Impact of Drug Abuse on Adolescents - Essay Example

Impact of Drug Abuse on Adolescents Statistics show that substance use and abuse among adolescents have risen over the recent past; this has resulted from increased ease of accessibility of drugs by adolescents. Today, adolescents can easily access and consume drugs like alcohol, cigarettes, among others. Adolescents have figured out a way of obtaining these drugs; they either approach an adult to buy drugs for them or they use fake identification document to prove that they are grownups. The use and abuse of drugs can result to serious consequences on the health of adolescents, as well as their brain (Newcomb and Bentler 45). Once the drugs get into their systems, adolescents can experience a wide range of medical complications, which include memory loss or decreased memory level, addiction, mood disorders and impaired brain functions. It is imperative that youths understand the impending consequences of using drugs at their tender age; this will convince them to drop their urge and curiosity of engaging in drug use and abuse (Sloboda and Bukoski 88). During the adolescent age, the bodies and the brains of teenagers undergo rapid growth and development, and this means that the brains are yet to develop fully. Any encounter with drug use at this age results to grave impact on the developing brain (Newcomb and Bentler 47). As I had indicated earlier, adolescents access a wide class of drugs, some of which are illegal. Adolescents use cocaine, marijuana, heroine, ecstasy and sometimes the prescription drugs. The most obvious effect of drug use among teens is addiction, which emerges as a form of brain disorder that alters the composition of the brain of adolescents. Substance addiction among adolescents is accompanied by cravings that cannot be controlled, and these cravings are also compulsive (Miller 67). Adolescents continue to crave these drugs despite the fact that the drugs result to grave social, emotional and physical consequences. While some teens can develop an addiction initially when they use a drug, this addiction can last for the rest of the life of that teenager. Further, teenagers who begin using drugs at a young age may develop an addiction faster than those who begin at an old age. Furthermore, drug use among teenagers has other effects besides addiction. Teenagers who abuse drugs experience a slow development of the body and brain; thus, adolescents who use drugs do not grow to standard height because of the harmful effects of drugs on their body growth and development (Neinstein 68). Further, the brains of drug users are smaller than those of adolescents who do not use drugs. Adolescents who engage in drug use and abuse experience Intellectual problems and their school performance is always poor. Drugs impair the short-term memory of adolescents; this renders them incapable of remembering any information that they learn in class. This problem hinders adolescents from learning new ideas in class due to the effect of drugs. Furthermore, adolescents who use drugs experience underdeveloped motor skill and their ability to perform intricate motor activities becomes problematic and impaired. Further, drugs make adolescent lose motivation in life, and they lack a sense of meaning. They become disinterested in the normal activities of life, which motivate people to continue living. Drugs impair the emotional development of adolescents; they experience emotional outbursts anytime they encounter a challenging task in life (Neinstein 77). Adolescents who are drug users cannot control their emotions; in many occasions, they engage into fights with their peers over things that can be solved in a less physical manner. In a related topic, drug users develop sexual abnormalities due to the effect of the drugs they use. For instance, adolescents who abuse drugs develop impotence at a young age. Thus, it becomes difficult for the adolescents to engage in sexual intercourse later in life (Miller 70). Further, drugs make adolescents develop deviant behavior like stealing money and other property to get money to buy drugs (Glassner and Loughlin 53). Conduct disorders accompany deviant behavior and such adolescents are always the ones who break the school rules. Most of them end up being expelled from school because, if they are allowed to stay, adolescent drug users will influence other children to imitate their behavior (Glassner and Loughlin 55). The other impact of drug use on youths is that the drugs impair the ability of adolescents to judge the intensity and magnitude of risks. These drug users can walk right into danger or be hit by a speeding vehicle due to their inability to judge the speed of the car and the distance. Furthermore, youths develop suicidal tendencies and depression; the drugs make the youths lose their self esteem and self worth. Most of them attempt suicide and these attempts leave lifelong scars on the lives of adolescents (Neinstein 78). However, most of suicide attempts from youths who use drugs succeed; this is the method that most youths use to end their lives. There are times when excessive use of drugs result to breaking of brain vessels, which can eventually develop to stroke, gradually to coma and death becomes instantaneous. Thus, teenagers who abuse drugs are spoil their own lives at a tender age; this might affect the life that they lead in the future. Therefore, parents should dedicate their time to teach and guide their children on the negative consequences that drugs bring to their bodies and lives. Further, parents should ensure that they monitor the activities of their children, and ensure that teenagers are always in the right company. In conclusion, drug use among teenagers is common in the current Century, and many youths are becoming drug addicts because of starting the activities of abusing drugs at a tender age. Drug use is detrimental to the health of youths; the drugs damage the brain and the body cells. This drug damage impairs the growth and development of adolescents in the physical and intellectual domains. Adolescents who abuse drugs perform poorly in class. Most of them are expelled from school; this serves to save the rest of the children who might be influenced to join the dreadful behaviors. Adolescent drug addicts lose motivation for life and self esteem, and this result to suicide or death from stroke or other related complications, which result from brain damage. Works Cited Glassner, Barry and Loughlin, Julia. Drugs in Adolescent Worlds: Burnouts to Straights. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 1990. Print. Miller, Michelle. Adolescent Relationships and Drug Use. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2000. Print. Newcomb, Michael and Bentler, Peter. Consequences of adolescent drug use: impact on the lives of young adults. New York: Sage Publications, 1988. Print. Neinstein, Lawlence. Adolescent Health Care: A Practical Guide, Issue 414. London: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007. Print. Sloboda, Zili and Bukoski, William. Handbook of Drug Abuse Prevention: Theory, Science, and Practice. New York: Springer, 2003. Print. Read More