Underage Drinking
Although it is illegal to serve or sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 21, alcohol is generally considered a legal product — one that, in moderation, is enjoyed by many adults around the world. However, adolescents drink at a time when they are both physically and psychologically maturing, and the full effect of alcohol on the developing brain is not completely known. In addition, adolescents drink at a stage in life when they feel invulnerable and omnipotent, at a time when they tend to challenge authority and test limits in an attempt to define their own identities. When alcohol enters into the mix, inhibitions may be lowered, judgment can be impaired in a dangerous way, and serious — even life-threatening — problems can ensue.
Among young people aged 15 to 20, motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of fatalities; alcohol plays a significant role in such accidents, as it impairs judgment, depth perception and response time. Alcohol use among adolescents also plays a significant role in sexual assaults and high-risk sexual behaviors. Early alcohol use has also been associated with later alcohol reliance; teens who have their first drink before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence later in life, compared to those young adults who begin to drink at age 20.2
Source: Health Alliance on Alcohol
www.healthallianceonalcohol.com
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What is drug addiction?
Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. It is considered a brain disease because drugs change the brain -- they change its structure and how it works. These brain changes can be long lasting, and can lead to the harmful behaviors seen in people who abuse drugs.
Why do people take drugs?
To feel good. Most abused drugs produce intense feelings of pleasure. This initial sensation of euphoria is followed by other effects, which differ with the type of drug used. For example, with stimulants such as cocaine, the "high" is followed by feelings of power, self-confidence, increased energy. In contrast, the euphoria caused by opiates such as heroin is followed by feelings of relaxation and satisfaction.
To feel better. Some people who suffer from social anxiety, stress-related disorders, and depression begin abusing drugs in an attempt to lessen feelings of distress. Stress can play a major role in beginning drug use, continuing drug abuse, or relapse in patients recovering from addiction.
To do better. The increasing pressure that some individuals feel to chemically enhance or improve their athletic or cognitive performance can similarly play a role in initial experimentation and continued drug abuse.
Curiosity and "because others are doing it." In this respect, adolescents are particularly vulnerable because of the strong influence of peer pressure; they are more likely, for example, to engage in "thrilling" and "daring" behaviors.
Why is drug abuse and addiction such a problem?
Abuse and addiction to alcohol, nicotine, and illegal substances cost Americans upwards of half a trillion dollars a year, considering their combined medical, economic, criminal, and social impact. Every year, abuse of illicit drugs and alcohol contributes to the death of more than 100,000 Americans, while tobacco is linked to an estimated 440,000 deaths per year.
People of all ages suffer the harmful consequences of drug abuse and addiction...
Babies exposed to legal and illegal drugs in the womb may be born premature and underweight. This drug exposure can slow the child's intellectual development and affect behavior later in life.
Adolescents who abuse drugs often act out, do poorly academically, and drop out of school. They are at risk of unplanned pregnancies, violence, and infectious diseases.
Adults who abuse drugs often have problems thinking clearly, remembering, and paying attention. They often develop poor social behaviors as a result of their drug abuse, and their work performance and personal relationships suffer.
Parents' drug abuse often means chaotic, stress-filled homes and child abuse and neglect. Such conditions harm the well-being and development of children in the home and may set the stage for drug abuse in the next generation.
What factors increase the risk of addiction?
- Biological. Scientists estimate that genetic factors account for between 40 and 60 percent of a person's vulnerability to addiction, including the effects of environment on gene expression and function. Adolescents and individuals with mental disorders are at greater risk of drug abuse and addiction than the general population.
- Home and Family. The influence of the home environment is usually most important in childhood. Parents or older family members who abuse alcohol or drugs, or who engage in criminal behavior, can increase children's risks of developing their own drug problems.
- Peer and School. Friends and acquaintances have the greatest influence during adolescence. Drug-abusing peers can sway even those without risk factors to try drugs for the first time. Academic failure or poor social skills can put a child further at risk for drug abuse.
- Early Use. Although taking drugs at any age can lead to addiction, research shows that the earlier a person begins to use drugs the more likely they are to progress to more serious abuse. This may reflect the harmful effect that drugs can have on the developing brain; it also may result from a constellation of early biological social vulnerability factors, including genetic susceptibility, mental illness, unstable family relationships, and exposure to physical or sexual abuse. Still, the fact remains that early use is a strong indicator of problems ahead, among them, substance abuse and addiction.
- Method of Administration. Smoking a drug or injecting it into a vein increases its addictive potential. Both smoked and injected drugs enter the brain within seconds, producing a powerful rush of pleasure. However, this intense "high" can fade within a few minutes, taking the abuser down to lower, more normal levels. It is a starkly felt contrast, and scientist believe that this low feeling drives individuals to repeated drug abuse in an attempt to recapture the high pleasurable state.
Why is adolescence such a critical time to work to prevent drug addiction?
Addiction is a developmental disease -- it typically begins in childhood or adolscence. The brain continues to develop into adulthood and undergoes dramatic changes during adolescence. One of the brain areas still maturing during adolescence is the prefrontal cortex--the part of the brain that enables us to assess situations, make sound decisions, and keep our emotions and desires under control. The fact that this critical part of an adolescent's brain is still a work-in-progress puts them at increased risk for poor decisions (such as trying drugs or continued abuse). Thus, introducing drugs while the brain is still developing may have profound and long-lasting consequences.
Can addiction be treated successfully?
YES! Addiction is a treatable disease. Discoveries in the science of addiction have led to advances in drug abuse treatment that help people stop abusing drugs and resume their productive lives.
Source: "Drugs, Brains, and Behavior -- The Science of Addiction" by the NIDA National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, US DHHS, NIH Pub No. 07-5605, Printed April 2007
For More Information
Visit the Wolfe Center for additional help and information.
For teens, visit www.teens.drugabuse.gov for an interactive Q&A web forum with Dr. NIDA.
Visit www.drugabuse.gov to download or call 1-800-729-6686 order free science-based materials on addiction issues.
For more information on Drugs and the Brain, order a free teaching packet CD-ROM series or the Mind Over Matter series from www.drugabuse.gov/parent-teacher.html
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Recursos y materiales educativos sobre las drogas de abuso, marihuana, extasis, nicotina, esteroides, (más)
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