2-Nov-2024

Continuing on with my research about the linkage between drugs and adolescents, I’ve found a review of evidence-based drug reduction programs aimed to look at the underlying neurobiology behind the use of substances in teen school students. 12 research papers were carefully picked to study. Studies show that most teens involved in substance use are first exposed to substances between ages 13-15, and prevention efforts are most effective if they are enforced in a child’s elementary years. The review revealed that high schoolers use alcohol the most, followed by tobacco and cigarettes. Two large contributors to the extreme use of substances were emotional distress and peer pressure among these teens. In order for prevention programs to have a long-term effect, the training needs to be continuous and sustained and done frequently. 

Substances pose an effect on health, too. “The abuse of substances by adolescents poses a major public health concern as well. Unemployment, accidents, suicide, ill health, juvenile delinquency, damaged relationships, mental illness, decreased life expectancy all are by-product of substance abuse” (Windle et al., 2009). But despite knowing that drugs are a huge threat to their health and, let’s face it, life, they still use drugs because they know it’s a way of escaping their problems. Whether these are life problems or just simply wanting to fit in, these drugs alleviate that feeling, cause neurobiological changes in the brain that find an appeal for the feeling of pressure, and motivate the person to use the drugs again to experience the pleasant feeling over and over again. This process is otherwise known as addiction.