Substance Abuse with Teenagers

Substance Abuse with Teenagers

Introduction

Alcohol and drugs often begins in adolescence and is usually associated with the enjoyment of leisure and social relations, focusing on the weekends or holiday periods. Certain features of this adolescent stage can facilitate regular use of substances, but if it becomes abusive can interfere with healthy adolescent development. The first and the most consumed substances are usually alcohol and snuff, followed by cannabis, tranquilizers, cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy and other hallucinogens. But not all drug use involves the same degree of risk. Thus, different forms of consumption: use, abuse and dependence. The process of dependence on one or more substances involve some time and goes through different phases in which the frequency, quantity and consumption patterns vary. Most often, the starting consumption does not lead to dependence. It is important, however, be alert to certain signs, because if it can act when the teenager is at the stage of abuse, but not yet dependent, intervention will be easier.

Background

Drug abuse among teenagers is generally considered to be the use of psychoactive or performance-enhancing drugs for nonmedical or therapeutic purposes. Drug abuse may occur with both legal (e.g., alcohol, cigarettes, prescription, and over-the-counter [OTC] medication) and illegal (e.g., cocaine, heroin, marijuana) substances. The abuse of drugs can lead to both psychological and physical addiction among youngsters, with the degree of physical addiction depending upon the properties of the drug. Due to metabolic differences between the sexes, girls are more susceptible to the effects of drugs, particularly alcohol, and are more likely to become addicted than young boys. A female's entry into drug use may begin after experiencing a traumatic event and female are more likely to use drugs to ease emotional pain from abuse, grief, and/or guilt than males. Since young females are more likely to be prescribed mood-altering substances for emotional and psychological symptoms, they are more susceptible to addiction to prescribed medications. (Thather, 2010)

Although overall rates of drug use are still higher among young males than women, the gender gap has been decreasing, especially among younger age groups and with regard to specific drugs, such as tobacco and the nonmedical use of prescription drugs. Research has also begun to highlight health disparities in the consequences of drug use for females, with females demonstrating greater health consequences at the same level of behavior as males. Female alcoholics have a greater number of drinking problems and higher ...