The teenage years bring plenty of trials and tribulations, like pimples, harder school work, the whirlwind of the social scene and dating. There is also a dark side to the world of teen challenges. Students Against Drunk Driving reports that as of 2005, 50 percent of teens had taken illicit drugs and 75 percent had tried alcohol before the end of high school, risking ill effects and possible addiction.
Types
Teens abuse a wide range of substances. Teen Zeen, a substance abuse prevention website, cites cocaine, Ecstasy, LSD, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana as commonly abused illegal drugs, and reports that that 8 percent of high school seniors have tried cocaine and 9.7 percent have tried LSD. In 2008, 2 percent of seniors had experimented with methamphetamine, and 32.4 percent had smoked pot at least once. Teens often try drugs before they enter high school; 1.5 percent of eighth graders have tried heroin, according to Teen Zeen.
Direct Effects
Alcohol and drugs have a variety of negative physical effects on teens. Teens Health, a Nemours Hospital website, warns that too much alcohol, ingested rapidly, can cause poisoning, which leads to vomiting, breathing problems, seizures, unconsciousness and death. Teen Zeen explains that marijuana can cause brain damage and boosts heart attack risk by 400 percent after just one hour of smoking. Cocaine, alcohol and pot account for the majority of teen hospital visits caused by substance abuse.
Indirect Effects
Teens Health warns that substance abuse also causes indirect problems. Intoxicated teens are more likely to have unprotected sex, get into vehicle crashes, drown or commit suicide.
Prevention
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advises, parents can take many steps to prevent teen alcohol and drug abuse. It advises talking to teenagers regularly about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, getting involved in their lives, monitoring their activities and setting rules and boundaries. Adults should also set a good example by modeling responsible alcohol use and never using illegal drugs.
Warning
Drugs and alcohol are not the only substances abused by teens. Teen Zeen explains that many inhale common household substances to get high. They use things like glue, spray paint, cleaning products and gasoline. "Huffing," as this practice is known, is dangerous. It can cause jerky eye and limb movements, deafness, brain damage and death.
