Amy

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 Split between intro paragraph and body. Make thesis more clear to show how it is related to pop culture 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

2 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. During the early 80s, the production of coca in South America 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 an estimated 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 3.1/6.2 arent very attention grabbing; consider finding the rough number of high school seniors using cocaine using cocaine doubled from 3.1 percent to 6.2(stopaddiction). 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, also known as vulnerability. Awkwardly worded; consider revising This paragraph feels a little out of place, I believe it would flow better later on in the paper when talking about MDMA The root of every individuals personal beliefs, values, and even habits can be

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. Previous 2 sentences basically say the same thing worded different 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 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 who 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 who has ever been to high school has heard the term peer

pressure more times than they can 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 among 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 also tend to 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. According to DARA (Drug and Alcohol Rehab Asia), Research confirms that most adolescent drug users are introduced to this behavior by friends. 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. According to CBS journalist Ryan Jaslow, 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. 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. 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 rapidly changing and advancing in a fashion that 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. As a result, society provides perfect conditions and Consider including examples of how Pop Culture is corrupt(stuff like drug use being glorified in the media) and how it affects teens resources needed for drug activity to escalate. Also, corruption is known to destroy innocence. Therefore, as children mature into teenagers and transition into society, they are extremely vulnerable to the corruptive behavior exhibited. It is for these reasons that 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, for example, 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 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 (ecstasy information). 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). 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 past-year ecstasy use increased 67 percent from 2009 to 2010. But 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 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 ones health, but also has a high likelihood for addiction and overdose, both of which tend to generate a fatal outcome. ^^^^Focus here is more on the effects of MDMA on the body rather than how it relates to pop culture. Consider cutting some facts to include how MDMA is seen in the media and how it is portrayed to teenagers, etc Throughout this paper, the vulnerability of the teenage age group is an 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. Conclusion ties it all up nicely but only to some of the body paragraphs; I would consider trimming up the facts on cocaine and ecstasy and focus more on how they are in pop culture. I understand you may want to focus on the more dangerous or less talked about drugs, but in my opinion it is hard to get a real understanding of teen drug use in pop culture without mentioning marijuana as it is extremely prevalent

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amongst teens and in pop culture; (im not saying to completely change the topic, but it might be good to mention) Reviewed by Liam Neill