Alcohol. the Drug of Choice Among Youth - 1908 Words

Alcohol is the drug of choice among youth. Many young people are experiencing the consequences of drinking too much, at too early an age. As a result, underage drinking is a leading public health problem in this country. Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking; this includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, as well as hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drownings (1–5). Yet drinking continues to be widespread among adolescents, as shown by nationwide surveys as well as studies in smaller populations. According to data from the 2005 Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, an annual survey of U.S.†¦show more content†¦Hereditary Factors—Some of the behavioral and physiological factors that converge to increase or decrease a person’s risk for alcohol problems, including tolerance to alcohol’s effects, may be directly linked to genetics. For example, being a child of an alcoholic or having several alcoholic family members places a person at greater risk for alcohol problems. Children of alcoholics (COAs) are between 4 and 10 times more likely to become alcoholics themselves than are children who have no close relatives with alcoholism (26). COAs also are more likely to begin drinking at a young age (27) and to progress to drinking problems more quickly (9). Research shows that COAs may have subtle brain differences which could be markers for developing later alcohol problems (28). For example, using high-tech brain-imaging techniques, scientists have found that COAs have a distinctive feature in one brainwave pattern (called a P300 response) that could be a marker for later alcoholism risk (29,30). Researchers also are investigating other brainwave differences in COAs that may be present long before they begin to drink, including brainwave activity recorded during sleep (31) as well as changes in brain structure (32) and functionShow MoreRelatedAlcohol Is The Drug Of Choice Among Youth1692 Words   |  7 PagesCan a person be too young to become addicted to alcohol and drugs? Or why is age of first use of alcohol is critically important? There are many questions raised on consumption of alcohol when it comes on drinking at early age. Alcohol often has a strong effect on people and throughout history, we have struggled to understand an d manage the power of alcohol. However, we hardly think how much alcohol is too much for us, unless we get into any kind of trouble or shows some physical or mental effectsRead MoreThe Social Problem Of Teenage Drinking725 Words   |  3 Pageslargest social issues among young people in America today. Although more than half of high schoolers drink on a regular basis, the problem is that they are not aware of how dangerous alcohol can be. Although the health risks of heavy drinking are known and understood, the social habit continues to be accepted as a cultural norm. Is it surprising then, that the young people are beginning to drink at school ages. The reality is that alcohol is often the cause of many problems among these teenagers. SimplyRead MoreTeens Top Reasons for Taking Drugs Essay614 Words   |  3 Pagesteens and drugs has been around for decades; however, this is not what you would call positive. Substance abusing (which is using drugs or alcohol in ways than can caus e physical harm) is often associated with crime. But why do youths take drugs? Youth take drugs for the following reasons: social disorganization, peer pressure, family factors, emotional, or rational choice. Social disorganization deals with drug abuse to poverty and disorganized urban environment. Drug use by youth minorityRead MoreDrugs And Drug Use870 Words   |  4 Pagesrelates to juveniles doing drugs. They do not just get the idea one day to do drugs without first being exposed to it by someone close to them or just seeing someone do it in front of them. Juveniles are still kids so they are curious about how things work. Most times when a juvenile is a high- risk youth and are using drugs, they have usually seen a family member or a close friend doing a drug and want to try. When adolescents become unable to function is when they abuse drugs. If an adolescent is unableRead MoreTeenage Drug Use Of Drugs1560 Words   |  7 PagesElizabeth Onyiego 9/27/2014 Sociology 100 Professor Victoria Hoverman Teenage Drug Use In today’s society, one of the common problems among teenagers is the use of drugs. Teen age is probably one of the most challenging periods in life. It is a stage of self identity crisis that leads to great confusion amongst the teens. Belonging and being accepted in a group is very important in the minds of the teens; where many regard the act as cool. During these years of growth, teenagers encounter their shareRead MoreTopic On Alcopops And Teen Binge Drinking1338 Words   |  6 Pagesamounts of alcohol for the purpose of getting drunk. Teenagers generally do this on a weekend and the drink of choice is the sweet flavoured Alcopops. These drinks come in a variety of cool colour and flavours and are marketed at the younger target group Binge drinking is a widely used term, and is the act of drinking heavily over a short period of time or over several days. Alcopops are the only alcoholic drink whose popularity declines with age. Alcopops begin introducing young people to alcohol at aRead MoreThe Effects Of Using Drugs At A Young Age982 Words   |  4 Pagessome drugs that officials ascertained over the past year is astounding. Middle school children are getting more access to drugs including, over the counter medicine, alcohol and everyday household products today versus the last decade. It is important because as one gets older, it could be a gateway to much harder drugs like stimulants, narcotics, benzodiazepines, hallucinogens and ecstasy as well as no one, knows the long term effect of using drugs at a young age. Starting The Usage of Drugs AccordingRead MoreEducation Is An Integral Part Of A Child s Upbringing785 Words   |  4 Pagesis a management strategy aimed at reducing aggressive, disruptive classroom behavior, a risk factor for adolescent and illicit drug abuse (SAMHSA, 2016). Similarly the focus group participants mentioned that Academia Education from K-12 grade needs to incorporate evidence-based programs in the academic curriculum in addressing alcohol and other drug use among the youth. NH young adults emphasized the importance of introducing substance misuse education in early school age from elementary while strengtheningRead MoreComparing Music Genres With Drug Abuse Essay1276 Words   |  6 PagesGenres with Drug Abuse Researchers have conducted different researchers aimed at investigating the relationship between illicit drug use and specific music genres. In a study conducted by Hesse and Tutenges (83) it was clear that specific music genre promote drug abuse as they contain different lyrical content, imagery in videos and public image artists who attracted huge following among the youths. A study conducted by Edmondson (406) revealed that music could be used as a model to use drugs while theRead MoreEssay about Views on Alcohol and Drug Abuse733 Words   |  3 PagesAlcohol and drug abuse among the youth and the adult population is a growing social problem in the United States. The teenage population is very influential to when around its peers. With peer pressure and social roles, teens tend to try and be like the person they look up to, and will do just about anything to look and seem cool in an effort to fit in. Adults tend to turn to alcohol and drugs due to life experiences, such as gettin g laid off of a job,a death of a family member or friend, or simply