Teenage Alcohol and Drug Abuse in America

Teenage Alcohol and Drug Abuse in America

Introduction

Teenage alcohol and drug abuse in America is not a new phenomenon , nor did it begin with the counter-culture of the 1960s . It is a pernicious problem and has been around for likely as long as society has permitted such drugs to be readily available . Teens do not manufacture them nor will they go to excessive lengths to obtain them , but they will certainly use and abuse them when they are available , and some teens will become addicted , for that is the nature

of the human body . Teens try drugs because they are available . They generally know that the substances in question are not safe but teens seem to have the attitude that they are invincible . They simply cannot image a catastrophic event befalling them . Some teens are able to sample drugs and then move on but some , perhaps with more addictive pros , do not manage to escape that first experiment and become addicted . Dangerous substances are ubiquitous , yet cigarettes and beer are often viewed as innocuous grist for the mill of teen angst . Perceived as a rite of passage , many adults turn a blind eye , or are willing enablers to what they consider a relatively harmless past time , not considering where they can , and often do , lead . Inhalants can be found in the garage , prescription medications can be found in the medicine cabinet , and there is liquor in the game room cabinet . The teen may even be huffing the gas from a whipped cream canister (Cappello 2001 . Unfortunately marijuana is readily available even in American middle and high schools , and is the drug of choice for American teens (WebMD 2006 . There is a common misconception that those teens , as well as adults , who become addicted to substances such as tobacco , alcohol , and drugs are simply weak willed and lacking in moral fiber . The idea is that anyone with a backbone will not become a substance abuser and will certainly never become addicted to drugs . This is patently false . Today the accepted belief among doctors and scientists is that addiction to drugs and alcohol is a disease as real as depression , high blood pressure or pulmonary disease The fact is that most people who drink alcohol drink very little and never have a problem with it . Still there is that minority who try it and rapidly develop a substance use dis that can be both compulsive and extremely hazardous to their general health . This intends to address the causes of addiction among the nation 's young . It will also address the effects of addiction , the treatments available for these addictions and the long-term implications of such addictions . Substance abuse is a problem in search of a long-term solution . It may well be that there is no single solution , and the answer may lie in a multi-tiered program , utilizing education and a formidable carrot-or-stick approach to the problem

Chapter One - Causes of Teen Addiction

The causes of teen addiction are myriad but...