Are Prescription Drugs Affecting Teens

Teenagers have been abusing drugs for decades with no sign of slowing down. In recent years, the use of drugs has become so common in teens that 78% of teens say they have friends who regularly use drugs ("Drug Guide"). Consequently, teens are now so accustomed to drugs that it is no longer startling to find out that their friends are using drugs. Rappers, singers, and actors nonchalantly doing drugs all over the internet and television lead teenagers to believe that it is okay to do drugs. Many teenagers have lost the idea that drugs are harmful and now believe that drugs are not hurting them. Studies show 90% of all substance abuse disorders begin before the age of 18 ("Tara Conner”). In addition to the amount of drug users that start
In recent years, the number of teenagers taking prescription drugs that are not prescribed to them has sky rocketed. Per kidshealth.org, 24% of teens said they have taken prescription drugs without a doctor’s prescription ("Prescription Drug Abuse."). One reason teenagers are turning to prescription drugs is because teens believe that prescription drugs are safer than other drugs and legal, but both ideas are wrong. Prescription drugs are only safe and legal when taken as prescribed by a licensed doctor. A considerable amount of prescription drugs are addictive. For example, opioids are the leading prescription drug abused; in the United States, more people now die from opioid painkiller overdoses than from heroin and cocaine combined (Abuse). Thus, prescription drugs are among the most harmful because teenagers do not know the dosage or effects of the drugs they are
A fundamental component of eliminating teenage drug use is education. Society must work together to educate everyone on teenage drug abuse. Drug education should start in schools, particularly among pre-teens as a precautionary measure. Teens need to be well informed on all aspects of drugs. Two key areas of education should be the effects of drugs on the human body, and the effects of drugs on person future. Teenagers need to be taught how seriously dangerous drugs are. It is vital that teens are taught that drugs can cause physical, mental, and emotional issues amongst many other issues. If a teenager overdoses on any drug they could wind up in the hospital, or worse – dead. Not only can drugs harm a teenager’s body, drugs can harm a teenager’s future. Frequently, teens who use drugs become addicted and spiral out of control. A teenager hooked on drugs might drop out of school or end up in jail. Teenagers need to be educated on the legal effects of drugs. For instance, if a teenager gets caught with drugs of any kind, the teen could face substantial jail time, and teenagers need to know this. Similarly, parents, teachers, and adults in general should also be educated on teenager drug abuse. Many parents and teachers are clueless to the drug abuse going on right under their nose. Educational classes should be offered to parents of teenagers to