In any high school, in any city, in any state, substance abuse is a problem. Adventurous teens are always looking for a new quick fix. According to a survey done in 2003 by the United States Justice Department, 40.2 percent of respondents reported using marijuana, 12.1 percent reported using inhalants, and 8.7 percent had used cocaine. Furthermore, 5.8 percent reported that they had used marijuana on school property one or more time in the 30 days preceding the survey. Remember, this is only a statistic based on the number of teens willing to truthfully respond to the survey.
These teens are becoming addicted to hardcore drugs before they can even legally drive a car, and this is negatively affecting their neural development, along with creating a narcotic dependency that can haunt them for years or even decades. Teen substance abusers do not only lose some neurological and motor control, they also may experience sudden social change, such as their group of friends, grooming and hygiene, along with paranoia, hyperactivity, lethargy, insomnia, or excessive sleeping depending on which substance they abuse. Marijuana for example is known to boost a person’s BMR, or Basal Metabolic Rate, which is known to cause weight loss. Cocaine, another illegal substance, is known to cause hyperactivity. Large amounts of cocaine can cause cardiac arrest, which can possibly kill the user.
All of these drugs are rampant on our streets and in our schools, giving today’s teens a quick and convenient way to acquire drugs, although without this easy route, the addict may go to extreme lengths to get their drug of choice. If we try to limit or stop the flow of illegal substances into our society, we will have legions of physically and mentally dependant addicts on our hands that we will need to help assimilate into society and to wean them off of their drug. Without the necessary support in place for these addicts, we will cause more problems than we have solved by stopping drugs.
In conclusion for this post, I believe that we should set up the appropriate detoxification and rehabilitation facilities before we launch a major offensive on teen substance abuse in our society. But once we have set up these facilities, all of the cities, towns, and villages in the great United States of America should do all that they can to educate and rehabilitate teens who have become addicted to one or more of the many illegal substances permeating this country.
