drug/alcohol addiction affection on people psychology

Introduction

Understanding the scope of drug use and addiction in the world includes knowing the prevalence among various populations and researching the many health and social consequences . The United States is both the largest producer of drug research in the world and the world 's only drug-control superpower ' The simultaneous leadership in social science and world agenda setting is not the result of a symbiotic relationship between American research and policy making .During adolescence , friends and peers become far more influential than before and intimate dating relationships become primary interests (Laursen

br Williams , 1997 . Along with these important developmental changes however , come increased risks of pregnancy , sexually transmitted disease , and abuse by and toward dating partners (Leaper Anderson 1997 . As well , alcohol and drug use and abuse enters the picture , which may contribute to the occurrence of the other risk behaviors (Milgram 1993 National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse , 1999 . Although some of these developments are harmless , there is a growing awareness of the importance of education and prevention to increase teens ' personal safety and responsibility

Not surprisingly , prominent adolescent risk behaviors are alcohol and drug abuse , unsafe sexual behavior , and dating violence-share many of the same contributing risk factors , although to important and differing degrees . These include problems related to the family , such as family conflict and violence , poor relationship attachment , early and persistent behavior problems , as well as peer and academic problems such as school failure , peer rejection , and exposure to community violence . In addition to the above , teen pregnancy , early sexual intercourse , and risky sexual behaviors are associated with early onset of puberty , truancy , and delinquency (Kilpatrick , Acierno , Saunders Resnick Best , 2000 . In the absence of compensatory factors , such as education and social competence , these varied risk factors can contribute to or become risk behaviors (e .g , alcohol use is associated with teen pregnancy and violence

Common Elements

A common family element found among teens who engage in these high risk behaviors is the amount of time spent without proper adult involvement or supervision (Dishion , Capaldi , Spracklen Li , 2005 . Not surprisingly , children who grow up in caring and supportive homes are more likely to resist risky behaviors , while children who have grown up witnessing or experiencing alcohol abuse or violence in their homes having poor family structure and insecure attachment-related experiences are more likely to be less resistant to these same risky , unhealthy behaviors

A of the age , gender , and ethnic identities of youth who engage in high risk behavior is provided by the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance , which tracks data regarding many health risk behaviors for adolescents in the United States . According to this data , black youth for example , report significantly higher rates of sexual intercourse before age 13 than do Whites and Hispanics , while White youth report the highest levels of forced sexual intercourse . Black youth also report less alcohol consumption at last sexual intercourse and higher condom use than do White and Hispanic youth . Not surprisingly , males report more alcohol use before the...