The signs of Drug Use in Children and impact on famlies - Research Paper Example

with having educational experience prompts children in testing their ability to adapt, beginning peer relationship or support system, and achieving academic expectations. As a result of insurmountable amount of stress and anxiety, children and students succumb to drug/substance use as a way to deal with academic pressure and expectations. According to Doweiko (2012), the 40% to 60% incidences of drug and substance use among children, adolescents, and college students explains the occurrence of accidents, sexual assault cases, fights, losing life, and poor academic performance (292).

Therefore, it is essential to identify the different medical models explaining addiction and how it is applied among children, to early recognize signs of drug use among children, and to determine the impact of drug use among children on the families. Medical model rests on the assumption that disease states are the result of biological dysfunction, either on cellular or molecular level. Under the medical model, drug use is considered as a disease because it presents loss of control, progression of symptoms, and potential to cause death.

However, clinical research had not support the medical model and had been excluded in the substance abuse rehabilitation. Genetic inheritance theories explain that one has genetic predisposition towards drug use; however, children with genetic predisposition will lose the tendency to succumb to drug use if they never begin to use alcohol or drugs. Thus, genetic predisposition might be a contributing factor of drug use among children but not the only reason why children go to use of drugs. Scientists linked cAMP response-element-binding protein (CREB), ∆FosB, and variant of µ opioid receptor site to the promotion of drug use among children (Doweiko, 2012, 336).

The biological differences theories state that the predisposition to go onto drug use differs in terms of metabolism, biotransformation, and acting (Doweiko, 2012, 337). Researchers also