Drug Use Amongst Teenagers Essay
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More than 70 percent of 15 to 17-year-olds see high schools as a place where drugs are sold, used and kept. Almost 70 percent of 17-year-olds can buy marijuana within a few hours or even minuets and have friends who smoke pot or have a serious drug or alcohol abuse problem. Most of these teens find marijuana easier to buy than cigarettes or beer and claim drugs to be their number one problem, far exceeding social and sexual pressures. And to make things even worse, this type of behavior is on the rise and is disturbing the parents as well.
But why are drugs so popular among teens? And why is the use of drugs rising faster than a helium balloon? To fully understand that, one has to understand why a person would use drugs in the first place. There are several reasons and each depends on the age group, situation and the person s background history.
The first and most common reason why people use drugs is in order to reduce unpleasant anxiety and unwanted feelings (Brain & Mind 2). Feelings such as depression and anger. A group of philosophers described life as an emotional roller coaster, which always ends by death. Human beings are unwillingly thrown into it and constantly confronted by tragedy, depression and confusion. No wonder human beings are so eager to escape reality.
The second reason why people use drugs is in order to enhance bodily sensations such as hearing, taste and touch (Brain & Mind 1). Many drug users claim that during the use of their favorite drug, music sounds better, colors are brighter and the taste of food is improved, making everyday activities that much more fun.
The last and the less common reason why people use drugs is in order to increase psychophysical performances (Brain & Mind 2). In other words, to increase energy and reduce unpleasant bodily sensations such as pain and tiredness. This applies less to teens but more to adults for reasons being that young people already have enough energy. But a number of post-secondary students have reported using amphetamine in order to stay awake and study. Other than that, the use of such drugs has been relatively low.
So now you can see why someone would result to drugs. After all, us humans are constantly seeking pleasurable stimuli, such as tasteful foods or a nice cold coke. This triggers a special reward in our brains, thus causing us to want to do the same thing again. Which is how an American neurobiologist named James Olds believes drug addiction works. He states that Whenever a person uses a drug and the effect is produces is somehow pleasant, this effect gets a rewarding quality for that person (Cardoso and Sabbatini 1).
This applies even more when dealing with younger people. Usually kids get addicted to fun activities a whole lot more than adults, which makes the use of drugs among younger generation even a bigger problem. A number of studies have shown that the young men and women that make it through the age of 21 without the use of drugs or alcohol, have a much less chance of doing so when they are older (Califano Jr. 1). Since teens aren t fully aware of all the harmful things that they do to their minds and bodies, they simply go ahead and do it. Even if they do have sum idea, chances are they don t know the whole story, thus thinking that it s ok.
But it s not and they have to be educated and shown exactly what they re doing to their bodies. And to be honest, putting up ads such as Just Say No! isn t going to do it. Because that doesn t show anything! All that shows is that the government does not want us to use drugs. Do they honestly think that a rebellious teenager is going to...
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