The causes and effects of drug abuse amongst the youth
A drug can be said to be any substance used in medicine. It can also be said to be any substance taken by some people to get a certain effect, such as happiness and excitement. A drug addict is said to be someone whose life has become dependent on drugs, hence drug abuse. Peer pressure; – youth associates themselves with different types of people, otherwise known as friends. Through the pressure from these friends they tend to have a taste of these drugs and once this is done, they continue to take it and become addicted to it in the long run.
Depression; another primary cause of drug abuse is depression. When certain things happen to someone that is considered very sad and disheartening, the person starts thinking of the best way to become happy once more therefore the use of hard drugs will come in. This later on turns to a habit, hence drug abuse. Another major cause of drug abuse is said to be the rate of unemployment among the youth.
Furthermore, drugs can be said to be abuse when youth don’t keep to the prescribed dosage and a continuous use of a particular drug for a long time without doctors’ approval. This kind of abuse is associated with soft drugs. Effect of drug abuse; – The effect of drug abuse on youth is going to be viewed from three aspects. These are social aspect, financial aspect, health aspect. Social aspect; – the hard drug makes the taker hyperactive at the point of taking this drug.
This makes the taker to behave abnormally, contribute to immoralities such as armed robbery, sexually transmitted diseases e.g. HIV AIDS and many other societal vices. Financial effects; – The person that is so much addicted to drugs tends to spend more money on the purchase of these drugs. This can make the taker to become bankrupt or start searching for money by all means. This will eventually increase the problem of the taker. Health effect; – It makes the taker become unstable. The taker tends to go mad and starts behaving abnormally. It infiltrates a lot of diseases into the system of the taker and can eventually lead to death. Family risk factors for teenagers engaging in drug abuse include low parent supervision or communication, family conflicts, inconsistent or severe parental discipline, and family history of alcohol or drug abuse. Individual risk factors include any history of physical or sexual victimization, learning or emotional problems, difficulty managing impulses, emotional instability, thrill-seeking behaviours, and perceiving the risk of using drugs to be low.
