Drug use and abuse with teen who are emerging adolescent to adulthood

Document Type:Research Paper

Subject Area:Education

Document 1

This use of drugs at this age interferes with the brain development of the person and increases the risk of substance use disorder. Among the drugs that adolescents and emerging adults abuse most are marijuana and cocaine. The substances include alcohol and prescription drugs that are deliberately misused. This topic requires much attention because most of the time, drug use and abuse is facilitated by factors other than the individual. Such factors include peer pressure and the use of drugs by role models in the society among others. The use and abuse of drugs and substances in this stage of life is part of identity explorations. The emerging adults want to have many experiences before settling down as adults and this, for a large number of people, involves experimenting with drugs.

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These people want to see how it feels to experience the consciousness state that is induced by various types of drugs. In addition, it can be confusing for the emerging adults to construct their identities. Therefore, some of them resort to drug and substance use to relieve their identity confusion. Drug and substance abuse includes things such as interknitted use for recreation or experimentation. Drugs include such things as marijuana, cocaine and heroin while substances include alcohol and prescription drugs if deliberately misused (McArdle, 2008). In 2005, 8. 5% of the deaths of males and between the ages were a result of drug and substance use. Drug abuse caused 8. The intensity refers to the frequency with which the users of drugs use them. The potency of drugs is increasing.

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For instance, marijuana has become stronger that it used to be sometimes ago. This means that there is a higher chance of those who use marijuana today to become addicted to it that it was for those who used it before. There is also crack, a cocaine form which is highly addictive and which is smoked and analogs of some illegal drugs called designer drugs have the capability of causing a permanent damage to the brain (Hammond, Mayes & Potenza, 2014). Among adolescents and emerging adults, the use of illegal drugs is rising. This brings with it a number of problems which include failures in school, violence, suicide, unsafe sex and poor judgment. Among the emerging adults, difficulties in achieving a successful transition into adult roles is known to lead to drug abuse (Lisha et al.

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In addition, a disrupted career development and family formation has been associated with drug abuse (Lisha et al. If one transits precociously into the status of an adult through such things as teen pregnancies, the chance of marital instability increases and there is increased probability that such a person will engage in drug and substance abuse. The kind of parenting that involves parents responding to the needs of the children and requiring of the children to control their behavior leads to a high competence psychosocially and reduces the chances that the child will be involved in drug and substance abuse at an early age (Broman, 2016). Furthermore, the environment at home and the conduct of parents is of great importance in adolescents and emerging adults because it provides the environment in which the child is socialized on drug and substance use.

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What a child learns about the appropriate use of substances is very important. It is the parents that are the first teachers who let the child learn the substances that are appropriate to be used, when these substances should be used and the potential harm that is related to the use of these substances (Broman, 2016). This tends to occur without the parents holding discussions with the parents about the substances. Second was amphetamines that are not supervised medically at 10% with tranquilizers taking the third position at 6. 6% (Blevins & Khanna, 2016). There are many negative consequences associated with the use and abuse of drugs and substances among adolescents and young adults. Drinking among emerging adults and adolescents in colleges causes an estimated 1825 deaths per year, 696000 assaults, and 599000 injuries and close to 97,000 date rapes and sexual assaults.

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Over 80% of all the apprehensions by police on campus involve alcohol (Blevins & Khanna, 2016). Furthermore, the abuse of drugs and substances is a suicide risk factor in adolescents and emerging adults (Blevins & Khanna, 2016). Mental health problems are also associated with the co-occurrence of substance abuse and cigarette smoking (Hammond, Mayes & Potenza, 2014). Because of the relationship that exists between the abuse of drugs and substances and anxiety and depression and the risk of suicide that is associated with drug and substance abuse, a lot needs to be done to prevent the abuse of drugs among adolescents and emerging adults. In conclusion, it is clear that drug and substance abuse is highly prevalent among adolescents. Therefore, it is important that adolescents and emerging adults understand the likely effects that the use of drugs and substances can have on their health and physical as well as cognitive development.

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