Introduction
Substance abuse is a significant healthcare problem in the United States, and adolescent addiction is a paramount concern. More than 30% of teenagers are active drug users, and a similar number of individuals are addicted to alcohol (Lin, 2022). The vital detail is that adolescents belong to the vulnerable category of drug users who are most susceptible to the persuasion of others, which aggravates their bad habits (Flores-Bonilla & Richardson, 2020).
Teenagers typically regard drug or alcohol use as part of socialization and creating the image of the adult person, a significant social and psychological factor that should be addressed (Flores-Bonilla & Richardson, 2020). In addition, addiction in adolescence leads to severe health impairment because the psychical and mental state of the teenager is still developing (Flores-Bonilla & Richardson, 2020). Therefore, addiction in youth is a critical concern in public health that should be addressed as a danger to teenagers’ mental and physical state.
Impact of Abuse on Health and Behavior
The current research on addiction and substance abuse among adolescents focuses on discussing ways to cope with this problem. The discussion of the negative impact of the addition on the health state of this demographic category is also an essential part of the investigation. For instance, scholars emphasize the danger to the intellectual development of teenagers with addictions because their brains are still actively developing (Flores-Bonilla & Richardson, 2020).
From 12 to 17 years, the prefrontal cortex of the individual is growing, and this part of the brain is connected with the ability of humans to think critically (Rømer Thomsen et al., 2018). It means that adolescent who drinks alcohol or uses drugs deprives themselves of the opportunity to realize their intellectual potential. The resilience in this population is low compared to adults, which makes adolescents especially vulnerable to addictions (Nelson et al., 2022). Teenagers typically have problems ending their addictive behavior, especially when it is connected with the social appraisal of their peers (Flores-Bonilla & Richardson, 2020). These details emphasize the need to implement effective control strategies to prevent adolescents from substance abuse and addiction.
Prevention Strategies
Education
The most common strategy for reducing adolescent substance abuse is education because it instructs them about the dangers of this habit. Teenagers can make more informed decisions if they gain knowledge in time. For instance, the right moment for introducing courses that teach adolescents about the adverse consequences of substance and drug abuse is when teenagers feel interested in this topic in high school. They regard addiction as a way of becoming more adult in the eyes of their friends, and it is part of their socialization, which is harmful (Nelson et al., 2022).
Parental Collaboration
In addition, there is a need for collaboration between parents and schools to control adolescents during this period to minimize the opportunities for addiction development. It allows stating that a thorough approach to solving the issues regarding the development of addictions among adolescents is vital. There should be a combination of providing teenagers with the necessary information and moral formation.
Spiritual Development
Healthy spiritual development positively impacts the adolescent’s conduct, and the religious teenager is unlikely to use drugs or drink alcohol. First, these adolescents understand the basic principles of morality and can distinguish good from bad better than teenagers without adequate moral guidance. Second, spiritual upbringing supposes that teenagers communicate with peers who share their worldview. As a result, the likelihood of developing addictions decreases significantly, which makes this approach to solving the problem practical.
Prevalence of Problem
The stories concerning drug abuse among adolescents in California are not rare, indicating the issue’s significance. For instance, a recent news article discusses the problem of fentanyl abuse among teenagers in the state who die from this drug. Lin (2022) narrates the story of the 14 years old adolescent who used to be addicted to pot several years ago and changed this drug to fentanyl. The consumption of this substance has become fatal to teenagers, and this story is quite typical because adolescents do not understand the risks connected with it.
Lin (2022) refers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data showing that drug use among teenagers aged 14 to 18 stayed largely stable between 2010 and 2020. According to an investigation in the Journal of the American Medical Association published in 2022, approximately 30.2% of 10th-graders in 2010 reported using drugs within the previous year. That percentage was essentially the same ten years later, at 30.4% (Lin, 2022). The problem is that this number is high, and the preventive measures do not show positive results.
Conclusion
Addiction and substance abuse are actual problems that are dominant in American public health. When it affects adolescents, this issue is even more alarming. Teenagers go through a critical developmental period as they mature physically and mentally. Their ability to make choices is significantly influenced by society and the group of friends they regard as their role models. Their neurological development suffers when they consume drugs and cannot fulfill their potential. The solution to the problem of adolescent addiction and drug abuse might be found in conducting additional research on the topic and considering existing interventions.
References
Flores-Bonilla, A., & Richardson, H. N. (2020). Sex differences in the neurobiology of alcohol use disorder. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, 40(2), 04. Web.
Lin, S. (2022). More teenagers dying from fentanyl. ‘It has a hold on me, and I don’t know why’. Los Angeles Times. Web.
Nelson, L. F., Weitzman, E. R., & Levy, S. (2022). Prevention of substance use disorders. The Medical Clinics of North America, 106(1), 153–168. Web.
Rømer Thomsen, K., Callesen, M. B., Hesse, M., Kvamme, T. L., Pedersen, M. M., Pedersen, M. U., & Voon, V. (2018). Impulsivity traits and addiction-related behaviors in youth. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 7(2), 317–330. Web.