Drug and Substance Abuse Among Teenagers - Essay on Social Problem

The social problem in consideration is the prevalence of drug and substance abuse among the teenagers in the United States. This is a social problem as it has many implications on the quality of life of the teenager, the family and the society as whole. Using social theories, one can understand why teenagers engage in drug abuse and ignore the counsel and warning provided to avert the situation. In fact, drug abuse can affect the teenagers whole life in an irreversible manner such that they miss quality life and waste the potential they have. Thus, various theories like Max Weber and Durkheim Emile would strive to consider social problems origin and the most sustainable solutions. While Durkheim considers social problems to originate from the insatiable nature of the human beings that is inborn, Max Weber regards social problems to emanate from the interactions between the individual and the society. By utilizing both perspectives, vital knowledge about drug abuse would be attained and the realistic solutions could be adopted. Both theorists give different perspectives of the same problem thus offering a panoramic view of it.

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According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, among the youth and the teens is the popular use of e-cigarettes. 8.7 percent reported the use of e-cigarettes 2014 among 8th graders, 16.2 percent of 10th graders, and 17.1 percent among 12th graders. Only 14.2 percent of the youth in 12th grade view continuous use of e-cigarette as harmful. The nicotine found in e-cigarettes is vaporized and inhaled but not smoked, but the health effects of e-cigarette are not yet clear. Further, the report did not reveal whether the use of e-cigarettes makes it more probable for individuals to use conventional cigarettes or tobacco products. Findings show that whereas most e-cigarette smokers have also smoked other conventional tobacco products, approximately 2.9 percent of 8th graders, 4.5 percent of 10th graders, and 3.8 percent of 12th graders who report past month use of e-cigarettes deny ever using tobacco cigarettes or smokeless tobacco. Another major drug abused among the young people is marijuana. Most young people the report revealed as high as 17.1 % did not perceive its use as having negative consequences. Furthermore, some learned how to smoke this week in school from their peers. Another major avenue in the introduction of the marijuana is the partying groups attended especially during the summer.

Some teenagers stated that they started consuming this drugs as early as nine years. The societal values in the place where they grew up were very instrumental in determining whether they used drugs or not. Some of the addicts declared they got into drugs in order to fit in, gain approval and be considered as heroes among the peer groups. Additionally, absent parenting was a factor that contributed to the use of drugs. This are cases where parents are absent either because of the nature of their jobs that demands a lot of traveling within or outside the country. Some parents also cared less about the moral and social life, and they were just pumping their children with money. It is this money that is unaccounted for that they use t buy the drugs. While some parents use and consume drugs that made the children adopt this lifestyle, other children were absolute defiance as parents did all was possible to prevent this, but the children yet went to take drugs. Although the teenagers at liberty to accept or deny use of those drugs, most of the times they are unable to make the right choices. Saying no to drugs requires consistent individual muscle to be able to say no. Further, by parents creating awareness through teaching their children why drugs and their use is not safe and the health implications. As research suggests especially among the young men, being brought up in dysfunctional homes or where the fathers were absent increases the chances of the boy to be involved in drug use, crime, and violence.

Young adults and teenagers who continuously use alcohol and abuse substances commonly experience a number of problems and challenges, including academic difficulties and hardships, health-related complications (including mental health), poor parental and peer relationships, and getting involved with the juvenile justice system. Furthermore, there are repercussions for the immediate family members, the society, and the entire community. From a larger scope, they have negative effects in nations as some of them will require state-funded recovery and rehabilitation programs. First, teenagers at this age are in school, and their consumption of drugs will impact largely their cognitive ability to grasp and understand what is taught in class. Busch, Loyen, Lodder, Schrijvers, Yperen and Leeuw, (2014) suggests that poor grades and sleepiness and a lack of concentration in calls can be as a result of drug abuse. Moreover, they brought out a great relationship between dropping out of school and drug and substance use. There is a great correlation between dropping out of school and the use of drugs and substances abuse. Students who use drugs and alcohol are also likely to behave in an unruly manner while in school that might interfere with the learning processes of other students.

According to Elliott, Huizinga, and Menard, (2012), there is an undebatable correlation between alcohol, drugs and substance abuse and delinquency. Arrest, verdict, and intervention by the juvenile justice system are ultimate results for many teenagers engaged in alcohol and other substance and drug use. It cannot be said with certainty that drug abuse leads to delinquent behavior or delinquency results to alcohol and other substance use. Nonetheless, the two conducts are strongly interrelated and often bring about family and school problems, association with negative peer groups, inadequate community social controls, and physical or sexual abuse (Baldwin, Christian, Berkeljon, and Shadish, 2012).). Ownership and usage of alcohol and other drugs are illegal for all the teenagers. However, there is enough evidence of the relationship between alcohol and other substances use and delinquent behavior of juveniles. Use of drugs normally results in crime and violent income generating among these youth. These activities induce fear and panic in the society residents that demands juvenile and criminal trial and justice services increasing the burdens to the community on other resources. Gangs, drug trafficking, town prostitution, and increased numbers of youngsters in homicides are some of the social, and criminal justice challenges frequently linked to the adolescent drug, alcohol and substance abuse. According to a report by the National Institute of Justice, youths who use drugs were found to have committed vices like violent property and other huge crimes. From a psychological point of view, these youth involved in heavy crime use drugs in order to remove fear, boost their ability to deal with this complex and the hard life of drugs related lifestyles. Youth with this is mostly the Latinos and Black Americans. Some of these youths live in high levels of poverty.

References

Durkheim, E. (1973). Emile Durkheim on morality and society. University of Chicago Press.