The Effects of Drugs among Teenagers - Essay Example

Experimenting with drugs causes many adverse effects especially in the case of developing youths. Concerns of teenage drug use include increasing the odds for suicidal tendencies, contracting sexually transmitted diseases and becoming pregnant, creating and exacerbating problems at home and in school. Heightened propensities toward violent behaviors have also been linked to drug use but unlike the other negative outcomes, this may be a falsity. This discussion will examine the problems associated with teenage drug use without regard to preconceptions, myths or bias.

Parents spend much time and effort protecting their children from all of the ills of the world. When they become of age, they send those children to school properly clothed with lunch money and a kiss on the forehead with hopes they will become educated thus productive, enlightened citizens. Ironically, however, schools are havens for illegal drugs available for the asking. Parents and teachers seem oblivious and are evidently powerless to control this disturbing situation. “American schools are decidedly not alcohol and drug-free,” according Joseph A.

Califano, Jr., chairman and president of the Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance which conducted an extensive six-year study of middle and high school students (“Youth Knowledge”, 2002). The study estimated that many teenagers attend schools where they can easily obtain illegal drugs including high schools at a rate of 60 percent and 30 percent of middle schools. Drugs are routinely sold, used and stored at these institutions of learning. Teenagers quickly learn that they can readily obtain marijuana, alcohol and tobacco in addition to other, more exotic drugs to a somewhat lesser extent.

The vast majority of 10th graders, for example, claim they can easily purchase marijuana (78 percent),