Teenage Drug Addiction Help
Have you found that a troubled teen in your life has been struggling with drugs or alcohol abuse? When many parents find out that their teen is addicted to drugs, they are devastated and heartbroken. Parents feel like failures and disappointment fills their minds. However, parents must remember that they are not alone. Many parents have gone through this situation and there is hope for all. Many families and teens have overcome drug addiction.
Teen drug abuse in America has drawn many parents attention in recent years. According to a recent National Household Survey on teen drug abuse, nearly ten percent of teens between the ages of twelve and seventeen have used illegal drugs. Some of the most popular drugs of use are:
Cigarettes are also a popular drug of choice for many teens. Studies show that teens who begin smoking cigarettes are almost 50% more likely to use illegal drugs. Alcohol, a legal drug only restricted to teens because of their age, proved both plentiful and readily available to teen use. Popular among teens ages 12 to 17, great risk lies in both casual and binge drinking.
Why is teen drug addiction a problem?
Illegal drugs are of no benefit to society, but especially to teens. Teens struggle academically because of drugs and struggle to keep up in school. Academic performance is extremely impaired by drug and alcohol use. Responsibility also goes down in teens as they begin to skip class, fail assignments, and not show concern for relationships. Teen drug abuse is rampant throughout middle and high schools, and recently has even become a concern in elementary schools. Not only do teens suffer academically by using drugs, their reputations, futures, relationships, wallets, and self images also are damaged. Many people and things suffer from teen drug abuse, not just the teen.
Some say that teen and young adult drug abuse has reached epidemic proportions on high school and college campuses. Alcohol one of the most misused drugs today—is the most available and popular type of controlled substance often found. Many high schools teens and college students often fall into the following behaviors because of their drug or alcohol addiction:
- Walk around in a stupor
- Miss classes or appointments
- Fall behind in school
- Lose grants pr scholarships
- Ruin relationships
- Disrupt family life
- Put themselves in dangerous and bad situations
Teenagers used to be seen as the lively and energetic portion of the population—the future of our society, and our hope. However, drug and alcohol abuse is greatly hindering and hurting this perception. Teens, parents and leaders, need an increased awareness of this problem and growing trend.