Addiction in teenagers

Addiction in teenagers

Problem definition

Addiction can be defined as a chronic and repulsive disorder of the brain, which is characterized by seeking and use of drugs that is compulsive, regardless of their harmful consequences.

Addiction is a social problem that crosses all the boundaries; that is; it is universal. It is a global problem because of its compulsive, progressive, obsessive, and repetitive nature. This chronic and progressive condition affects all people irrespective of their race, gender, occupation, age, as well as socioeconomic status.

Teenagers possess a threateningly higher risk of drug usage and the development of a dangerous addiction. The initial drug use in teenagers is voluntary, but after continuous consumption, one becomes unable to resist the drugs as a result of the changes that occur in the brain.

Addiction is an affliction that is both tragic and destructive since it can result in physical and emotional harm, and in the end, it costs lives. Addictive substances lead to crises in mental health, thus leading to an increase in deaths that are related to drug abuse (Edelfield, 2012).

Causal analysis

Causes

In most cases, substance use by teenagers is usually substantially imprudent and motivated by their peers. Other youths who develop drug addiction tend to have been abused in a way. Drug abuse can be for recreational purposes among adolescents, while other teenagers begin using drugs due to their exposure to prescribed medications.  (Edelfield, 2012). Also, it can be as a result of the family history of addiction. In some families, drug addiction is more common and involves genetic tendencies.

Consequences

The introduction of substances that are unnatural or addictive to their brains can affect the teens’ body chemicals, thus leading to insufficient healthy development.  The signals between the neurons can be shut by the dopamine that some drugs release in large quantities. These substances also can damage the hardwiring of an individual, thus making them essentially to be dependent on these unnatural substances, and this generates a biochemical change.

Addiction of the youths affects their families because they tend to have strained relationships with their family members. In most cases, drug abuse results in dysfunction of the family because it causes crises in the family and endangers numerous aspects of the family.

Teenagers’ addiction makes them become a burden to society as they are not able to be self-supporting. It also increases the cases of crimes because most of the youths are unemployed, and in the attempt to quench their thirst for drugs may end up stealing to raise funds to purchase these drugs (Hanson et al. 2011).

Ideological analysis

liberals

The liberals support legalization of some drugs such as marijuana. This is because when such drugs are legalized, the government will be in a position to regulate and control its sale, and this will ensure that teens will face difficulties in obtaining such drugs, thus reducing the problem of drug addiction among the youths (Scheier & Hansen, 2014).

Conservatives

According to conservatives, addiction and substance misuse among teenagers is a pivotal contributor to crime, can lead to mental health crises and lead to an early death. A preventive approach ought to be put in place to help in stopping the problem of addiction from ruining the lives of the youths as well as causing drug-related deaths among them.

Analysis of gainers and losers

Gainers

The government

The government will gain when the issues of addiction among teenagers are addressed. This is because the government of the United States of America has been spending a lot of money that is tens of billions yearly attempting the use of harmful drugs. Developing drug use prevention programs such as a nationwide school-based program will help the government in reducing its cost because the program will only use a small fraction of the funds that the government spends on controlling drug abuse.

Losers

The family

If the issue of addiction among teenagers is not well addressed, their families are likely to suffer financial losses. This can be. As a result losing family income when their kids end up not completing their high school or college studies or fail to obtain an advanced degree (Scheier & Hansen, 2014).  The family is likely to suffer considerable losses in their finances as a result of higher medical costs since a lot of addictions lead to health complications that can lead to increased costs in the entire life of the teenagers. The family ends up bearing such burdens.

The society

Failure to address the addiction problem sufficiently affects society economically. This is because drug abuse leads to increased costs on a societal scale due to higher incarceration rates, theft, and other criminal justice costs. Also, drug addiction costs society billions of dollars in health care expenditures, enforcement of drug laws, lost productivity (Hanson et al. 2011).

References

Edelfield, B. (2012). Drug Abuse:(Teen Mental Health).

Hanson, G., Venturelli, P., & Fleckenstein, A. (2011). Drugs and society. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Scheier, L. M., & Hansen, W. B. (2014). Parenting and teen drug use: The most recent findings from research, prevention, and treatment. Oxford University Press.