Substance Abuse Among Adolescents And Youth

Adolescence, usually defined as individuals between the ages of 12 and 20, is a period of transition, brain development and challenges1, 2, 3. Adolescence is the peak time to engage in risk taking behaviors2. Substance use is a common occurrence among adolescents. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse has identified adolescent substance use as one of the United States’ top public health concerns4. In fact, an individual’s chance of becoming a cigarette smoker drastically declines if smoking is not initiated by the time the individual is 18 years old. Alcohol and Marijuana are the most commonly used substances among adolescents1,2,3. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Study, the Center for Antisocial Drug Dependence, Monitoring the

Since the 1970s, government-funded research studies have shown emerging patterns of substance use, misuse and abuse among school-aged adolescents. Studies such as the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), Monitoring the Future (MTF), Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) are intricate research studies that compiles data on the prevalence and long-term effects of substance abuse in and outside of the school setting. Funded and sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Substance

As a counselor in training and an advocate for individuals’ mental health and wellness, I chose to become an official member of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and create an advocacy project to enhance adolescent mental health and wellness by advocating for more available protective factor to reduce substance use and abuse among this population. The purpose of this paper/project is to address and improve the rate of substance use and abuse among adolescents in Pitt County, more specifically in Greenville, North Carolina. This paper goes into great detail of the description of the population (adolescents), providing statistical evidence of adolescents’ use of drugs in Greenville. An increase in youth involved community activities, community service work and parental involvement will be discussed as ways to create a healthy, anti-drug, and stable environment for adolescents in Greenville, North Carolina.

In this essay I will be discussing the topic of substance abuse amongst adolescent youth within Canada. I will be reviewing topics of interest revolving around various types of street narcotics, alcohol consumption, and psychoactive drug use. Although substance abuse is a global issue, I will be focusing primarily on studies, and research done on the effects and impacts on Canadian youth. Thought the course of this essay I will also be touching on the various effects, that come with the continuous usage of these illegal and legal substances which not only take a toll on the user but also the families, social setting, and community. Finally some pro-active steps to getting the information and required help if you suspect someone or yourself are under the influence of any form of substance abuse.

“Since 1992, the high rate of illicit drug use among youth has been steadily increasing” (Juvenile Justice, 1997). This has become a trend that needs to be put to a stop. There are too many youth that are involved in criminal activity and that are labeled actual juvenile delinquents in the criminal justice system. Researchers can’t help to believe that alcohol and substance abuse has something to do with the emerging problem. “Drug and alcohol use also increases the likelihood that a youthful offender will have prolonged interaction with the juvenile justice system” (Reclaiming Futures, 2012); this is a fact. Many juveniles who participate in substance abuse usually affect their loved ones and friends.

The connection between adolescent and substance abuse delinquency is many youth tend to be involved in this behavior substance abuse and delinquency leads to family and school problems. According to the Monitoring the Future study (previously called the High School Senior Survey), which indicate the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs by the Nation's youth since 1975, drug use among 12th graders peaked in 1981, with more than 65 percent of seniors having reported past use of an illicit drug. This figure dropped to a low of 40.7 percent by 1992. In 1993, however, this downward trend began to reverse. By 1996, 50.8 percent of high school seniors reported having used illicit drugs (Monitoring the Future Study,

Substance abuse is a significant public health issue across the United States today, especially regarding our nation’s youth. The United States consistently continues to have the highest levels of substance use among all other developed countries and has remained third in regards to alcohol consumption (CDC, 2013). Despite leading the world with drug research, illegal drug policy, and one of the highest legal drinking age mandates, the U.S has the highest rates of illegal drug use and abuse, especially pertaining to marijuana, cocaine and prescription painkillers (Healthy Americans Organization, 2013). Nationally, drug overdose deaths have doubled in 29 states since 1999, with Massachusetts having the 32nd highest rate in the country (Healthy Americans Organization, 2013). A large percentage of drug use is reportedly by adolescents, beginning as young as 12 years old (Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, 2012). Recent statistics show that teenage drug abuse has been on the rise for the past decade with 50 percent of high school seniors reportedly having used an illicit substance of some kind (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2014). Furthermore, 1 in 10 teens report using marijuana about 20 times per month and 1 in 5 teens reportedly have taken prescription pain killers recreationally (CASA, 2011). According to the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (2012), almost 8 percent of adolescents in Massachusetts, ranging from 12-17years of age, suffer from substance dependence

Drug use among our nation’s youth is a major public health concern. The reason for this is substance use which can increase the likelihood of injury, violence, and contraction of diseases such as HIV. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration conducts an annual survey called the National Survey on Drug Use and Health in which 67,500 persons aged 12 years old or older are interviewed. This survey is the primary source of information on the use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco in the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States. The 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health stated that “an estimated 24.6 million Americans aged 12

In my hometown, I have noticed an abundance of drug use. Many teens get peer pressured into doing drugs by their friends. They tell it’s cool, and how it can easily clear your mind. Also on TV they act like are fine. But what they don’t tell you is how it can totally ruin your life. You can become addicted and get into a lot of trouble. After recent research, I conclude that teens using drugs are a major problem in Piedmont and nationwide.

Being an adolescent myself and having a first hand perspective on adolescent substance abuse, I feel that I have a certain perspective on the substance abuse and misconduct issues that others may not. An old friend of mine went through these issues, with continuous and serious substance abuse along with conduct problems. Personally, I believe that there is a serious lack of justification to begin abusing substances, however, I understand that there are many factors that are involved when developing an SUD. In this day and age there is so much information surrounding substances at one’s fingertips, the consequences are clearly outlined in numerous online websites, and television ads, making most people very aware. I do consider the backgrounds

The “National Survey on Drug Use and Health” or (NSDUH), is an annual publication funded by the “Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration” or (SAMHSA) provides further data (Schmalleger, 2013). The (NSDUH) found that there are an estimated 22.6 million Americans who are current users aged twelve and older (Schmalleger, 2013). Of those 22.6 million Americans, 17.5 million of them were estimated to be using marijuana, and data shows the rates for those most likely to consume drugs to be between the ages of sixteen to twenty-five in 2010 (Schmalleger, 2013). Another statistic, this time from the class text found that “nine percent of the U.S population age 12 or older use illicit drugs every year, half of them at least once a month.” (Thio et al., 2013). The class text also corroborates this data, citing that of young adults those aged eighteen to twenty-five have the highest rates, for teenagers the rates highest for use are twelve to seventeen (Thio et al., 2013). One study found that employment status is highly correlated with rates of illicit drug use as well. One figure showed that an estimated seventeen percent and a half percent of those unemployed were current illicit drug users (Schmalleger, 2013). Worrying figures due to the gravity of the situation making itself clear, while there is tapering off after twenty years of age when it comes to illicit drug use. The concept of drug usage surrounding teenagers and

Among adolescents aged 12 to 17 years, 9.8 % are estimated to be current users of illicit drugs, with 4.9 % using drugs other than marijuana. Nearly three quarters of students have started to drink alcohol and nearly half (47%) have tried using an illicit drug (not including alcohol or tobacco) by the senior year of high school.” (Hassan, Harris, Sherritt, Van Hook, & Brooks, 2009)

Though alcohol use in adolescents has declined within the past several decades, it is still the most widely used substance (Monitoring). For the purpose of this paper, adolescence will be defined as the age range from 12-18. The focus will be centered on middle school and high school students across the United States. According to the 2013 Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 22.1 of 8th graders, 47.1% of 10th graders, and 62.0% of 12th graders had consumed alcohol within the last year (Monitoring).

Tobacco and Alcohol are the most common abuses among adolescents and adults. Both of these items lead to many consequences later on in life. For instance, both alcohol and tobacco can lead to wellness problems Wellness is the state or condition of being in good physical and mental health, the importance of wellness for the human body is how it allows a person to be happier and healthier.

Since 2000, the drug use rate in America has risen to the highest it’s ever been. In a survey done in 2009, 8.7 percent of people age 12 and up said that they used illegal substances within a month of taking the survey, a 9 percent increase since 2008 (Abuse, National Institute on Drug, 2010). This statistic alone is very concerning due to