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Why Are Students Attracted to Drugs and Drinking?

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Why Are Students Attracted to Drugs and Drinking?
Why Are Students Attracted to Drugs and Drinking?

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Thesis statement: Although the main reason students are attracted to drugs and alcohol is the stress they encountered with their academics, other problems include: I. Students using drugs and drinking alcohol due to external influences: A. Due to peer pressures. B. Due to parental problems. C. Due to the popular media. D. Misinformation. II. Internal influences: E. Boredom. F. Instant gratification. G. To escape and self-medicate. H. Rebellion. I. Curiosity. III. Students are attracted to drugs and alcohol due to personal problems: A. Lacking confidence. B. Relieving anxiety of depression. IV. Conclusion.

Why are Students Attracted to Drugs and Alcohol? Drug and alcohol abuse rates are very high among students attending college in the United States. Often there is more than one explanation for this, and it is worth knowing that the reasons students continue to drink alcohol and use drugs might change the longer they are using it. Students drink alcohol and use drugs for various reasons. Although, the main reason why students are attracted to drugs and alcohol is due to the stress they encountered with their academics, other problems including peer pressure, parental problems, popular media, boredom, instant gratification, misinformation, escape and self-medication, lack of confidence, to rebel, curiosity, and lastly, to relieve anxiety of depression. As an undergraduate psychology student at Baltimore City Community College, I wanted to know why students are attracted to drugs and alcohol. This prompted me to conduct a study to determine if majority of students are attracted to drugs and alcohol. I spent a morning with students at Baltimore City Community College following a psychology lecture. I interviewed more than 10 college students, freshmen through graduate students, many of whom


Cited: Bernstein, N. Top 8 Reasons why Teens Try Alcohol and Drugs. Parent Resource Center. n.d Web. April 8, 2010. Frascella, J. Why Do People Like Drugs? January 19, 2010.NIDA for Teens: The Science behind Drug abuse. Web. April 8, 2010. Ross, E. R., Niebling, B. C., Heckert, T. M. Sources of Stress among College Students. June, 1999. BNET. Web. April 8, 2010. Top Ten Reasons People Use Drugs. August 12, 2009. Drug addiction Stories. Web. April 8, 2010. Violent, Rice. Personal Interview. 8 April, 2010.
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