Drug and alcohol abuse among teens

Drug and Alcohol Abuse among Teens Drug and Alcohol Abuse among Teens Introduction Drug abuse refers to misuse of or destructive pattern in the use of substances that attributes to significant social-economic constraints. Alcohol abuse follow suit; it refers to a condition in which people deliberately or otherwise use alcohol against recommended levels and standards (Castillo, 2008). Globally, drug and alcohol use among teens is on a tremendous increase. There exists a general trend in abuse of both legal and illegal drugs. Teens get involved in prescription drug abuse such as narcotics specially prescribed to relieve severe pains and stimulant medications.
The trend is already a global menace. Teenagers often fail to visualize the intrinsic relations between their behaviors and their consequences. They feel literary immune and indestructible to the drug and alcohol abuse problems experienced by others. Therefore, the topic is important in bring to the fore the basic reality regarding this teenage vice including mitigative and relief measures (Monti, 2012).
Nevada’s Statistical Analysis
As at the year 2009, 11. 98% of teens in Nevada abused tobacco products as compared to average U. S.’s 11. 52%. It had no significant statistical difference in the county-level rates of tobacco addiction and abuse. While the average U. S. alcohol abuse among teens was at 14. 66% in 2009, the percentage of teens affected in Nevada remained at 15. 15%. This was, however, after a decrease from 17. 67% and 18. 40% in 2003 respectively. The rate of alcohol abuse reduced by 3. 01 percent, nationally, and 3. 25 percent, in Nevada (Sun, Ho & Ashley, 2012).
In 2009, illicit drug use among teens in Nevada was 12. 57% of the total compared to 9. 65% for the total U. S. teen population. The use of marijuana among teens in Nevada was also slightly higher than that of national statistics at 16. 4% versus 13. 28% respectively. Rates of drug-induced deaths are higher than the national averages in the state of Nevada at 20. 1% versus 12. 7% deaths per 100, 0000 teens (Sun, Ho & Ashley, 2012). From the statistics, it is evident that Nevada’s statistics are higher than the national statistics. Virtually all the comparisons in abuse and impacts trends portray Nevada’s statistics as being way above the national tally.
Relationship between Cognitive abilities and Rational Behavior
While increased cognitive abilities may enhance once ability to reason and differentiate between good and bad, the development may not necessary deter them from being involved in irresponsible behavior (Swartz, 2012). Drug and alcohol abuse is usually associated with a slow progressive addiction other than a spontaneous initiation. A person’s cognitive perspective may not withstand this change process. In fact, it is in most cases unnoticeable by the victim.
Websites for Further Consultations
The first website (http://www. drugabuse. gov/drugs-abuse) provides basic guidelines on drug abuse in the country. The NIDA website outlines the various drugs frequently abused by teenagers. It has statistics and trends of drug abuse in the country including useful publications on related topics. The second website (http://www. lastdoor. org/calgary-addiction-rehab-services/) is an Alberta-based company providing assessment services to addiction victims in preparation for their residential treatment. It has a team of professionals in the relevant field. The two website are of value as they directly deal with assisting drug addiction and abuse teens.
Lessons Learnt from the Assignment
Based on the analysis, two lessons are evident. First, drug and substance abuse among teenagers is a real global constraint, affecting large populations of teenagers even in economically superpower nations such as the U. S. (Yoshida, 2006). Second, even though the state of Nevada statistically surpasses the U. S.’s national statistics in drug and substance abuse among teenagers, there exist consultancy organizations and firms from where victims could seek psychological assistance.
References
Castillo, K. (2008). The causes that lead teenagers to drug and alcohol abuse. Muunchen: GRIN-Verlag.
Monti, P. (2012). Adolescents, Alcohol, and Substance Abuse: Reaching Teens through Brief Interventions. New York: Guilford Publications.
Sun, A., Ho, C., and Ashley, L. (2012). “ Addiction and Substance Abuse among Nevada Youth”. In The Social Health of Nevada: Leading Indicators and Quality of Life in the Silver State, edited by Dmitri N. Shalin. Las Vegas, NV: UNLV Center for Democratic Culture. Retrieved on 16th June 2014 from http://cdclv. unlv. edu/healthnv_2012/substanceabuse. pdf
Swartz, J. (2012). Substance abuse in America: A documentary and reference guide. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood.
Yoshida, R. (2006). Trends in alcohol abuse and alcoholism research. Hauppauge, N. Y: Nova Science Publishers.