teen substance abuse
Substance Abuse:
Among Society's Youth
Tyra Klein
English 20-1
Mrs. Rainier
October.8th 2013
Klein 1Substance Abuse:
Among Society's Youth
Substance Abuse is all around us in today's society. 60% of all illicit drug users are between the ages fifteen and twenty-four (Stats Canada). This means teens have the highest risk to fall into a path of drug use. Three common factors can cause drug abuse among teens; Social Factors, 'the high mentality', and the availability of a drug to teens. These factors can not only cause a high rate of substance abuse among teens, it can also increase the dependency for the drug user to continue to use for many years to come.
Substance Abuse is on the rise world-wide, and Canada is not immune. Teens across Canada are faced with many social factors that provoke them to experiment with drugs. Some do drugs because they want to rebel against authority, others do it because they're trying to fit in- but the one thing most youth use drugs for is to provide relief from unpleasant emotions and make them feel better. Sometimes being provoked by social factors, like friends, it is hard to say no to drugs; when a teen says yes, they could be contributing to the 47 000 annual deaths due to drug overdose (Health Officer's Council of British Columbia). Another social factor is family. Some youth may come from a family that has a past with drug abuse. Children of addicts are up to nine times more likely to develop an addiction of their own (Web4Health).Sometimes parents don't always set the best example, and as many would have said in the 1920's; Monkey see, Monkey do.
Secondly, the Drug (High) Mentality that many users are sucked into through use of substances. I'm talking about that feeling when drugs are the main part of your life, when you feel like you're the prisoner behind bars in your own mind, most of what you do centers around getting money to get high, getting high, thinking about getting high, talking about getting high, and
Among Society's Youth
Tyra Klein
English 20-1
Mrs. Rainier
October.8th 2013
Klein 1Substance Abuse:
Among Society's Youth
Substance Abuse is all around us in today's society. 60% of all illicit drug users are between the ages fifteen and twenty-four (Stats Canada). This means teens have the highest risk to fall into a path of drug use. Three common factors can cause drug abuse among teens; Social Factors, 'the high mentality', and the availability of a drug to teens. These factors can not only cause a high rate of substance abuse among teens, it can also increase the dependency for the drug user to continue to use for many years to come.
Substance Abuse is on the rise world-wide, and Canada is not immune. Teens across Canada are faced with many social factors that provoke them to experiment with drugs. Some do drugs because they want to rebel against authority, others do it because they're trying to fit in- but the one thing most youth use drugs for is to provide relief from unpleasant emotions and make them feel better. Sometimes being provoked by social factors, like friends, it is hard to say no to drugs; when a teen says yes, they could be contributing to the 47 000 annual deaths due to drug overdose (Health Officer's Council of British Columbia). Another social factor is family. Some youth may come from a family that has a past with drug abuse. Children of addicts are up to nine times more likely to develop an addiction of their own (Web4Health).Sometimes parents don't always set the best example, and as many would have said in the 1920's; Monkey see, Monkey do.
Secondly, the Drug (High) Mentality that many users are sucked into through use of substances. I'm talking about that feeling when drugs are the main part of your life, when you feel like you're the prisoner behind bars in your own mind, most of what you do centers around getting money to get high, getting high, thinking about getting high, talking about getting high, and