Briosha Brunson

Mrs. Hensel
English III
4/15/15
(TEEN DRUG ABUSE)
Teens smoke, drink alcohol, and do drugs every day. Drug Abuse is the habitual use of
drugs to alter one's mood, emotion, or state of consciousness. The destructive pattern of using
substance or chemicals which leads to significant physical, mental, emotional problems or
distress (Drug Facts). More than 23 million people over the age of 12 are addicted to alcohol
and other drugs.
Many people who have taken drugs say they saw it as a solution to a problem or barrier.
But they ended up broken, failed and in deeper problems. Every person has problems or
challenges in life. No one is perfect. Problems are part of life, and using drugs to solve a
temporal problem is like creating a bigger problem to solve a little one. People who consume
drugs, chemicals or substances by swallowing, injecting, applying to skin, or any other way to
enhance their looks, mood, performance, or influence their thinking is committing an act of drug
abuse, because inevitably, it will have some very bad results sooner or later.
At a time when kids are trying to figure out who they are and where they fit in, when
insecurities can be fierce, its hard for them to say no. Peer pressure often comes as the devil in
sheeps clothing. The cool kid who says, Hey, its just weed or its my dads prescription, so
of course its safe! (Mayo clinic). Saying no can also have painful consequences, ranging from
being laughed at or mildly teased, to being humiliated, rejected, and even bullied.

Teens like to be treated as an adult. Most teens want to be treated like an adult, especially
when they want privileges that come with age like using alcohol. Drinking, smoking, and drug
use can all boost that feeling that they are all grown up now. With those behaviors comes the
illusion that one is truly mature and thus can handle anything. One bad incident can quickly
shatter it and remind them just how young and vulnerable they still are. But until such an event,
they naively believe that bad things happen only to other kids. They overestimate their maturity
and underestimate their vulnerability.
Teens who grow up with parents who abuse alcohol or drugs often follow in their
footsteps. If one or both parents are actively using they often have easy access as well. Kids
often mimic their parents behaviors both good and bad. Some kids will do the very opposite and
shun all substances, wanting to avoid the very thing that ruined the lives parents and led to abuse
or in a traumatic childhood experience.
For some teens a time, getting drunk or high with friends sounds fun in the moment. The
silliness, the slurred words, the stumbling, the bizarre behavior all of those things can be very
entertaining and make for great stories the next day or down the road.
Teens who struggle with a lot of emotional pain are especially vulnerable to alcohol and
drug abuse. They use these substances just like many adults as a way to self-medicate. They
know that getting high or getting drunk will, at least temporarily, numb or ease their pain and
provide them with a means of escape. These substances can also appear to ease the problem. For
example, a socially awkward or extremely shy teen may use alcohol in a desperate attempt to
feel more comfortable around others. A teen living in a conflicted home environment may resort
to drugs to shut out the world for a while or at least make it feel a little more bearable.

Most teens dont know whats good for them and whats not. Not because theyre not
bright, but because they simply dont have enough information or experience. Experimenting
with alcohol or drugs often seems innocent enough in fact, its often regarded as a sort of
adolescent rite of passage.
Many teens like to try new things at this age, for those who are not doing these things it
looks very interesting to them. Morning-after feeling when theyve just woken up in a strange
place or realized that the needle they used was dirty. Even worse is finding themselves in a jail
cell or mourning the death of a friend who drove home drunk. The bliss of ignorance can be
quickly shattered.
Teens dont use alcohol or drugs with the intent of becoming addicted. Teens think things
like, Im just experimenting, having fun with my friends, or seeking a temporary escape from
my crappy life. (Mayo clinic) They think with being only 15 it is impossible to become addicted
to anything. Talk to your teen. If youre the parent of a pre-teen or adolescent, talk to him or her
today about the dangers of alcohol and drugs. Talk to your child from a place of unconditional
love, genuine concern, understanding, and heartfelt compassion, recognizing the challenges and
temptations that are so insidious and prevalent at that age. Understand just how vulnerable and
easily influenced teens are.
Do everything you can, today and going forward, to keep the doors of communication as
wide open as possible, so that tomorrow, or next week, or next year your child will know that he
or she can talk to you, confide in you, and ask you questions about alcohol or drugs. Hopefully,
by doing so, your teen can avoid the dangerous landmines that devastate and destroy the lives of
so many young people. Communicating is the key to stop your child from any kind of abuse or

addiction. To prevent teen substance abuse should begin early in life with education,
encouragement of healthy behaviors, and good family bonds.
The teen years are often considered the most difficult period of a persons life. So we
have to work with ours teens to put an end to drug and alcohol abuse.

WORK CITED
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teendrug-abuse/art-20045921
http://www.teen-drug-abuse.org/
1. Clinic, Mayo. "Tween and Teen Health." Teen Drug Abuse: Help Your Teen Avoid Drugs.
N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2015. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-andteen-health/in-depth/teen-drug-abuse/art-20045921>.
2. "TEENDRUGABUSE." N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. <http://www.teen-drugabuse.org/>.
3. CRC Health Group, Member Of. "Tween and Teen Health." Teen Drug Abuse: Help Your
Teen Avoid Drugs. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthylifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teen-drug-abuse/art-20045921>.
"DrugFacts: High School and Youth Trends." DrugFacts: High School and Youth Trends.
N.p., Dec. 2014. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.