Substance abuse

DESPITE THE DANGERS OF USING illegal substances, teenagers as well as adults continue to drink, smoke and do drugs on a regular basis.

In 2001, an estimated 7.1 percent of the U.S. population, or 15.9 million people, admitted that they are current drug users and 31 percent of youth smoke, according to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse.

Zach Rivers, junior, said, “I drink, smoke and use marijuana to escape from everything. They make me able to think about things other than school, relationships, work and other stresses in my life. I don’t really worry about what it is doing to my body. I care more about the mental effects and I haven’t noticed a change.”

These substances often cause a variety of health conditions ranging from disrupting brain mechanisms by binge drinking, to causing some kinds of cancers from smoking. Teenagers often ignore these problems that result from using these substances.

Tobacco is known to be a leading cause in heart disease, lung cancer and chronic lung disease. “I’ve been smoking Black and Milds for a while because I like the way they taste, so I never really think about any health problems very much,” said Al Davis, senior.

Sandy Willis, sophomore, said, “I smoke because it relaxes me. I sometimes think about the consequences but I don’t plan on doing it for the rest of my life.”

The outcome of constant use of some substances can often be addiction. Philip Michaels, junior, said, “I sometimes consider the health risks of smoking cigarettes but I’ll have to take the chance because I have an addiction that needs to be satisfied.”

Alcohol can also be harmful to youth, as the human brain does not finish developing until around 20 years old; therefore, young people who drink heavily can be slowed in their ability to plan and make complex judgments, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

“I drink once or twice every weekend but I’m not very worried about it. I’m not an alcoholic or anything. I just enjoy it,” said Tom Madden, senior.

Drinking and driving is also a serious issue among today’s young adults. According to MADD an estimated 513,000 people are injured in alcohol-related crashes each year, an average of 59 people per hour or approximately one person per minute.

Pamela Morris, junior, said, “I will occasionally drive after having one or two beers but would never drive completely drunk. I would really be endangering myself as well as everyone around me.”

Drug abuse, especially marijuana, is common in teenagers, according to the CASA National Survey of Teens, Teachers and Principals. Fifty-one percent of 15- to 17-year-olds have been to a party that featured pot in the last six months and 45 percent of high school students say they could buy marijuana in an hour or less.

Rivers said, “Marijuana is very easy to get and if someone really wanted to they could probably get ecstacy or even heroin as well.”

There is a connection between smoking, drinking and drug use. Teens who smoke are five times more likely to have tried marijuana, six times more likely to get drunk at least once a month and three times more likely to try an illegal substance than those who do not smoke, according to the CASA National Survey on Drug Abuse.