Adolescent Drugs and Alcohol Abuse Term Paper

[Shope, Jean T, 2004]

Cost of Addictive Behavior (individual and family implications)

Asides the fact that drugs and alcohol rehabilitation add billions of dollars to the nations health care costs, the addictive nature of these substances also implies direct costs to the families concerned. Adolescents have to spend hundreds of dollars for buying drinks and drugs and peer pressure would encourage them to engage in culpable actions. Typically, an alcoholic or drug-abusing adolescent would meet his financial needs by stealing from his own house. The next step is lying and borrowing from friends and in the worst case submitting to demands for sexual favors in order to sustain the costly habit. The individual surrenders his self-respect to the addiction and also losses trustworthiness in the society. As discussed earlier, alcohol and criminal behavior go hand in hand. Substance abusers have problems managing their emotions and typically show more aggressive behavior. This is because consumption of alcohol or other drugs disinhibits the brain regions that normally control our behaviors. Impairment of cognitive ability also limits rational thinking that is essential for normal social behavior. A nation wide study of college students in 1997 revealed that intoxication was a precedent factor to verbal and physical aggression in around 24% of the students. [PETER R. GIANCOLA, 2002, 129-139]

Conclusion

Several research studies have attributed the increasing number and the serious nature of adolescent crimes to consumption of alcohol and drug abuse. There is very strong evidence to prove that alcohol and drugs have serious negative implications for the individual and the society at a collective level. There is no question of doubt that for the adolescent community alcohol and drugs represent a dangerous, destructive, and addictive influence that ruins their lives. Educating our youth and organizing community level awareness and rehabilitation program are the most effective methods of dealing with the alcohol and drug menace that threatens to destroy the future prospects of our nation.

Bibliography

NIAAA. (2003), "Underage Drinking: A major Public Health Challenge," Accessed on March 2nd 2005, http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa59.htm

Janet C. Greenblatt, "Patterns of Alcohol use Among Adolescents and Associations with Emotional and Behavioral Problems," Accessed on March 3rd 2005, http://www.health.org/govstudy/adolemotion/

Shope, Jean T. (2004), "Adolescent Developmental Antecedents of Risky Driving Among Young adults," Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Vol 65, Number 1, Pg 84

Holly Harner (2003), "Sexual Violence and Adolescents," Accessed on March 3rd 2005, http://www.vaw.umn.edu/documents/vawnet/adolescent/aradolescent.html#id2634574

Abbey, a, Buck, Saenz, Christopher. (2003), "Alcohol's Effects on Perceptions of a Potential Date Rape," Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Vol 64, Number 5, pg 669

PETER R. GIANCOLA. (2002), "Alcohol Related Aggression During the College Years; Theories, Risk Factors and Policy Implications," Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Supplement No. 14: 129-139,

NHTSA, "Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities," Accessed on March 3rd 2005,…