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The Science Behind Teen Substance Abuse

By: Chris Channing Staying clean of drugs and alcohol is something that many adults face- but more frightening is the fact that younger and younger generations are starting to explore the offensive nature of substance abuse. Understanding why teens do this and how to prevent it is vital to parents, who should care for the well being of their children and help them the best they can.

How Teens Come Into Contact With Substance Abuse

Teen substance abuse isn't always because teens want to escape from pressures of life or even because they know what they are doing. Certain types of legal drugs can indeed act as a gateway drug and force teens to get their fix by using more intense and illegal drugs. If this is the case, teens should always be educated on any prescriptions they are taking, any steroids, or any "uppers" they may use to help study. Doing so can help reduce the chance of a drug addiction.

The biggest cause of the reasons teens succumb to the effects of substance abuse has and always will be peer pressure. It is becoming more common for adults and older teenagers that have been associated with drugs and alcohol to enforce their views on the substance to teenagers who would otherwise not be likely to try such atrocious substances. In that case, educating teenagers of peer pressure and how to avoid it can indeed help save lives in the long run.

Another common effect of teen substance abuse comes via marijuana. We are now seeing parents becoming more likely to use marijuana as compared to previous decades. This is largely due to the fact that many parents were using marijuana in the 1970's when the drug was vastly popular. Now as these teens have become adults, they may now try to hide the fact that they still use the drug to their kids. But as studies show, almost all kids born to parents who still use the drug in secrecy will be more likely to try the drug themselves if they ever catch on to the fact their parents still abuse the substance.

College students who just can't find the time to try and cram studying into their busy schedules, studies show, will be much more likely to fall victim to the possibility of substance abuse. To help prevent this sad prospect, parents should always educate students on how to manage their time and that using substance aids will only complicate matters- and should only be temporary solutions at best. A doctor should be consulted before continuing or starting this practice, however.

Closing Comments

All the different substances that teens can abuse are vast- and it doesn't help that so many adults are addicted to the same substances that teens must avoid. Through all of the troubles and hardships, teens can arise victorious if they are properly educated and given the good will and motivation to succeed in life, instead of becoming a victim to substance abuse and following the downward spiral from thereon out.