Drugs

Drugs

In todays society drug use among teenagers is becoming an increasingly major problem. This is an extremely dangerous phenomenon. Most drug use begins in the preteen and teenage years. These years are the most crucial in a teenagers life. During these years teenagers are finding out who they are, becoming independent, learning to deal with authority, and searching for something to give their lives meaning. Drug use interrupts a teenagers growing up and learning process, because drugs now are readily available to get your hands on. Teenagers have turned to drugs to help them through life problems. But why? Nothing good comes out of drug use. Drugs don’t make the problem go away. For a short time while a person is on a high they forget about their problems, but the second their high comes down the problem is still there.

The use of drugs among teenagers is a result of a combination of factors such as; peer pressure, curiosity, and availability. Peer pressure is the main reason drugs are used. In todays society people are greatly influenced by each other. If people in the same social group start to use drugs, there is a pressure for a person to also try drugs.

Today drugs are considered an acceptable phenomenon to many teenagers. Bobby Layson, 20, is a recovering drug addict, here is his story;

“When I started using, it was only on weekends, at parties. I used drugs recreationally and therefore thought I had no addiction problem. I messed around with nicotine, marijuana, and LSD to be happy or to have fun. I needed drugs. I had problems in my life, emotionally, that only drugs seemed to solve. Instead, drugs made my problems worse. I started snorting cocaine and injecting heroin into my veins. I even started selling. I sold drugs for about a year and a half. Eventually, I experience a drug deal gone bad. I was shot in the head, behind my right ear. Even though, I now am deaf in my right ear, and have no preferable vision in my right eye, I lived. I realized what I was doing to my life.”

Also in todays society though drugs are considered an unacceptable phenomenon to many adults. Dana Janssen, 47, lost her daughter to drugs;

“Lydia was only seventeen when I lost her to due to a drug overdose. She was an excellent student and very well rounded. I never would have expected this. One night she went to a party at a friend’s house, we thought she was going to a girl’s night. At this party there was illegal drug usage going on. Someone approached Lydia about trying ecstasy. Her body wasn’t able to handle the drug. Her friends described foaming at the mouth and her eyes rolling back in her head. I don’t like to think about my daughter in a state like that. Lydia passed away that night on her way to the hospital. I strongly urge teenagers to not give in to peer pressure. All it takes is one time to end your life.”

In today’s high schools 48% of seniors have admitted to illegal drug usage at least once. The availability and variety of drugs is widespread. “Drugs have become like soda to me, it’s part of daily life and I always have access to it,” a senior at Hickman Mills high school stated. There is a major demand for drugs and the supply is plentiful. Since drugs are so available, an interest in them usually develops. A person may hear about someones experience or reaction when they were on drugs, and that might increase a curiosity.

Many teenagers believe that the first use of drugs is safe. However, even though there isn’t always instant addiction with the first try, it usually leads to further experiments. Teenagers assume that as long as they have money or are young they wouldn’t get into trouble. This thought process is due to police being very lenient towards teenagers. Of course, if they’re not going to get into trouble, they are going to continue to use drugs.

In some cases and areas though, police have buckled down on drug use. In these areas when a teenager is caught with drugs they are taken to juvenile hall. But the juvenile system needs improvement. Although drugs are such a problem in todays society, authority needs to go about punishment in a different way. The more authority lets a teenager off and just tells them not to do it; a teenager is going to continue doing it. Good community programs are necessary to place teenagers in a better environment to succeed. Though juveniles tend to steal, trespass, fight, drink, use drugs, use profanity, run away, skip school, many solutions were being thought about to prevent these problems.

The first has already been mentioned and deals with police toughening up and place juveniles in adult courts. When a teenager is caught with drugs they are placed in juvenile hall for a maximum of a week. Whereas, when an adult is caught with drugs they are placed in jail for a maximum of 20 years.