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Addiction in Adolescence

Drug and alcohol addiction

By Rowan Finley Published 2 years ago 3 min read
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Photo taken by Ale Sonia

“Batista was charged with Possession of a Concealed Firearm, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Petit Retail Theft, Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle, and Grand Theft of a Firearm” (Farrow 2022). Unfortunately, and sadly, news lines like these are very commonplace. This story took place in central Florida, and it involved three teenagers who were caught having stolen alcohol, firearms, drug paraphernalia, and a vehicle. It is evident that alcohol and drug abuse in early adolescence is not just a localized problem, but a national problem. “Adolescent alcohol use represents an ongoing public health issue in the United States. In 2019, almost one in five (18.5%) Americans aged 12–20 were past month alcohol users and over one in ten (11.1%) were past month heavy episodic drinkers (i.e., drinking five or more drinks in one occasion for males and four or more drinks in one occasion for females…” (Russell 2022).

How can society help fight the raging war of alcoholism and drug addiction against the youth of America? There are several things that come to mind. 1) Parents, family, friends, and adults in general need to set a better example for the younger audience who are needing positive role models. This implies that adults who have alcoholism issues, need to seek their own help and freedom from addiction issues as a means of setting the example for teenagers. 2) Marketing companies who market for alcoholic beverages need to have stricter guidelines for how, and who they are permitted to market to, especially on social media sites. Teenagers are highly saturated with information in this information age, and they are prone to soak up anything that promises to be a quick fix to their many emotional and mental health issues. 3) Resources and accurate information need to be readily available for adolescences so that they have the strong support that is required for their development. Teen support groups, church events focusing on substance abuse, and literature to read on this topic are all productive ways of positively influencing

teenagers to help them make better choices for their lives. 4) Lastly, the building of discipleship within local churches is essential to fight alcohol and drug addiction. The model of discipleship in the Bible is such a beautiful concept because it unites adults with teenagers in mentorship, teaching, correcting, and accountability. Discipleship is also a good way to keep teenagers from too much negative influence within their own age groups. “Overall, research has highlighted the fact that adolescents tend to engage in more risk-taking behavior when in the presence of their peers (O’Brien et al., 2011) (Wong 2021).

In summary, alcoholism and drug addiction is a localized and national issue. There are several ways in which society can work toward stepping up and protecting adolescents to the best of their ability through setting a better example, speaking up about marketing companies and their blatant messages, providing good resources for educational benefits, and following the Great Commission, or working to making disciples out of teenagers instead of viewing them as a nuisance. For further research, the New York: Columbia Broadcasting System, Columbia Broadcasting System has produced an informative video on how a team of people have joined together to help fight the epidemic of teen drug addiction.

References

Farrow, B. (2022, March 17). Hernando: Three teens arrested on stolen vehicle and firearm charges. Pasco News. Retrieved April 17, 2022, from https://www.pasconewsonline.com/news/pasco-news/hernando-three-teens-arrested-on-stolen-vehicle-and-firearm-charges/article_79dd28d0-8f72-5724-89c1-509045b2e34a.html

Hooked. . (2013, Jan 01).[Video/DVD] New York: Columbia Broadcasting System, Columbia Broadcasting System. http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Faudio-video-works%2Fhooked%2Fdocview%2F1822452105%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D12085

Russell, A. M., Vest, N. A., & Litt, D. M. (2022). Social networking site use and alcohol use behaviors among adolescents: A latent profile analysis. Addictive Behaviors, 129, 107261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107261

Wong, D., Hall, K., & Hernandez, L. W. (2021). Counseling individuals through the lifespan (2nd ed.). Sage Publication. ISBN: 9781544343242

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About the Creator

Rowan Finley

Father. Academic Advisor. Musician. Writer. Aspiring licensed mental health counselor. My real name is Jesse Balogh.

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