Drug Abuse in Teens

Title:                                           Prescription Drug Abuse
Topic:                                         Teenagers
Organizational Format:              Chronological
General Purpose                        To inform
Thesis:                                       Experts see increasing numbers of teens abusing prescription drugs.

Studies on prescription abuse:
-  In 2009, some 2.6 million teenagers reported using a controlled substance recreationally for the first time.

-   A 2010 study by the Drug Abuse Monitoring Network found that the number of emergency room visits related to abuse of prescription pain pills doubled between 2004 and 2008.

Why Teenagers take prescription drugs:
-Teens mistakenly believe these drugs are a “safe high” because they are readily available to them from the home medicine cabinet and or from friends.
- Escaping reality and relieving boredom are key reasons that teens abuse prescription drugs.  Peer pressure to preserve friendships and romantic relationships also contribute to why teens experiment with prescription drugs.
-To Enhance Performance: Competing for college admission, including competition for Advanced Placement and Honors courses in high school, can be very stressful.  Some students think that stimulants, such as Ritalin, help them study for long hours.
- To cope: The pressure of school, work, grades, and extracurricular activities like sports and clubs is difficult for most teens to balance.  On top of day-to-day pressures, adolescent development brings a vast array of emotions and moods that can be difficult for teens to navigate. As a result, teens may turn to prescription drugs to manage their daily routine—using depressants to sleep or stimulants to stay awake.
How to prevent this drug abuse:- Ensure teens have proper drug education at a young age so they don’t start using painkillers in the first place.Lock your medicine cabinets and keep prescriptions up where children and young adults cannot get to... [continues]

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