Substance abuse requires special handling
by Udochi Igbokwe, reporter

    A common order of today’s “hip” society is the use and abuse of drugs by teenagers in high schools.

    The teenage years become very difficult and, at times, risky. Parents who grew up in the ’40s and ’50s know their lives were less difficult and more enjoyable.

    Teens now are faced with tasks such as discovering their self-identity, clarifying their sexual roles and searching for clues that would help them assess their life goals.

    And they have the added challenges of living in a society of excesses: money, material belongings, extracurricular activities and drugs.

    To help them cope with the stresses of day-to-day life, many teens turn to drugs. The most commonly abused drugs by teens are marijuana, alcohol and ecstasy.

    Having worked with teenagers addicted to drugs, I have noticed that substance abuse is often a result of curiosity, stress and peer pressure.

    Although most teenagers are aware of the sociological and psychological effects these drugs cause on the body, many simply ignore the facts and say with a shrug, “Hey, you only live once!”

    The availability of drugs in high schools and on the streets is a major problem in the United States. Therefore, politicians should be more concerned with the eradication of these drugs in order to prevent the wipeout of the future generation.

    Teenagers using drugs face the risk of failure in school, violent behavior, unplanned pregnancies and, in extreme cases, death and suicide. They also face potential physical and emotional problems such as drastic weight gain or loss, depression, paranoia or anxiety.

My experience with teens in need has given me insight into methods that do and do not work.

    Helping teenagers deal with drug problems should not include constant yelling and disturbance on the parents’ part.

    The more a parent yells and screams, the more a teen is likely to continue his/her defiant behavior.

    The blame on the sudden increase of drug use in the 20th century cannot be placed on teenagers alone. Parents also are to blame.

    Today’s parents waste much time and energy reprimanding their children with shouting and nickel-and-diming punishments. This type of confrontation leads to teens’ feeling hopeless and developing low self-esteem.

    The less parents reprimand, the more teens are likely to listen as long as parents are consistent on their expectations for their teens.

    Teenagers, on the other hand, should not be concerned with trying to “fit in” with their peers. They should understand that everyone is created differently, and doing drugs should not be one of the requirements for being cool.

    As a community, we should join hands to encourage the future generation of young adults to keep away from drugs and develop strong character to dissuade others from drug abuse and acts of aggression.