Effects of Drug Addiction in Adolescents
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, teen drug use is on the rise. Its study showed in 2007 that 41.8 percent of high school seniors had tried marijuana, 72.2 percent had tried alcohol, 15.4 percent had abused prescription drugs, 3 percent had tried methamphetamine, 1.5 percent had tried heroin and 7.8 percent had used cocaine. Though many teens try these harmful drugs only once, the effect of the drug itself can follow these adolescents for the rest of their lives.
Criminal
One of the fastest ways for an adolescent's drug use or addiction to affect his life is through the criminal consequences associated with the drug use. The law does not make exceptions for teen drug users. Even if a teenager is not caught using drugs, living a drug-filled life can lead to many other criminal problems, including gang activity and drug-related criminal offenses. Some teenagers turn to selling to support their habits. Addiction can also compel an adolescent to take part in criminal activity such as theft to get money to buy drugs. Studies have shown that drug use automatically raises the chances that a teenager will commit a criminal offense. In fact, the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that nearly two-thirds of released jail inmates were using drugs within 4 to 6 months before they committed their offenses.
Education
According to a 2005 survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, school dropout rates varied by state from 5 percent to nearly 11 percent of all high school students. Though not all high school dropouts do so because of drug addictions, drugs can be a dominating factor. Once a teenager has become addicted to a drug, whether it be alcohol or meth or marijuana, her drug addiction can take precedence over any other activities in her life. This is especially true if the adolescent comes from a broken family who may not be aware, or care, that their child is skipping school. As the addiction strengthens, it can be hard for the teenager to function while high. Even if she does attend school, she may be disruptive or just unable to learn because of the influence of the drugs in her system. This can lead to either voluntary removal from school through dropping out or forced removal from school by expulsion. Drug use can also allow criminal activity to spread onto school property.
Family
A drug-addicted adolescent can quite often go through a complete change in character because of his using. A once-friendly who is hard to live with. Many teenage drug users become defiant against authority figures, including their own parents. They may also turn to lying and even stealing from their families to support their habits. This can easily lead to a host of problems in the home, even completely splitting apart family relationships.
Health
One of the most devastating effects of an adolescent drug addiction is the health problems that come with drug use. Even in small doses, both illicit and legal drugs can have severe effects on a teenager, ranging from early onset of liver problems to cardiac arrest. However, the most dangerous health consequence comes with a drug overdose, which in many cases leads to death. Teenagers are especially at risk for drug overdose, since drug use often becomes a competition among younger users. This competitive atmosphere is especially true with binge drinking.
Costs
For every adolescent addict, there is an increased price for health care and drug treatment. With the average treatment program costing thousands of dollars per month, and much of that bill being covered by health care programs, the cost of addiction is staggering. Teen drug use also contributes to other drains on the health care and financial system. These include an increased risk for the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, an increased risk of drug-related car accidents and an increase in drug-related crimes.
Tags: health care, high school, percent tried, with drug, Addiction Adolescents