearly one in five teens report abusing prescription drugs to get high (Partnership for a Drug-Free America, 2006). • One third of all new abusers of prescription drugs in 2006 were 12 to 17 years old (SAMHSA, 2008). • More than 2.1 million teens ages 12 to 17 reported abusing prescription drugs in 2006. Among 12 and 13 year olds, prescription drugs are their drug of choice (SAMHSA, 2008) • Twelfth graders have recently had the highest rates of prescription drug abuse. (Johnston et al, 2008) • Pain relievers, like Vicodin and Oxycontin, are the prescription drugs most commonly abused by teens (SAMHSA, 2008). Nearly half of teens who have abused prescription painkillers also report the use of two or more other drugs, most commonly alcohol and marijuana (Office of National Drug Control Policy,
In fact, teens in our country do not have a deep knowledge of the negative effects of drug use. Without realizing the drug can cause until failed to make rational decisions and is also likely to be fatal, our teenagers addicted to the drugs. The occurrence of drug abuse is influenced by peers. This is because, a friend is someone nearby to adolescents after the family.
Underlying Causes: The increase in the sale of opioids is considered to be the root of the opioid crisis, as the drugs have been proven to be highly addictive. An addiction to prescriptive opioids, however, can lead to an addiction to synthetic, illegal opioids, such as heroine or fentanyl, which are less expensive and easier to acquire. In fact, in their journal article, “Associations of nonmedical pain reliever use and initiation of heroin use in the United States” Pradip Muhuri and associates discovered that “the recent (12 months preceding interview) heroin incidence rate was 19 times higher among those who reported prior nonmedical prescription pain reliever (NMPR) use than among those who did not (0.39 vs. 0.02 percent)” (Muhuri et. al). In other words, abusing prescription opioids significantly raises the chances of abusing illicit drugs, such as heroin.
Lastly, modern young adults have to deal with addiction when they get addicted to substances without even knowing what they are doing. Young adults think it's not a big deal and it is just for enjoyment and is getting highly addicted to illegal substances. Billy Manas states that “There is
With the outbreak of prescription related deaths, young teens and people must recognize the signs of drug abuse and must recognize the problems this widespread causes. Drug Addiction. People use drugs without worrying about the negativity it can bring in your life. The illegal drugs are not the only unsafe ones. Prescription opioids are similar to the effect that of heroin and morphine,they provide a higher chance to be abused and an addiction to form if they are abused and used non-medically.
Starting with the “just say no” campaign, moving along to Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), and now on to Project ALERT (Welsh). Each of these programs has had a surprising success rate in teaching children to avoid peer pressure as well as the cause and effects of drugs and alcohol. Along with school programs, the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign has had a surprisingly positive effect, with 41 percent of adolescents in grades 7-12 stating that the ads made them less likely to experiment with drugs (Welsh). As with any issue plaguing a nation, it is essential to educate in order to
Drugs such as alcohol have an effect on all users, regardless of their age; however, alcohol has an especially harmful effect on teens since their bodies are still developing. Studies have shown that alcohol has numerous negative effects on a teen’s body and mental health; for example, a study conducted by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention stated that “alcohol consumption affects the brain’s frontal lobes, which is essential for functions such as emotional regulations, planning, and organization” (“Age”). Teens already have high emotions and difficulties planning and organizing; alcohol will only enhance teens’ struggle. The Center of Disease Control and Prevention also found that alcohol consumption at a young age can potentially cause chronic problems such as memory loss, depression, suicidal thoughts, and poor decision making (“Age”). Teens have a difficult enough time making decisions and organizing their lives, but adding alcohol to the mix will only make matters worse; their bodies are still developing, and they are still learning to be adults.
LSD is a hallucinate know to be a powerful drug of this kind. LSD is commonly known as acid. This drug changes a person’s mental state by messing with the perception of reality to the point where at high doses hallucination occurs. Acid is from a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. It’s manufactured chemically in laboratories, except for a small percent, which is produced legally for research.
The Rockingham County Partnership for Success Grant awarded by, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use, aims to reduce prescription drug misuse among adolescents and young adults ages 12-25. The strategic plan for addressing prescription drug misuse in Rockingham County was a successful project for field based research. The strategic plan includes a logic model and action plan for Rockingham County Partnership for Success Grant and coalitions in Rockingham County to work together to address this problem. The logic model and action plan was completed by Chelsea Bullins, but is also a document for coalitions to use, contingent upon data sharing agreements. Collecting data for this grant that is related to the field-based research
Prescription drugs (opiates only) have caused over 165,000 deaths within the last 15 years and is currently on the rise. Over 2 million Americans in 2014 were addicted to Opiate prescription narcotics. The most troubling fact is listed directly on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website: “As many as 1 in 4
With all this being said, teens should make the right decision and not fall under the bus of abusing drugs. Teens should not give into peer pressure because that can be the main reason you start abusing drugs. You must also build a better bond with your parents and communicate with them. Being that there are a lot of negative consequences in abusing drugs, you should not abuse because you can easily be another number in the mortality
They can get some narcotic medication online without any prescription. Tramadol is a prescription medication teenagers buy online, and the process is very simple and easy , they only need fill out a form then pay with a credit card, no prescription needed. It increases concerns to parents and law enforcement that those drugs harm teenager’s health , also they may lead them to other heavy drugs use, such as heroin and cocaine. Pain medication are very effective and useful when people in pain, and they can relieve pain and provide comfort. For example, if someone has a car accident and break his hips, pain
According to Laura M. Garnier-Dykstra, students “use prescription stimulants non medically
Every day in the US, 2,500 youth (ages 12 to 17) abuse a prescription pain reliever for the first time. That does not include youth that have already started. About 570,000 people die annually due to drug use. Every year 440,000 die from diseases related to tobacco, 85,000 due to alcohol, 20,000 due to illegal drugs, and 20,000 due to prescription drug abuse. Studies show that men are more apt to abuse drugs than women are.
It is based on the finding that substance use among juvenile offenders is often associated with other health risk behaviors that need to be addressed by the healthcare sector at an early stage. Talking to the healthcare provider can help determine the risks and benefits so that the teenager makes and informed decision about the drug with the assistance of the heath expert. The most likely drugs being inferred here include the dietary supplements, prescription and non-prescription drugs that necessitate the guidance of a heath professional to define the likelihood of adverse outcomes. In such cases, for example in the intake of dietary supplements that could include herbal drugs, the medical doctor could be recommended to use of certain vitamins and minerals during particular periods (Gunatilake & Patil,
Causes for drug abuse Twenty three and a half a million Americans are addicted to alcohol and drugs. That's approximately one in every ten Americans over the age of twelve – roughly equal to the entire population of Texas. Only eleven percent of those with an addiction receive treatment.