Drugs, Alcohol, and Teens
As a teen, there is constant pressure to use drugs and alcohol, and it is likely that teens will experiment with those substances. But experimentation is harmless, right? You’re just going to try drugs or alcohol, just to see what it’s like.
You might tell yourself that you will only smoke pot once, or try cocaine once, but then you do it at the next party and then again with some friends, and before you know it, you are developing a drug problem. You didn’t start using drugs planning to become addicted, and you thought that addiction wouldn’t happen to you. You were just using drugs with friends as a way to relax, to have fun, or to relieve the stress of school and parents. But now your drug use is turning into abuse and addiction, putting you at risk for the negative effects that are the result of that abuse and addiction.
Teen drug use of any kind puts you at risk for a variety of mental and physical problems. For instance, both marijuana and alcohol can affect brain development and memory in teens, which often results in a drop in academic performance. By using drugs as a teen, you’re also at a greater risk for developing mental disorders that include
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• depression
• anxiety disorders
• attention deficit disorders (ADD/ADHD)
Alcohol and other drugs can also have serious physical consequences that include:
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• seizures
• heart attack
• stroke
• nausea
• respiratory failure
In addition, drug abuse among teens leads to an increased likelihood of death from risky behaviors like driving drunk or overdosing.
Most teens might not see their drug abuse as serious, but substance abuse and addiction can affect every part of a teen’s life, including behavior, friends, and interests. Getting drunk or high becomes the new priority, and can crowd out the people and activities that used to be important. Sports, hobbies, old friends, and family don’t matter anymore. Drug use might start as experimentation, but before you know it you could be facing consequences that threaten your health, your mind, and even your life.
As a teen, the use of alcohol and other drugs is seems as recreational and causal; in other words, it’s just not a big deal. But the choice to use drugs can lead teens down a path that ends in loss of friends, alienation from family, mental disorders, health problems, and even death. Because teens probably won’t want to stop using drugs on their own, friends and parents should be aware of the signs of teen drug use so that they can help a friend or a child. If someone you love has a problem with drugs or alcohol it is important to get help so that they can get back on the right path.
