Teenager’s Abuse of Prescription Drugs, Essay Example

Drugs pose different social problems because, unlike tobacco and alcohol, some are illegal though many are not, and the reasons why certain drugs are illegal do not seem to make sense. Teenagers abuse of prescription drugs are serious threats to public health. Effective prevention is a key component for addressing drug and alcohol abuse. Strong attention has been placed on the influence of prescription drugs on teenagers. Ironically, many legal drugs are dangerously addictive, whereas some illegal drugs are benign. Proponents of using non-addictive marijuana for medical purposes (Kravets A1-A2) argue the insanity of using strong (legal) painkillers, which are potent and addictive, when so many terminally ill patients report substantial benefits from marijuana, notably appetite recovery and pain reduction. Oddly, the government decided that morphine is an acceptable prescription drug for some patients, but marijuana (the use of which is supported by 80% of Americans) (New York Times p. A28) is not. Are there rational reasons for this distinction?

Despite drug education programs, many teens that begin to use drugs are either ignorant or disbelieving of their potential damaging effects. Young people who get high from sniffing common household items are oftentimes unaware of the risks of neurological damage that even one-time use can cause (Johnson et al). To others for whom the dangers of their drug of choice may be well known, the risks may seem small or worth it.

The following proposed solution focuses on drug prevention, treatment and intervention. Prevention is using education and counseling to prevent prescribed drug abuse, keep drugs out of society, and provide a safe and secure environment. Drug prevention training and education should focus on the theories about why teenagers become addicted and the study on riskfactors. Effective drug prevention programs offer developmentally appropriate education based on the age group, including social resistance skills, personal and social skills training, and putforth into the community and into the homes of the teenagers.

Link and Mokdard used a random sampling of the students attending large universities in the southwestern areas, within the United States. The survey administered using computer-assisted self-interviews via the internet (Link and Mokdad 239). Following the consent form, participants completed a series of demographic and college regulated items like sorority and fraternity measures as well as questions regarding the alcohol use, illegal and prescription of the drug, cigarette use. A total of 6,150 undergraduate students participated in the survey and approximately 32% completed the survey. The analysis and the survey focused on the drug abuse among the typical college students between the ages of 18 and 24 (239).

The participants were asked as in how many occasions in their lives have they use drugs without prescription for the last twelve months, for the past thirty days, and they were allowed to select frequencies like never used, used it occasionally, used it frequently, used it more occasionally etc (240). They were asked how did they develop perceptions? How did they have these perceptions?Results show that alcohol consumption was positively related to the use of Ritalin, a prescribed drug. The respondent gender and race were elaborately associated with the use of the Ritalin drug in the past one year and the past one month (240). The participant’s class standing was also significantly associated with the past one month and the past one year use of the Ritalin drug (241). The college senior reported the lowest use of the Ritalin as compared to college sophomore and freshmen were much likely to report more to the Ritalin use (241). The smokers and the individuals experimenting with tobacco reported the significant use of the prescribed drugs in the past one year and the past one month.

Works Cited

Kravets, D. U.S. Can’t Publish Doctors for Pot Advice, Court Says. Arizona Republic (October 30, 2000), pp. A1, A2.

Johnson, L. D., O’Malley, P. M., and Bachman, J. G. (2002). Monitoring the Future: National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2001. Lansing: University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research.

Link, M.W. and Mokdad, A.H. Effects of survey mode on self-report of adult alcohol consumption: A Comparison of mail, web and telephone surveys,Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 66, 2005, 239-245.

New York Times. Misguided Marijuana War: Editorial (February 4, 2003).Online.