In 2008 the number of kids that reported the misuse of prescription drugs was 1 in 5 teens (Partnership Tracking Study [PATS], 2009). An increase from 2003’s estimated 2.3 million teens in the U.S. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2004). This has showed that out of the 1.7 million emergency room visits that over 700,000 involved prescription drugs (Drug Abuse Warning Network [DAWN], 2008). This problem with teens is very important because of two reasons, it can have severely impact on brain development during adolescence, (Compton & Volkow, 2005) and the misuse of prescription drugs before 16 may lead to more drug use later in life (SAMHSA, 2006). That is why there is so much concern with teens misusing prescription drugs is because of the long and short term medical problems it causes and how quickly the problem is growing in our
About 11,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 3600 will die. (Atkinson) Cervical Cancer is cancer of the cervix, the lower narrow part of the uterus. The uterus is hollow, pear-shaped organ where a baby grows during a women’s pregnancy. (Facts) Morton 2 Merck began marketing Gardasil in 2006 after the Food and Drug Administration approved it for females ages 9 to 26. The vaccine is the first of its kind to build immunity against two strains of HPV, which lead to 70% of cervical cancer cases in the United States.
But the main reason for doing so is “breaking the law.” 87% of high school seniors have used alcohol. That means that a large quantity of teens under the age of 17 to 18 have used alcohol before. We all know the reason why teenager drink, is common since. Just the feel that they get of breaking the law is huge. Being rebel and not following the rules is an important role of a teenager life somehow.
With that being said alcohol and drug addiction also takes a toll on wallets and families. Even though alcohol is only purchased by those over the age of 21, but according to the National Center on addiction and substance abuse, almost 80% of high school students have tried alcohol. Alcohol is a dependent, which means it slows the function of the central nervous system. Alcohol actually blocks some of the messages trying to get to the brain. This alters a person’s perceptions, emotions, movement, vision and hearing.
Lowering the drinking age Underage drinking has become an epidemic in today’s society among the young generation. Statistics shown more than half of adolescence between the ages of twelve and twenty have at least consumed or encountered alcohol at least twice. Alcohol is the drug of choice to some adolescents. As a result of the adolescent consuming alcohol binge drinking can occur. Frequent adolescents binge drinkers are more likely to engaged in dangerous behaviors such as, partaking other drugs such as, marijuana and cocaine, having multiplies sex partners and earning d’s and f’s for academic grades.
When physical abuse is present, sexual abuse isn’t far away, and more than not, the abuser is a member of the family, or a family friend. A study from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, found that 46% of homeless teens left their homes due to physical abuse and 17% from sexual abuse (“11 Facts About Homeless Teens”). Studies have also found that drug and alcohol abuse is often linked. It proceeds into bad and vulgar behavior and the most impact is put upon teens in the household. Substances such as drugs and alcohol used within the household by a parent or child, increases a higher chance of a teen runaway.
After School Program for Juvenile Drug Offenders: A Program Aimed At Reducing Recidivism Importance After school programs for at-risk youth have multiple advantages for the community and for the juveniles in question. According to Fox and Newman, nearly half of all juvenile crime occurs in the six hours of time between 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm (Fox & Newman 3). Juvenile crime encompasses a large variety of offenses, from robbery to weapons to drug dealing and possession. This program in particular will deal with the issues pertaining to juvenile drug offenders, and introduce a new initiative that will attempt to lower the recidivism rates among these juveniles. Between 66.7% and 67.5% of people under the age of 18 who commit a drug offense
Analyze the conflicts peer pressure and substance use and abuse has on adolescence. Peer pressure can certainly lead to substance use and even abuse, but do these things have an effect on adolescent children, and if so, how? Young adults spend more waking hours with their peers than with anyone else, so the likeliness that they are going to be faced with the conflict of trying drugs and or alcohol is likely unavoidable. Peer influences have been found to be among the strongest predictors of drug use during adolescence (umich.edu). The family dynamic may also have bearing on the level of influence that peers have on a child to decide to dabble in substances, such as if the child is in a single parent home, if the parents or parent use drugs and alcohol themselves, the availability of the drugs, and the neighborhood that the child lives.
It takes a drastic toll on the families who do. Teen pregnancies not only add another mouth to feed but can put the mother, father, and surrounding family through financial stress. The risk of pregnancies isn’t all teens have to consider. HIV and other STD’s are something that needs to be taken into account. Nearly 8,300 young adults and young teens ranging from age 13-24 had reported positive HIV test results in 2009.
Twenty-eight percent of the children bought cigarettes, and 61 percent bought alcohol. The children whose parents smoked were almost four times more likely to buy cigarettes. The children whose parents drank at least monthly were three times more likely to buy alcohol. Children who watched adult-content movies were five times more likely to buy alcohol, but the researchers did not find a statistically significant link between movie-watching and choosing cigarettes. The study suggests that parents should be careful about the movies their children watch, said Craig Anderson, who studies media violence at Iowa State University.