Substance abuse in teenager Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Substance abuse in teenager - Scholarship Essay Example It has been seen that there are 2.5 million deaths each year due to alcohol consumption. There are a lot of people between the age group of 15 and 29 who are dying from ‘alcohol- related causes† and disorders due to intake of drugs is found in 15.3 million people (Substance Abuse, 2011). When the use of drugs goes beyond the realm of experiment into a â€Å"problematic involvement† then it is specified under different classification system. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM- IV), fourth edition is a one such primary system which has mentioned the major indicators of substance abuse. It includes â€Å"role impairment, physically hazardous use, recurrent substance related legal problems and drug related social and interpersonal difficulties (Mash & Barkley, 2009, pp.185). Substance abuse has now become very common in case of teenagers in United States and this necessitates proper treatment programs and preventive measures. Substance abuse is a phenomenon which has become very common among different sections of the population especially the teenagers or adolescence. Adolescence period is a very crucial time in a child’s life because it a time when changes are observed on â€Å"biological, cognitive and social levels.† They come across new scenarios in their lives and often many are involved in substance abuse. Teenagers often resort to drugs and alcohol as they think them to be the mediums to become stress free. At times in their quest to â€Å"fit in with peers† or in trying to model the behavior of some family member they take the help of drugs and alcohol (Berman, 1995). The use of alcohol and drugs among the teenagers has increased over the years across the world. In United States, the studies have shown that more than half of the students in 12th grade had consumed illicit drug. Almost 76.8% students had consumed alcohol. A number of students in the 8th grade were also found to have taken drugs and alcohol. Drug use does not