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Stegall Caruso English 1103 11/12/12 Pop Culture: Substance Abuse, Teenagers, and Society Theres no question that drugs have a serious impact on society in this day
and age, especially among the teenage population. Illicit drug use is greatly looked down upon and often considered rebellious behavior, which may be part of what draws in young, vulnerable crowds and turns away responsible, mature ones. But have drugs always been viewed and used in this manner? The answer to that question is absolutely not. Over the years, societys knowledge, use, and opinion of drugs has undergone many changes. Cocaine, for example, is a substance that the world has known for hundreds of years. Extracted from the coca plant, the pure chemical cocaine hydrochloride has extensive stimulate properties that were first recognized in the mid-1800s (NeuroSoup). For the remainder of the 1800s, cocaine was used primarily for medicinal purposes. Once the 1900s came around, cocaines popularity increased, and the chemical could be found in many patented medicines right here in the U.S. Cocaines popularity would be short lived, though; in 1914 the Harrison Narcotic Act was passed to end extensive use of cocaine, which became know to lead to serious and even fatal health problems (Erowid). The drug became extremely difficult to obtain after its illegalization. As a result of the high cost and low availability, cocaine was used by only a small percent of the population allowing it to keep a low profile up until its business potential was recognized. By the early
80s, the production of coca in South America had expanded into a multi-billion dollar industry. By the mid 80s, the estimated amount of cocaine being moved into
the
United
States
began
doubling
and
even
tripling
year
after
year
(NeuroSoup),
and
as
many
as
8
million
Americans
were
using
cocaine
regularly
(Creglar
and
Mark
1986).
But
once
again,
its
popularity
declined
as
the
90s
crept
up;
with
the
exception
of
one
age
group.
From
1992
to
1999,
the
percent
of
high
school
seniors
using
cocaine
doubled
from
3.1
percent
to
6.2(stopaddiction.com).
Other
illegal
drugs
experienced
an
increase
of
young
users
throughout
the
late
90s
as
well.
Over
the
next
few
years
into
the
21st
century,
the
use
of
illegal
drugs
among
teenagers
continued
increasing
at
a
steady
rate.
By
2010,
the
rate
of
illicit
drug
use
among
teenagers
was
21.5
percent;
double
the
rate
of
adults
age
26
and
up,
which
was
at
a
low
6.6
percent
(DHHS).
Americas
present
day
society
can
still
be
found
in
the
midst
of
this
condition.
The
question
on
everyones
mind
is
the
same;
why
is
drug
use
more
prominent
among
teens
in
todays
society?
The
answer
is
a
natural
result
of
two
main
external
factors
in
the
life
of
a
young
adult:
social
and
environmental.
The
explanation
formulated
from
these
factors
can
be
described
as
teen
substance
abuse
being
an
issue
onset
by
social
factors
and
promoted/supported
by
environmental
factors.
In
addition,
when
going
through
this
information
one
must
keep
in
mind
that
certain
aspects
of
the
teenage
mind
increase
the
susceptibility
of
giving
in
to
their
surroundings.
The
root
of
every
individuals
personal
beliefs,
values,
and
even
habits
can
be
tirzah 10/22/12 1:40 PM
Comment [4]: Great
statistics
and
background
information.
traced back to the way he or she was raised. As a child, an individual learns everything they know from listening to and watching their parents; resulting in
values, beliefs, routines, and habits that often reflect those of the parents. Because family has a such huge influence over the choices a person makes daily throughout his or her life, it can be said that the implementation of healthy habits and moral values as a parent will influence good decisions, as well as the other way around. Therefore, certain factors pertaining to an individuals childhood may increase or decrease his or her risk of potential for substance abuse. One of these factors includes the attitude, tolerance, and lifestyle exhibited by the parents. If adolescents see their parents or other significant adults using drugs or if the attitudes of the adults are tolerant of drug use, adolescents may be inclined to experiment with drugs, acquire accepting attitudes toward drug use, and choose
friends who use drugs (Bahr, Hoffmann, Yang 534). Another important factor is the parent-child relationship and frequency of communication. For example, teens whose parents talk to them regularly about drug abuse are 42 percent less likely to use drugs than teens that dont have those talks with their parents (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Though family is a main social influence over drug use, it generally presents an indirect rather than direct influence. The more direct social influence comes from those who adolescents surround themselves with, mainly friends and peers. Everyone whos ever been to high school has heard the term peer pressure
more times than they could count. Peer pressure is a term used to describe the influence peers, mainly high school students, have over each other when it comes to making decisions, often immoral ones. The influence of peers and friends, or peer pressure, is another major social influence over drug use in teenagers. The concept
of peer pressure is linked mainly to drug use among the teenage population for a
few
different
reasons.
First
of
all,
maturing
adolescents
feel
the
need
to
become
less
dependent
on
their
parents,
and
as
a
result
they
rely
significantly
more
on
friends.
Friends
then
become
a
main
focus
in
an
adolescents
life,
meaning
that
he
or
she
is
more
likely
to
abandon
his
or
her
own
values
(mainly
those
put
in
place
by
the
parents)
in
order
to
please
and
be
accepted
by
a
friend
or
group
of
friends.
Research
confirms
that
most
adolescent
drug
users
are
introduced
to
this
behavior
by
friends
(DARA).
Also,
a
majority
of
the
teen
years
are
spent
in
high
school,
which
exposes
young
teens
to
a
much
larger
new
crowd
in
which
age,
race,
and
way
of
life
vary
greatly
among
individual
people
and
groups.
With
that
being
said,
high
school
students
have
a
very
high
likelihood
of
coming
in
contact
with
drugs
and
drug
users
on
a
daily
basis
throughout
the
peak
years
of
their
teenage
life.
Each
year,
CBS
conducts
an
annual
back-to-school
survey
in
which
1,003
students
age
13-17
are
interviewed
via
telephone.
One
of
the
main
topics
for
discussion
is
the
prevalence
of
drugs
and
drug
use
among
students.
The
survey
revealed
for
the
sixth
straight
year
that
60
percent
of
high
school
students
said
they
attend
a
drug-infected
school,
where
drugs
are
used
or
sold
on
school
grounds
(Jaslow).
The
survey
also
included
other
alarming
statistics,
such
as
52
percent
of
high
school
students
stated
they
know
at
least
one
friend
or
classmate
who
uses
hard
drugs
such
as
acid,
ecstasy,
meth,
cocaine,
or
heroin
(Jaslow).
Social
risk
factors
may
be
somewhat
controlled
by
an
individual,
but
only
to
a
very
small
degree.
Environmental
factors,
on
the
other
hand,
are
completely
out
of
an
individuals
reach.
tirzah 10/22/12 1:13 PM
Comment [9]: Are
you
saying
that
the
social
environment
of
teens
is
hard
to
control?
5 All parents have the power to choose the type of home environment in which
their
children
are
raised.
They
do
not,
however,
choose
the
type
of
society
their
children
will
be
exposed
to
once
they
grow
older.
The
American
society
is
constantly
changing
and
advancing
at
a
rapid
rate,
which
follows
a
back
and
forth
cycle.
The
cycle
begins
with
a
personal
discovery
that
allows
society
to
move
forward,
which
in
turn
provides
people
with
an
increase
in
general
knowledge
and
greater
access
to
resources.
This
increased
knowledge
and
access
leads
to
more
discoveries
and
advancements,
which
allows
society
to
once
again
progress
even
further.
From
this
information,
the
evolution
of
society
appears
to
be
a
positive
occurrence.
In
reality,
however,
people
dont
always
have
such
good
intentions
when
giving
back
to
society.
As
society
advances,
everyone
has
access
to
the
continuously
emerging
benefits.
For
this
reason,
technology
and
resources
are
easily
taken
advantage
of
and
used
for
the
wrong
reasons.
Consequently,
the
more
society
advances,
the
more
corrupt
it
becomes
as
well.
Due
to
this,
todays
society
provides
perfect
conditions
and
resources
needed
for
drug
activity
to
escalate.
Also,
corruption
is
known
to
destroy
innocence,
which
means
as
children
mature
into
teenagers
and
transition
into
society,
they
are
extremely
vulnerable
to
the
corruptive
behavior.
Because
of
these
reasons,
certain
components
of
society
are
considered
environmental
factors
contributing
to
teen
drug
use.
Environmental
factors
are
primarily
responsible
for
the
increased
availability
of
drugs
in
this
day
and
age.
One
drug
that
has
seen
a
great
increase
in
production,
distribution,
and
popularity
is
the
synthetic
psychoactive
amphetamine
MDMA.
MDMA
is
more
commonly
addressed
by
its
street
name,
ecstasy.
The
drug
tirzah 10/22/12 1:16 PM
Comment [11]: When
you
use
the
word
environmental,
what
do
you
mean?
was
first
synthesized
in
the
early
1900s,
but
did
not
become
available
on
the
streets
for
recreational
use
until
1977
(Erowid).
Ecstasy
first
drew
in
a
crowd
associated
with
the
all-night
party
and
rave
scene,
and
it
became
known
as
a
club
drug.
It
wasnt
until
the
late
90s
that
society
saw
the
popularity
of
MDMA
begin
to
soar.
Statistics
suggest
that
by
the
turn
of
the
century,
ecstasy
was
no
longer
specific
to
individuals
in
the
clubbing
scene
as
it
had
previously
been,
but
was
now
being
used
among
a
broader
variety
of
people
(www.ecstasy.ws).
A
large
portion
of
ecstasys
increased
popularity
occurred
among
high
school
students.
In
a
mental
health
article
from
the
University
of
Michigan
Institute
for
Social
Research,
study
director
Lloyd
Johnston
stated,
Since
1998,
ecstasy
use
has
roughly
doubled
among
American
teens.
Statistics
presented
in
the
article
revealed
that
between
1999
and
2001,
the
percent
of
12th
graders
who
reportedly
had
easy
access
to
ecstasy
jumped
22
percent
from
40
to
62
(Johnston,
OMalley,
Bachman).
As
the
drug
continued
to
grow
in
popularity,
its
demand
and
availability
increased
as
well.
According
to
the
22nd
annual
Partnership
Attitude
Tracking
Study
(PATS),
conducted
by
drugfree.org
and
the
Metlife
foundation,
the
number
of
teens
who
admitted
to
using
ecstasy
in
the
past
year
increased
67
percent
from
2009
to
2010.
So
what
is
it
that
makes
this
drug
so
appealing?
The
unique
effects
experienced
while
using
ecstasy
is
typically
what
draws
most
users
in.
When
under
the
influence
of
MDMA,
users
experience
an
extreme
euphoric
mood
lift.
The
senses,
primarily
the
sense
of
touch,
are
heightened
significantly.
Highly
intensified
feelings
of
love,
peace,
and
closeness
with
others
often
occur,
as
well
as
a
great
increase
in
energy
and
communication
ability
(Erowid).
Even
more
specifically,
one
may
wonder
why
the
popularity
increase
is
tirzah 10/22/12 1:20 PM
Comment [13]: Revise.
All
three
authors
arent
needed
for
the
in
text
citation.
primarily among teens, generally high school students. Todays generation of American teens grew up learning only about the harmful effects of drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and LSD. Because the idea of ecstasy being dangerous did not
surface until recent years, the common misconception among teens is that ecstasy is a harmless drug. In reality, both the short and long-term effects can be life threatening. While on the drug, users are unable to control body temperature and are therefore at risk of overheating, which can cause organ failure. Other potentially dangerous side effects include dehydration, increased heart rate, high blood pressure, and in some cases severe psychotic episodes. The duration of the high generally lasts between 3-5 hours, but users may experience the comedown effects or hangover for days or even weeks after using the drug. When the drug begins to move out of the users system, he or she feels a strong desire to repeat the experience, and suffers mild to extreme drug cravings that last up to a few days. If he or she chooses not to use the drug again during the comedown, mild, sometimes severe, depression sets in and may last up to two weeks (Erowid). As for long-term effects, the most common is permanent brain damage, which can become evident after just one use. More serious long-term affects result from more frequent use, such as severe brain damage, kidney failure, cardiovascular complications, psychosis, and convulsions (Foundation for a Drug-Free World). Due to these affects, ecstasy not only can be detrimental to one health, but also has a high likelihood for addiction and overdose, both of which tend to generate a fatal outcome.
evident
theme.
Teens
are
easily
influenced
by
family,
friends,
and
their
environment
because
their
age
and
mindset
puts
them
in
a
position
where
they
are
more
prone
to
giving
in
to
outside
influences.
Teen
substance
abuse
represents
popular
culture
in
its
most
negative
form.
In
the
case
of
drugs,
the
trend
of
popular
culture
poses
a
huge
threat
to
society.
The
current
generation
of
teens
and
young
adults
are
the
future
leaders
of
the
American
society,
yet
the
threats
posed
to
them
by
drugs
are
often
overlooked.
This
is
a
serious
problem
because
adolescent
years
are
the
most
dangerous
time
to
become
involved
with
drugs,
as
well
as
the
easiest.
Many
teens
that
use
drugs
are
unaware
of
the
harmful
effects,
especially
when
it
comes
to
newer
drugs.
Once
hooked,
teens
are
more
likely
to
have
an
ignorant
attitude
towards
the
dangers
of
using
drugs.
As
a
result,
the
frequency
of
use
and
the
amount
of
drugs
used
increases,
also
increasing
the
risk
of
addiction,
overdose,
irreversible
brain
damage,
permanent
health
problems,
and
death.
So
how
does
one
prevent
his
or
her
child
from
becoming
a
drug
statistic?
The
best
way
is
through
education
and
communication.
Parents
cant
change
the
natural
progression
of
society
and
culture,
but
they
can
change
the
progression
of
drug
use.
In
addition
to
maintaining
a
healthy
relationship
and
sense
of
communication,
if
all
parents
educated
their
children
properly
on
the
true
dangers
of
drug
use
the
problem
could
be
somewhat
controlled.
Though
the
issue
of
teen
drug
abuse
will
never
fully
be
eliminated,
precautions
can
be
taken
that
may
save
the
life
of
a
drug-addicted
teen,
and
eventually
point
the
popular
culture
drug
trend
in
a
different
direction.
tirzah 10/22/12 1:25 PM
Comment [14]: This
paragraph
really
strengthened
your
tone
which
is
evident
throughout
the
paper.
Good
job.