...Samuel Mazzie “Did you know America ranks the lowest in education but the highest in drug use? It's nice to be number one, but we can fix that. All we need to do is start the war on education. If it's anywhere near as successful as our war on drugs, in no time we'll all be hooked on phonics” (Leighann Lord). Illegal drug use has become a huge danger to society and future generations. As someone who has personally dealt with drug addiction in my family, I am tired of seeing people constantly damage themselves by abusing prescription drugs. My sister has been in rehab facilities two times in the last year and still continues to abuse drugs. Easy access to prescription drugs is resulting in increasing levels of addiction; therefore, corrective action must be taken to monitor the amount of drugs doctors prescribe, rehab facilities should be restructured to allow stays longer than 30 days, and friends and family should be more aware of the warning signs of drug addiction. People need to take action to prevent illegal drug use starting in their own homes and in schools. Obtaining prescription drugs from doctors has become way too easy causing more people to become addicted. Doctors should be monitored to see the amount of addictive drugs prescribed. There are doctors who are more concerned with their personal wealth then the well being of their patient. “An arrest warrant affidavit says Houghton would prescribe medication to some patients for $100 without a medical...
Words: 1387 - Pages: 6
...Drugs: Teen Drug Addiction Kimberly Henderson COM 172 April 9, 2015 Beverly Woods Teen drug addiction is a very serious psychological and physical problem that involves many contributing factors abuse, divorce, peer pressure and physical issues, although there are many but limited recovery centers for teens. Even though we educate many teens still fall into the unfortunate lifestyle of drug addiction. Undeniably, no person ever says I want to be a drug addict. In today’s society teens are experiencing more stress from family, friends and school than ever before. “Divorce is common factor in teen drug addiction the parents may not accept or believe it but they play a crucial part in their teen’s lives in how they approach their child with family issues. A divorce can damage a teen severely depending on the age and gender”. (Temke, 2006p.2). Also abuse maybe an effect on a teenager. If a teen is being mentally, physically and sexually abused they will find ways to blame themselves for the abuse by using drugs to cover the pain. Friends who are using drugs will encourage them to try drugs to take the edge off,” saying it’s cool , you want become addicted, it helped me get through my problems.” Another is failing grades in school. Many may not see this but it’s considered to be a lack of confidence. Since parents today play a major role in their teenager education but can also add on stress from overloading their teenager with too many demands to be what they...
Words: 1597 - Pages: 7
... Teenage Drug Abuse There are many illnesses that can take over a child’s life and even cause death. Drug abuse is at the top of that list. Teenage drug abuse is a common problem in today’s society and has increased over the last fifty years but, what most do not realize is that an increase in drug abuse leads to addiction and that addiction leads to an incurable disease. Many people do not understand how or why anyone could become addicted to drugs, especially teens. Studies have pointed out “having fun” as a teens number one reason for using drugs, but recent studies show that teens are now using drugs to problem solve or to hide feelings. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that “by 8th grade, 52% of adolescents have consumed alcohol, 42% percent have smoked cigarettes, and 20% have used marijuana”, (National Drug Intelligence Center, 2012). The top five reasons teens abuse drugs are: stress, social acceptance or low self esteem, self medication, to rebel, and to experiment. The problem is that drugs do not care what the reason is for using them, and effects on the body and brain are the same whether teens are using to deal with a problem or using to have fun. The truth of matter is that the earlier teens starts to use, the greater the risk of becoming addicted. Dr. Manny Alvarez wrote an article on teen drug abuse becoming an epidemic. He addresses how easy it is to get a hold of prescription drugs at any age (Alvarez, 2012). Teens are looting drugs from their...
Words: 984 - Pages: 4
...From my point of view teens that are addicted to their phones are better than teens being addicted to drugs. Although phone addiction can lead to many more problems; addiction to drugs cause much more harm. Concentration should be focused on preventing teens from getting their hands on drugs since they are already illegal but still a problem. Teens being addicted to their phones have not proved themselves to be more lethal than the drugs killing teens each day. In the article by Kelly Wallace, “Half of Teens Think They’re Addicted to Their Smartphones” it says that fifty percent of teens think they are addicted to their phones. Seventyeight percent, that's the amount of the teenage population that uses drugs. Technology in the world today...
Words: 277 - Pages: 2
...Lynn Conney December 20, 2012 PHI – 105 Jacob Aroz Teen-age substance abuse and the Barriers to Treatment Approximately 25 million at risk substance users are not receiving treatment for their addiction (Smith, 2012). A Survey conducted in 2009 by the National Household Survey team on drug use revealed that the primary reason for not receiving treatment was due to a lack of insurance coverage and the inability to pay privately (Smith, 2012). Locating a treatment center that will accept anyone under the age of 21 is nearly impossible. Addiction treatment options and insurance coverage needs to be more readily available and affordable to teens and their families, as they are at greater risk of developing health related issues, run an increased risk of participating in risky behavior, and finally, the teens, and their families, difficulty dealing with the emotional devastation drug abuse causes. The AACAP (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry) has linked numerous problems related to adolescent drug use in adulthood (Wisdom, 2011). Among these are neurological changes that take place in the Central Nervous System with prolonged drug use. The brain atrophies, grey and white matter decrease, and the metabolism of glucose decreases. (Buttner, 2011). Along with these physical changes, there is a higher probability that, as adults, the addict will suffer from depression, memory loss and a decline in their cognitive development (Buttner, 2011). Another physical...
Words: 1439 - Pages: 6
...“How Do I Develop a Thesis?” in the media piece “The Writing Process.” Assignment Directions: Write your thesis statement in the box below: Every time you turn the TV on, there are at least two or three “This is your brain on drugs” type commercials that are aimed at today’s youth. It is a sad thing to know that for every one of those commercials, there is a dealer waiting and willing to offer those same teens their first hit. My kids and grandkids have participated in the D.A.R.E. program at school and yet there are teens that are going through their medicine cabinets trying to experience what being high is. There is a fine line between those who are strong enough to abstain from drugs and those who cannot. There are many debates concerning teen drug use that often focus on the environmental factors. I believe that it is a combination of behavioral and environmental factors that come into play in regards to teen drug abuse. The lack of parental involvement with their teen’s education is one of those factors. The part of the adolescent brain that controls judgment is always developing which could contribute to a teen’s decision to do drugs. The media plays a role as well. The way drugs are glamorized persuades fragile minded teens that drug use it ok. | Grading Criteria: Consider the following questions when developing the thesis statement for your essay. These criteria will be applied when this assignment is graded. The answer to each of the 5 questions below...
Words: 327 - Pages: 2
...my paper on is teenagers and drugs. Drug use and abuse is bad for all parties involved (adults and teenagers). But it is really destroying our teens. Today it is so easy for teenagers to obtain just about any type of drug that they would want. These drugs include marijuana(also known as weed, pot, kush, loud, etc..), methamphetamine (also known as meth, crystal, christine, christina, speed, ice, etc…), cocaine, crack, herion, PCP, sherm, ecstasy or molly’s, and lastly a very long list of prescription drugs. Anything that has a way in causing addiction in my opinion is a problem and needs to be at the front of the line to be addressed especially when it comes to our children. Teens use to have to go out into the streets and search for the drug of choice, but today many of use parents are bringing the drugs right to them and into our homes and giving our children an in home supply without even knowing it. Yes the drugs are right there in our bathroom medicine cabinets, on our dressers, and even in our purses. They are also readily available at just about any store that sells cold medicine. Something needs to be done soon before even more children/teens become addicted and even worse lose their lives due to your common cold medicines and pain killers. After marijuana, prescription drugs are the drugs most commonly abused by teenagers, the federal agency says (Los Angeles Times, 2005). Prescription drug use among teens continues to be on the rise...
Words: 1554 - Pages: 7
...A drug is a substance that alters the mind, body or both. Drug use is the increasing problem among teenagers in colleges today. Most drug use begins in the preteen and teenage years, these years most crucial in the maturation process. Today children are subjected to all sorts of situations both good and bad. School systems are much more difficult to deal with nowadays. Most people from older generations still think that school is simple you go to class, go to lunch, bring home your homework and that’s it. This however is not the case anymore. Drugs are making their presence in schools more and more and it is becoming a very big problem. There are more steps that can be taken to help stop present juvenile drug abusers as well as prevent other children from even beginning. For example, programs should be set up for the students, something that will actually interest more students. There should also be support groups for parents who feel lost as to what they should do to guide their children. In 2007 according to the U.S. Census Bureau there were approximately 41,738 children between the ages of 10 and 19 living in the United States. In the same year according to the same source there were 160,410 drug related arrests in the United States involving children between the ages of 10 and 19. This includes possession charges and dealing charges. Keeping in mind that there are far fewer children than criminal arrests, this means that there are some children who get repeated offenses...
Words: 3173 - Pages: 13
...Drugs and College Students Victoria Lyles-Savage Professor Stone SOW 301-01 Drugs and College Student In today’s society there are a number of college students and teens, who misuse prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons along with street drugs such as marijuana, ecstasy, heroin and steroids. Drugs and alcohol use on college campuses is universal. This has been an epidemic that has grown across the United States. According to Yusko,Buckman, White, and Pandina; alcohol and drug use in college is one of the more serious problems faced by colleges today .Another study stated that 90 percent of teens said they have used alcohol, over 50 percent have used marijuana, 17 percent used cocaine and 13 percent have used some form of hallucinogenic drug. Athletes are at risk to drug use because of the increased physical demand of athletics and heightens stress and time constraints placed upon them by fulfilling the dual role of being an athlete and student (Yusko, Buckman, White, Pandina, 2008). Peer pressure in itself is an epidemic and strongly impacts nonathletic individuals as well. The use of prescriptions drugs for nonmedical use is higher than are use of cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, ecstasy, and inhalants all combined. Prescription Opioids result in more drug abuse deaths than both cocaine and heroin combined (Katelyn Rozenbroek& Rothstein, 2011).There are a lot of factors that drive teens and college students to turn to drugs and alcohol. The highest rates of...
Words: 1740 - Pages: 7
...potential benefits and risks to each patient before prescribing medications. They understand that drugs affect the body in many ways and take into account things like the patient’s age, weight, and medical history; the drug’s form, dose, and possible side effects; and the potential for addiction. People who abuse drugs might not understand how these factors interact and put them at risk, or that prescription drugs do more than cause a high, help them stay awake, help them relax, or relieve pain. Personal data. Before prescribing a medication, doctors take into account a person's weight, how long they've been prescribed the medication, and what other medications they are taking. Someone abusing prescription drugs may overload their system or make themselves vulnerable to dangerous drug interactions that can cause seizures, coma, or even death. Form and dose. Doctors know how long it takes for a pill or capsule to dissolve in the stomach, release drugs to the bloodstream, and reach the brain. When abused, prescription drugs may be taken in inappropriate doses or by routes of administration that change the way the drugs act in the body and brain, presenting overdose risk. For example, when people who abuse OxyContin crush and inhale the pills, a 12-hour dose hits their central nervous system all at once—which increases the risk of addiction and overdose. Side effects. Prescription drugs are designed to treat a particular illness or condition, but they often have other effects on...
Words: 503 - Pages: 3
...childhood and the teen years, so it's very important to get enough calcium now to fight against bone loss later in life. Weak bones are susceptible to a condition called osteoporosis, which causes bones to break easily. |Milk and other dairy products —such as yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese — are good sources of calcium. You'll also find this mineral in broccoli and dark green, leafy vegetables. Soy foods and foods fortified with calcium, including some kinds of orange juice and soy milk, are also good sources. |Teen guys and girls need 1,300 mg (milligrams) of calcium each day. | | |Iron |Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen to |Iron-rich foods include red meat, |Teen guys need 11 mg of iron| | |all parts of the body. Symptoms of |pork, fish and shellfish, poultry, |a day and teen girls need 15| | |iron-deficiency anemia include weakness and |lentils, beans and soy foods, green |mg. Girls need higher | | |fatigue, lightheadedness, and shortness of |leafy vegetables, and raisins. Some |amounts because they lose | | |breath. |flours, cereals, and grain products |iron through blood during | | | |are also fortified with iron. |menstruation. | |Magnesium |Magnesium helps muscles and nerves function,|You get magnesium from whole grains |Teen guys need 410...
Words: 451 - Pages: 2
...The Drug Abuse Epidemic and Today’s Teenagers Drug abuse among teenagers has been an issue since the 1980’s when programs such as D.A.R.E., (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), were implemented. Using the slogan “Just Say No”, the program trained school officials and police officers to teach techniques and children and adolescents effective ways to resist experimenting with all drugs, including tobacco and alcohol. While there has been some success, this epidemic has become a major problem in today’s society that is not getting better due to the availability of prescription and over the counter medications, continued funding cuts for athletics and other extra-curricular activities and the increase in teenagers being left unsupervised. The availability of prescription and over the counter medications has made abuse easier among teens. Many parents do not even realize the dangers that are in their own medicine cabinets. “In 2011, 22% of 12th graders indicated misuse of a prescription drug without medical supervision in their lifetime; and 15% over the past year.” During that same time, one in 12 high school seniors reported that in the past year they had obtained the prescription pain reliever Vicodin, and one in 20 high school seniors used OxyContin for non-medical uses. And 70% of those teens surveyed had stated they obtained them from family and friends. (“Prescription” 2011). “Enough prescription painkillers were prescribed in 2010 to medicate every American adult around-the-clock...
Words: 1035 - Pages: 5
...Drug Abuse Among Teens Meruyert (Mika) 12 D What is the best way for helping teens overcome their addiction to drugs? Is your teen involved in drug use? Are you unsure of how your teen developed an addiction and how you can help your teen now? These questions are most frequent in our modern world where every teen acts like an adult as soon as he first tries drug or alcohol. A teen develops a drug addiction just as an adult would. This problem hasn’t been discussed and published as it should be, so most people who are not affected by this issue have no idea how this problem penetrates into our lives. There are many reasons why it actually happens, like curiosity, family psychological problems and friends’ influence. Most of them don’t consider drugs to be not harmful as it is, but an engaging and entertaining one. Consequently it leads them to drug addiction that is not as easy to cure as they think. This problem leads us to ask: What is the best way for helping teens overcome their addiction to drugs? Some people implicitly trust to rehabilitation centers while others claim that only family members and society can return addicted teen to the right way , however small amount of people definitely thinks that without teen’s mutuality and unshakeable faith in success everything will be idly. The good one is the rehabilitation center because the patients there are always under control and best medical treatments. Another way is let addicted...
Words: 946 - Pages: 4
... "This is your brain on drugs". The message was powerful while at the same time informative. Smoking not only affects a person physically, but mentally as well. However, most people do not know the severe mental damage smoking inflicts since the focus is primarily on the physical effects. Drug abuse is becoming a growing problem among teenagers. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse's 1999 survey of 2,000 teens, about 14 million teens ages 12 to 17, 60% are at moderate or high risk of substance abuse1. A leading reason for this increasing number is that it is getting easier and easier to obtain drugs. Marijuana is easier to buy than beer, while cigarettes are the easiest to buy. Forty-seven percent of all teens say cigarettes are easiest to buy, 27% say marijuana and 12% say beer. The older the teen gets, the easier it is to buy marijuana rather than beer1. There are a number of different reasons teenagers begin to use drugs. Many kids use drugs for the same reasons adults use drugs- to get high, to feel happy, stimulated, relaxed, or intoxicated. Drugs can also be used to ease stress, frustration, tension, disappointment, fear or anger. Many teens turn to drugs when they feel as though they have no where or no else to turn to for help. Depression is a major reason teens might turn to drug abuse. They are overcome with a feeling of emptiness and hopelessness and tend to try to fill the void by using drugs. When teens are particularly stressed...
Words: 709 - Pages: 3
...Random Teen Drug Testing The Rodziwan family lived a block over from my family in Hempfield township PA. They had a son named Jeremy, he was a great kid, straight A’s, all-star football player, active in Eagle Scouts, and worked in the family business. A child any parent would be proud of. Until one Wednesday night he went out with some friends and over dosed on heroin, there was no reviving him. What no one knew was that he became addicted to heroin eight months ago; if only his parents would have suspected something they could have tried to help him. Unfortunately, there were no signs with Jeremy; he just seemed like such a great kid. The schools in our area have begun to randomly drug test students whose parents allow it starting in 6th grade. Many parents are in an uproar about this, “not my kid” they say. I think every parent should take advantage of this amazing opportunity that the school district is providing them. It’s time to wake up, open our eyes and realize that 33,000 teens die each year because of drug over dose. If your child’s school is offering at home random drug testing, take it, even if you think your child never would. I believe that there are great benefits to this and they outweigh anything that could be viewed as a downfall. The average age to try drugs for the first time is thirteen or 7th grade. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (2009) almost two-thirds of all teens have tried drugs by this age. I think it is pretty much common...
Words: 1416 - Pages: 6
