Unfortunately, half of the new drug users in the world are under the age of 18. Many teenagers believe that experimenting with drugs and alcohol is an important part of their growing up process irrespective of the risks and the consequences. Some teenagers are introduced to drugs through prescriptions which are then used recreationally.
Teens begin to experiment with drugs as a result to friend or after listening to a song referencing drugs. Some are also introduced to drugs through stealing medicines from a cabinet. However there are other causes of drug use:
Curiosity Per pressure Stress due to secular activities Emotional struggles caused by relationships To "escape" Parental pressure Social status
Substance use is extremely harmful especially to teenagers. The reason behind this is that teenage years are crucial to one's health physically and mentally and substance use can impact ones brains development. Substance use can also lead to other risky acts such are dangerous and/or drunk driving. It can also cause life threatening issues in adulthood such as heart diseases, high blood pressure problems related to ones sleep.
Teen drug abuse can be easily identified. The common signs are:
Inability to create eye contact Poor hygiene or sanitation Unusual behavior such as being secretive Tiredness Missing curfew timings Poor physical appearance Poor or diminishing grades Laughing excessively Excessive hunger Odor of smoke from the mouth or on clothes
Prescription drugs are often prescribed to adolescents with ADHD and often these drugs are found to enhance their ability to focus on secular projects. Regrettably, teens that are not prescribed these drugs are found consuming these drugs as they think that they will see the same benefits. However this is not the case. In fact, taking such drugs can cause a poor academic performance and additionally these drugs can have harmful side effects such as:
Chest discomfort Hallucinations Headaches Weight loss or gain Insomnia or drastic changes in sleep patterns Weak relationships
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Music plays an important role in a teenager's daily life. Many surveys have been conducted and the number one reason why marijuana has gained popularity is because much of the music that teens listen to, id found glamorizing marijuana use. Furthermore, teenagers often find drugs and weed at concerts or at parties and they find it convenient to experiment with it in a relaxed setting.
These drugs not only impact ones physical health but also impacts ones mental health. If you are found in a setting where drug abuse is heavily being practiced, one can implement these steps to avoid getting involved in such habits
· If you are at a party and someone offers you some drugs, in a firm voice you can say, "No, I'm sorry, but I don't use" or "No, I'm trying to stop these habits".
· You should also provide a reason such as "This is bad for my health" or "I face trouble when I use..."
· You also inform the person to not ask you again use alcohol or drugs. You could perhaps say, "Hey, don't ask me again as I am trying to stay clean" or "Why don't you understand! I don't use these things anymore so please stop asking".
· Another preventative action is that if you see someone using or experimenting with drugs, leave the area peacefully.
