Essay Example on Substance Abuse in Adolescents: Impact of Nicotine

Substance use among adolescents is one of the most prevalent problems in the globe and in the United States of America. Most of the young adults become exposed to drug and substance abuse at a tender age due to their environment and relationship with their peers. Trends in globalization such as excessive exposure to the internet have also normalized the use of drugs and other substances. One of the most abused substances by adolescents is nicotine. It is in cigarettes which are easy to access without an age limit. A study done by Mittleman et al. shows that over 27% of the people in America who are above 12 years use nicotine related substances. Consequently, they end up being susceptible to the use of harder drugs such as cocaine (Mittleman et al, 2014). In addition to peer pressure and exposure to drugs, gene development and some life events are also among the factors that affect adolescent substance abuse.

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Genetics is one of the factors that affect the use of drugs and other substances among adolescents. It is an influencer that creates dependency among first-time smokers especially in the age of 14 and 17 years. When compared to people who have never engaged in substance abuse, these individuals, at the age of 24 are likely to develop a lifetime dependence on nicotine and other drugs such as cocaine (Iacono et al, 2012). According to these authors, individuals who do not smoke will never be addicted to cigarettes. Regular users, however, are genetically exposed to addiction. In addition to this, they are likely to have a high dependence on alcohol and marijuana. Iacono et al, state that "Behavioral disinhibition is partly responsible for observed correlations among cigarette initiation, use and dependence." Therefore, the influence of nicotine of the genes of a young adult makes them act impulsively, and it creates an avenue for experimentation and rampant drug use.

Some genetic findings have established that there are individuals who rely on substances do it as a way to respond to emotional instability and disturbances. For most cigarette smokers, the amount of consortia influences how much they will smoke in a day (Iacono et al, 2012). Therefore, as a teenager develops, the exposure of their genes to the smoking environment results to them sustaining their addictions at later stages in life. These genetic variances determine if they will smoke more or less tobacco. Consequently, the affinity to engage in smoking creates inhibitory responses to engaging in other forms of substance abuse. The relationship between nicotine SNPs and alcohol use has been established as one that influences the ability of an individual to engage in pervasive behavior. In essence, SNPs impact the prevalence of addiction in most individuals whose substance abuse is due to hereditary factors.

Most genotypes that are related to the use of nicotine indicate that a person will embrace its use as long as they are exposed to a similar environment. With this kind of genotype, an environment with drugs will act as a trigger and motivation to use harder substances such as heroin, marijuana and cocaine. In adults between the age of 17 and 24, genes account for their smoking behavior. Studies postulate that they begin their behavior at a tender age of 11 and their affinity to cigarettes increases as they grow older. A shared environment with smokers shows that environmental exposure to smoking creates a broader exposure to drug use.

Secondly, drug and substance abuse in adolescents can be caused by peer pressure and influence. In most cases, young adults believe that their relevance, as well as influence within a group, increases when they behave in a certain way. Excessive use of nicotine and alcohol are among the ways that teenagers use to gain popularity within a group. According to Brown, children who believe in controlling a particular group within their environment tend to consume drugs such as alcohol and other hard drugs to ensure that they maintain their relevance within their spheres of influence. It is one of the social motivations which is seen as a sign of maturity especially among male teenagers. Therefore, peer pressure is one of the factors that determine the rate of adolescent substance abuse.

Family and social factors also have an impact on how young adults respond to drug use (Brown, 2013). This relationship is directly influenced by the environment an individual finds themselves in. At a tender age, mostly in the teenage years, the brain reacts to what is happening within the vicinity. During adolescence, the brain is vulnerable, and children quickly get stressed due to social tensions or family dysfunctionality. This hostility builds up reactions that result in the dependence on drugs as a coping mechanism. In most cases, young adults use alcohol and nicotine before embracing other hard drugs (Brown, 2013). A decrease in grey matter and an increase in white matter results in adolescents developing more emotions and hormones that may be difficult to regulate during adverse situations. White matter contains axons that pass information to the sensory organs in the cerebral cortex. It is more prevalent in male teenagers who are more likely to engage in drug and substance abuse.

Drugs such as ethanol, opiates, nicotine and stimulants are addicting drugs that result in an increase in the release of dopamine in human beings. As a result, this leads to increased levels of addiction, and the brain adjusts to this condition by reducing its production (Brown, 2013). Consequently, the mind becomes dependent on these drugs to release and sustain dopamine production. These substances become an integral part of an individual's life, and it inhibits the ability of an individual to make right decisions. Therefore, exposure to addictive drugs can influence drug use in adolescents since it interferes with the production levels of dopamine.

Bullying and gang affiliations are also environmental factors that affect adolescent substance use. Physical and verbal abuse result in mental health illnesses and psychosocial issues that may trigger the use of drugs. Playing a role in bullying increases the chances of an individual participating in the use of alcohol (Brown, 2013). However, the victims of bullying are likely to depend on harder drugs as a coping mechanism. However, if one is a victim and a perpetrator, they are likely to be involved in both alcohol and drug abuse. Gang affiliation, on the other hand, is associated with the increased use of marijuana and cocaine. There is a cycle of drug use among teenagers in a gang since it creates a sense of belonging. Additionally, the use of drugs among such peers is always an attractive incentive for first-time substance abusers. Their participation in these activities creates a bond that leads to addiction (Brown, 2013). Thus, bullying and gang affiliation are among the environmental factors that may result in substance abuse among adolescents.

Behavioral changes and sociocultural exposure also affects the ability of a teenager to engage in drug abuse. The transition from childhood is confusing for most adults since it is a new stage of life. In most cases, young adults are confused about whether to be inclined to family or peer influence. Since the brain, through the prefrontal cortex reacts to social change and decision making, most children at this stage become vulnerable to substance abuse. This period creates an avenue for the progression of habits such as alcohol use, smoking e-cigarettes and tobacco-related substances (Leslie et al, 2015). At this stage, the brain undergoes neurochemical maturation which affects the dopaminergic system. As a result of this growth, they develop behavior that responds to the chemical needs of their brains and bodies. Since alcohol and other drugs have addictive substances, they quickly get attached thus creating an addiction which affects their entire life (Leslie et al, 2015). When the dopamine system is unable to balance the emotional and cognitive functions, individuals may find ways such as drug abuse to cover for the deficiency.

Gender imaging is also another significant factor that affects substance abuse among young adults. The use of substances such as tobacco is perceived as masculine behavior by most female teenagers. Some cultures depict women who smoke as masculine, and this may be a source of emotional distress when they are in their social circles (Al Ghaferi et al, 2015). Therefore, girls at this age will find avenues to smoke while hiding to ensure that their habit does not dishonor their culture. Additionally, most adolescents also result in tobacco-related substances since they are the most affordable and socially accepted, especially when used by men. Thus, adolescent substance abuse can increase due to the perception attached to it by various communities.

In addition to gender imaging, religiosity also determines how adolescents perceive drugs. Some religious beliefs according to some scholars ensure that teenagers avoid the use of drugs. Therefore, teenagers from some religious backgrounds such as Islam view alcohol as harmful to their health and the social status of their families (Al Ghaferi et al, 2015). Muslims avoid alcohol since it destroys their body and they believe that it makes one lose control of their spirit. Hamad et al state that "Religion (Islam) prohibits drinking (alcohol) because it destroys the body and you lose control. God will not listen to your prayers for 40 nights if you drink (alcohol)." Invoking fear, therefore, makes teenagers keep off alcohol since they believe that it will alienate them their supreme being. Thus, resulting in tobacco and other nicotine-related substances becomes more comfortable since it does not contradict any religious beliefs.

The early dependence on nicotine is also a predictive factor for future smoking among young adults. Studies have shown that most smokers establish their behavior as young adults and in their teen period. This makes it difficult to stop since they already have a high reliance on nicotine. Early dependence is related to time since it shows how these factors relate to various drugs. The reliance of nicotine is determined during a two to six-year scale in experiments that show the relationship between addiction and age. However, these experiments work with young adolescents who are first-time smokers (Mermelstein et al, 2016). This means that lighter smokers, who smoke less than 100 cigarettes per year are unlikely to become dependent on nicotine when compared to their counterparts who use more cigarettes. Therefore, time and early dependence on nicotine determine the smoking behavior and patterns of most adolescents as they grow older.

However, the study by Mermelstein et al is not stable since it focuses on time as a unique factor without considering the psychosocial factors that may accelerate dependence on an individual. Factors such as sex and race which the study analyzes are time-invariant, yet the authors place a base-line of 30 days when conducting their research. This weakens their argument since the emotional needs of a human being are unpredictable, yet they are among the leading cause of substance abuse among teenagers. While it may be easy to set a timeline for how many cigarettes a person will consume in a day, it is difficult to determine the usage of other tobacco-related substances which change according to the age and sex of a person.

Conclusion

Another factor that influences adolescent substance abuse is neglect. As a child grows up, they are entitled to full emotional and parental care from their parents. However, this may be unavailable due to factors such as poverty or irresponsibility from the parents. According to some scholars, neglect accelerates the chances of alcohol a...