Presently, substance abuse among young people aged between 12 and 20 years has become a crisis globally. Many factors contribute to this problem; however, it would be imperative to establish why youths opt to experiment with drugs and alcohol at their tender age. Apparently, the media has been found to be the chief campaigner for drug use. For instance, most ads and cinemas portray drugs as charming substances rather than addictive compounds. In most occasions, the media show people having good times due to the effects of drugs (Strasburger, 2010). Regressively, the adolescents borrow such mentalities and apply them in their real life without understanding clearly the repercussions of their actions.
The use of drugs at an early stage of development leads to addiction later on in life. Studies have shown that, if adolescents start drinking at or before attaining the age of 14, chances of them becoming alcoholic is fivefold . A report by the National survey on Drug and Health indicated that 9.8% of youths use illicit drugs. The report also noted that an estimated 4.9% of adolescents were using marijuana. Most victims of drug abuse were found to be students. Notably, 47% of students at some point before accomplishing their high school studies tried to use illicit drugs (Hassan et al., 2009). According to Squeglia et al (2009), the most commonly abused drugs are marijuana and alcohol.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Squeglia et al, (2009) also noted that adolescents who were abusing drugs showed abnormalities relative to brain functioning, which was attributed to gradual periodic changes in neurocognition. The functioning of the brain in adolescents differs depending on the pattern they adopt while using the substance. Research indicates that heavy consumption of alcohol at a tender age leads to spatial working memory, reduced attention as well as a decreased executive functioning. Such malfunctioning result due to a reduction in the volume of vital brain structures like hippocampus, impairment of the white matter, and variation in activation while performing cognitive tasks. In addition, other abused drugs like marijuana also cause a reduction in cognitive performance especially during learning (Squeglia et al, 2009).
The use of drugs among adolescents can be curbed if spiritual development is used as an enlightening tool. Spirituality in this perspective implies the belief that life has a meaning as well as purpose. Teens need to be guided either directly or indirectly about how to live their lives in a meaningful manner pertinent to certain norms. Indirectly, they can be given guidance on the virtues and principles that relate to the meaning and the purpose of their lives. The church or specific help groups in the society can instill these virtues. In our society, the community health nurse who deals with cases of drug abuse among youths often provides information and initiates programs in the community that are key in preventing instances of drug abuse.
Education is paramount when it comes to creating self-awareness among adolescents. It is important to inform them about the hazardous effects of drugs and the need to shun practices that are career threatening. The church, on the other hand, is the major player in ensuring spiritual health is attained among the teens. Most religious books highly condemn the consumption of alcohol and other drugs that serve a stimulatory role. Our body is regarded as the sanctuary of the Supreme Being, therefore; it ought to be free from intoxicants. If youths could be made to understand such norms at their tender stage of development, the likelihood of them becoming victims of drugs will be minimal. A healthy spiritual development will, therefore, make them live a purposeful life hence they will remain to be positively and patiently focused on what awaits them in the near future.
In my area of residence, the government has been active to help in reducing instances of drug abuse among the adolescents. Different states have enforced laws that illegalize alcohol intake to persons below the age of 21 years. In addition, laws have been put in place to prohibit people from driving under the influence of alcohol. The funding that the state would receive would be dependent on how they enforce such laws. The government has also initiated programs that aid in enlightening the youths about the dangers that drugs pose on their bodies. An organization called “Mothers Against Driving Drivers” (MADD), is one of the organizations in my state that fights to reduce cases of road carnage by educating the society particularly the youths against the dangers of drinking and driving. Another initiative dubbed “Drug Abuse Resistance Education” (DARE) was launched in elementary as well as middle schools in an attempt to create a deeper insight to adolescents about drugs prior to them commencing to use them. All these programs aim at increasing the population of adolescents who have never attempted to use alcohol or any other form of the illicit drug (Maurer & Smith, 2009).
Notably, U.S. experiences an economic burden in an attempt to deal with cases of drug abuse. For instance, the state spends $414 and $166 billion annually to deal with victims of substance abuse and alcohol abuse. This leads to an increase in health insurance. For every fourteen dollars that the nation gains, one dollar is spent to treat individuals who suffer from illness caused by smoking. The treatment of drug-related cases is very expensive and takes longer periods. It can even cause some individuals to spend their time in prison after being pressed with drug related charges (Committee on Substance Abuse, 2010). Therefore, there is an urgent need for every member of the society to play his/her role in ensuring that instances of drug abuse particularly among teens eradicated completely.
References
Committee on Substance Abuse. (2010). Alcohol use by youth and adolescents: a pediatric concern. Pediatrics, 125(5 ), 1078-1087.
Hassan, A., Harris, S., Sherritt, L., Van Hook, S. & Brooks, T. (2009). Primary care follow-up plans for adolescents with substance use problems. Pediatrics, 124(1), 144-150
Maurer, F. A. & Smith, C. M. (2009). In Community public health nursing practice: Heath for families and populations (4th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier.
Squeglia, L.M., Jacobus J., & Taoert S.F. (2009). The influence of Substance Use on Adolescent Brain Development. Clin EEG Neurosci . 40(1), 31-38.
Strasburger, V. (2010). Children, adolescents, substance abuse, and the media. Pediatrics, 126(4), 791-799.
