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TEENAGE DRUG ABUSE

Teenage drug abuse can have a major impact on our teenager's lives. Teenagers who experiment with drugs put their health and safety at risk. Parents can help prevent teenage drug abuse by talking to their children about the consequences of using drugs and the importance of making healthy choices.

WHY TEENAGERS ABUSE DRUGS?

Teenagers may use substances for many reasons. Various factors can contribute to teenagers abusing drugs, from insecurity to a desire for social acceptance. Teens often feel indestructible and might not consider the consequences of their actions, leading them to take dangerous risks — such as abusing legal or illegal drugs.They may do it because:

They want to fit in with friends or certain groups who already use drugs. They also like the way it makes them feel afterwards. They believe it makes them more grown up and the feeling is good for them.

COMMON RISK FACTORS FOR TEENAGE DRUG ABUSE INCLUDE: - A family history of substance abuse - A mental or behavioral health condition, such as depression, anxiety or attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - Early aggressive or impulsive behavior - A history of traumatic events, such as experiencing a car accident or being a victim of abuse - Low self-esteem or poor social coping skills - Feelings of social rejection - when they feel that their peers ignore them or do not like them - Academic failure - when teenagers fail they give up too quickly and resort to using drugs as a way of passing time.

WHAT DRUGS ARE ABUSED BY TEENAGERS?

- Nyaope

- Alcohol

- Heroin

- Club drugs (for example, Ecstasy),

- Narcotics (for example, morphine, heroin

- Marijuana

- cigarettes

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS OF DRUG ABUSE AMONG TEENAGERS?

- You’re neglecting your responsibilities at school, work, or home (e.g. missing classes, not bathing because of drug use.

- You’re using drugs under dangerous conditions or taking risks while high, such as driving while on drugs, using dirty needles, or having unprotected sex.

- Your drug use is getting you into legal trouble, such as arrests for disorderly conduct, driving under the influence, or stealing to support a drug habit.

- You take drugs to avoid or relieve withdrawal symptoms. If you go too long without drugs, you experience symptoms such as nausea, restlessness, insomnia, depression, sweating, shaking, and anxiety.

- You’ve lost control over your drug use. You often do drugs or use more than you planned, even though you told yourself you wouldn’t. You may want to stop using, but you feel powerless.

CONSEQUENCES OF TEENAGE DRUG ABUSE

Negative consequences of teen drug abuse might include:

Drug dependence.

Teenagers who abuse drugs are at a high risk of serious drug use later in life.

Impaired driving. When a teenager drives under the influence of any drug, it impair's a driver's motor skills, reaction time and judgment — putting him/her, his or her passengers, and others on the road at risk. Sexual activity.

Teenagers who abuse drugs are more likely to have poor judgment or concentration, which can result in unplanned and unsafe sex.

HOW TO HELP TEENAGERS WHO ARE ON DRUGS

-Talk to them and show them the dangers of using drugs.

- Find out why they are taking them

- Get help from a specialist or a rehabilitation clinic

- Avoid leaving teenagers alone for a long time or with other teenagers who you think might influence them to do drugs.