 Teen drug is rising day by day. This problem especially touches troubled teenagers. Drugs are usual at parties. Many teens don’t realize that they have a drug use problem because they consider their use as “recreation”.
It has been proved that children who begin to drink alcohol before the age of 15 are four times more likely to suffer from alcoholism in adulthood than those teens that do not begin use of alcohol until the legal age of 21.
Common Reasons of Teen Drug Use:
- Curiosity: teenagers want to know what is like to use a certain drug.
- Feel good: they want to forget about their problems, or have fun at a party.
- Social environment: If one of friends takes any drugs, it more than certain that others want to try it.
- Availability: drugs, especially legal prescription and over the counter drugs, are easy to get.
If you begin to notice following warning signs in the behavior of your child, friend, or loved one, it is more than certainly that he or she has problems with drugs or alcohol:
- getting high on drunk or drugs regularly;
- lying about the amount of drugs they are using;
- losing interest in sports, homework, or hanging out with friends that do not use drink or drugs;
- avoiding you or friends to get high or drunk;
- talking about using drinking or drugs;
- thinking that in order to have fun they need to drink or use any drugs;
- pushing others to use drink or drug, telling about “cool” condition of intoxication;
- involving into problems with the law;
- taking risks, such as sexual risk and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs;
- feeling depressed, break-down, hopelessness, or even suicidal;
- missing school for an alcohol- related or drug-related incident;
- bloodshot eyes;
- changes in sleeping patterns;
- low level of grades;
- complaints from teachers;
- locked doors;
- unusual smell on clothes or breath;
- emotional instability;
- poor work performance because of drug use or drinking.
In addition, teen drinking is associated with risky sexual behavior that can lead to AIDS, other sexual diseases and unwanted pregnancies. Alcohol promotes dropping out of school. Teen drinkers are more likely to become perpetrators or victims of robbery, assault, rape, or even murder. Our juvenile justice system reports over 50% of their cases involve alcohol or drug use as a contributing factor.
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