Running Head: Drugs and Alcohol 1

Literature Review: Drugs and Alcohol Abuse among Teens

April Vasquez

University of Texas at El Paso

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Abstract
Alcohol and drug abuse among teens has been going on for many years. It wasnt until

recently that numbers started to increase again. As a result to these numbers increasing more and

more people have been: 1. being killed, 2. consuming so much drugs and alcohol that these

adolescents are overdosing and 3. becoming regular and lifelong users. In the rest of the paper

you will be reading about how and when young adults are being introduced to drugs and alcohol,

the importance of preventing exposure, how many of these teens are becoming addicts, and the

effects that come with the habit, as well as how this habit contributes among teen deaths and

injuries.
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Literature Review: Drug and Alcohol Abuse among Teens

Teens are very fragile beings, trying to cope with existence meanwhile coping with

transition. The stage of adolescence is one of the hardest considering that what happens while we

arent fully developed, follows us into adulthood and for the rest of our life. During the early

stages of growing, we must consume the right things to grow strong and healthy, we must take

the same steps to transition onto a healthy and prospering adults. At times, problems can be

faced, such as the consumption of drugs and alcohol. This problem is nothing new, but the

numbers over the past decades seem to be growing, more incidents have been more apparent in

adolescents. The factors that we must take into consideration when examining these issues are

the times of exposures, the dependence that develops with the amount of usage, and the deaths

and injuries that may come from the usage of these substances. Although we know what

questions to ask, there is still a lot of this area that needs to be explored.

The problems of alcohol abuse and addictions can be known to target different people in

different age groups and from different backgrounds. These addictions do not know how to

discriminate, however we have seen a drastic increase in teenagers, and higher dangers in their

usage. There is certain events that lead to bigger problems in teenagers creating a downward

spiral for the development of their life. Through research there is a way to understand what leads

to this life style, in order to determine if there is room for deterrence through prevention. In order

to be able to determine this information we must consider these questions:

1. When and how are these young adults being exposed to drug and alcohol?

2. How many of these teens that become drug and alcohol users, socially use or

use on a day to day basis? And what effects does it have does it have on them?

3. How does drugs and alcohol use contribute among the deaths of young adults?
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The articles that are mentioned provide a perspective for these questions, helping us further

develop and analyze the roots and ends to these problems, and what they can potentially lead to.

Through these examinations the authors give us an insight on what is to come from these results

even before they arise.

When and how are these young adults being exposed to drug and alcohol?

Although it is difficult to distinguish when precisely these adolescents are actually

becoming aware and exposed to substances, we have an idea of the age group in which they do.

Through the given tools I was able to create a survey on Survey Monkey about drugs and

alcohol, in which I inquired the audience about the nature of the relationship, if any, with

substances and their uses and abuse. Through the survey we come to find out that these

individuals start noticing drugs and alcohol mostly and roughly at the ages of 5 through 10, with

a percentage of 36.99% (Figure 1). This without discarding that at other ages we also see an

exposure to these things, and those age groups vary from younger to older than the one mostly

seen in. Although we see that exposure is happening at a roughly young age, the actual

consumption of alcohol comes in a larger amount at an older age, with the age group of 15

Figure 1

Figure 2
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through 20 at a percentage of 63.89% (Figure 2).

To prevent the exposure and consumption of these substances, we must understand that it

is imperative to do so, and identify that there is a problem among teenagers. Odgers et al. says

that exposure to alcohol and illicit drugs during early adolescence has been associated with poor

outcomes in adulthood which is why we must take special consideration in what is happening

in these early years (Odgers et al., 2008). Here they bring awareness to what comes from and the

difference of when exposure happens. It is vital to the development and understanding of this

information as to why there is heavy research and why we should do something in order to

prevent it from happening. Odgers et al. let us know that we must take acts to prevent these

issues because of the repercussions that come from this early introduction to such substances and

illicit acts.

As we move on from the questions of when exposure is happening, and why we must

stop it from happening, in order to develop a system of deterrence, we must understand why it is

happening. With exposure happening at such a young age, when we are mostly under the care of

our parents, it urges us to ask where such exposure is happening. If that is an age that we are

supposed be sheltered the most, why is it that we are coming across such negative things without
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being protected. In Alcohol Use Among Youth they state that parents may tend to overlook a few

beers as a preferable alternative to the use of drugs which confuses adolescents, making

them more susceptible (Roth and Friedman, 1987). It is common for parents to think that

allowing their kids to drink, it prevents them from doing other drugs instead. A lot of parents

have the impression that because their children are under their supervision they are safer, without

realizing that this gives teenagers the green light do also do so when their parents arent around.

This mentality lowers the logic and reason that should be associated with the dangers of the

consumption of alcohol. This also ignores the fact that it is against the law for people underage to

consume alcohol, which may also confuse a teen when deciding what is right or wrong. Another

problem that is encountered with this mentality, is that alcohol becomes a gateway drug, raising

the question among teens that if alcohol is allowed why wouldnt other drugs be. Simply put

parents don't realize that this becomes the question of would you rather get hit or stabbed.

Ultimately one would say neither, but if we had to choose, we would pick the least harmful one.

A similar thing happens when comparing alcohol with other drugs such as cocaine. However

parents fail realize that they don't necessarily have to choose one or the other, and that they have

the option to completely opt out.

How many of these teens that become drug and alcohol users, socially use or use on

a day to day basis? And what effects does it have does it have on them?

Experimenting or tasting doesnt necessarily lead to problems and addictions, and it

matters how often teens come in contact with either alcohol or other drugs for it to actually make

an impact. Whether a teen is a social user or a chronic one, can have different effects. There is

teens who will only drink recreationally, either at parties and social gatherings, while there is

others who will take on any excuse to drink, no matter what day of the week it is. Although both
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come with negative effects chronic alcohol abuse will sometimes lead to cirrhosis of the

liver (Orme, 1981). This illness leads to poor quality of life, given that it is incurable, and

since it is acquired at a young age, it can shorten a life span by far. This illness deteriorates the

body. Slowly shutting it down, and everything else in its way. This effect is enough to stop

someone from drinking, however once this illness hits it is already a little too late, given that you

can't take it back.

Other effects that come from drinking, whether heavy or not, are sometimes even

external. Another internal factor that is not as evident as that of cirrhosis, is that of treatment or

rehabilitation becoming less effective in someone who has been a heavy drinker or has abused

alcohol (Room, 1987). However many places have also come to observe an increase in traffic

accidents and violent crimes, as alcohol consumption rose (Room, 1987). Not only does drinking

lead to health problems, but it increases chance of injury. It can lead to poorer decisions, in

which people become involve in either hurting themselves or others.

How does drug and alcohol use contribute among the deaths of young adults?

As the aforementioned effects of substance abuse, we come to find out that some of them

are death and injury. Death among those under the influence can befall onto themselves or they

may bring it upon somebody else. In Alcohol, Drugs, and Violence it is mentioned that there is

a consistent relationship at the individual level between alcohol use and aggressive

behavior (Parker and Auerhahn, 1998). If there wasn't enough emphasis on why action should

be taken against these problems, deaths should be taken into consideration. Death tolls amongst

teenagers are high, and highly correlated to alcohol and drug abuse, which shouldn't be

happening to begin with.

Conclusion
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With all that being said, drug and alcohol use among teens has become a greater issue

from past years. The number of those who come into contact with these problems keeps rising,

but the number of those obtaining treatment or any sort of help, isn't. To solve these problems

attention needs to come to these adolescents guardians, without their attention and consideration

these teens lives are at risk. Whether someone can offer treatment, identify the signs of these

problems, or take steps for prevention, it is all crucial to combat alcoholism and addictions.

References

Drug, Alcohol Abuse Common among U.S. Teens, Study Finds; 15 percent qualified as
substance abusers, and initiation may be start of lifelong troubles. (2012, April 2).
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Molloy, D. (1996). Drugs, Death and DAAD. Fortnight, (347), 12-15. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/25558738

Odgers, C., Caspi, A., Nagin, D., Piquero, A., Slutske, W., Milne, B., . . . Moffitt, T. (2008). Is It
Important to Prevent Early Exposure to Drugs and Alcohol among
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Orme, M. (1981). Social Drinking and Drugs. British Medical Journal (Clinical Research
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Parker, R., & Auerhahn, K. (1998). Alcohol, Drugs, and Violence. Annual Review of Sociology,
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Room, R. (1987). Relating Drinking and Drugs to Injury Control: Perspectives and Prospects.
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Roth, P., & Friedman, L. (1987). Alcohol Use among Youth. Educational Horizons, 65(3), 121-
124. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/42926991
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Wolfe, J. (2009). Age at First Birth and Alcohol Use. Journal of Health and Social Behavior,
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