- According to The Free Medical Dictionary, substance abuse is "The misuse of legal or illegal substances with the intent to alter some aspect of the user's experience." The drug can be legal or illegal, such as prescription painkillers, or LSD, a hallucinogen. A distinction exists between abuse, and dependence, however. For further study on the distinction, visit the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
- Genetics play an important role in teen substance abuse, according to George R. Uhl, et al., in "Genetic Influences in Drug Abuse." Families with a history of substance abuse are more likely to see that behavior in their children. Factors such as a teen's temper can play a role in drug abuse as well.
Medical conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can cause drug abuse if the condition is left untreated. It is usually treated with the drug Adderall, a stimulant that works, paradoxically, as a depressant in youngsters. ADHD sufferers may abuse the drug as well. Depending on the teen's knowledge and beliefs regarding drugs, a casual or indifferent attitude can lead to abuse. - Parents using drugs or alcohol have an effect on children in the family. Teens are "more likely to start using alcohol if their parents do," according to Healthwise. A teen feeling alienated from the family, or subjected to physical, sexual, or mental abuse often uses drugs as a way to cope with the stresses.
Lack of parental involvement may lead a teen to abuse drugs because no boundaries, or expectations guide the young person. And a parent who smokes, drinks alcohol, or uses drugs often sends an ambiguous message that finds the teen experimenting on his own without further input from the parent. - Peer influence is strong on teens, and group actions often dictate individual behavior. This is no less pronounced when the teen's peers are using drugs. Wishing to be recognized and to feel wanted, the teen goes along with the group even if the behavior is risky. Availability and ease of procuring drugs or alcohol can also cause teens to abuse drugs. Healthwise says that promotion of alcohol or drugs by the media is a factor in teen substance abuse. Some television advertisements link beer drinking with sports and having fun, which sends the wrong message to teens. Pharmaceutical companies as well often make their drugs look appealing as a marketing ploy to sell more drugs.
Parts of the human brain that don't mature until adulthood make risk taking appealing to teenagers, and one aspect of this is taking drugs, ignoring parental advice, and doing dangerous things without fear of consequences. - Whether the causes of teen substance abuse come from genetics, family, or community, it is important to talk with youngsters about drug abuse before it happens and seek advice for teens who have started experimenting. According to the Partnership for a Drug Free America, children whose parents speak to them often about drugs and alcohol have up to a 50 percent less chance of abusing drugs than do youngsters whose parents don't talk to them. The earlier drug education begins in the family and schools, and the more frequently it happens, the better the chances that our children will become healthy adults.
previous post