USE OF DRUGS AND INTOXICANTS AMONG STUDENTS

INTRODUCTION
Use of drugs and intoxicants among students are important problems that affect school-age youth at earlier ages than in the past. Young people frequently begin to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs during the middle school years, with a smaller number starting during elementary school. By the time students are in high school, rates of substance use are remarkably high. According to national survey data, about one in three twelfth graders reports being drunk or binge drinking (i.e., five or more drinks in a row) in the past thirty days; furthermore, almost half of high school students report ever using marijuana and more than one-fourth report using marijuana in the past thirty days. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug.

What is drug abuse?
Clinically known as substance use disorder, drug abuse or addiction is caused by the habitual taking of addictive substances. Drugs include alcohol, marijuana, hallucinogens and opioids. Substance use disorder is a disease, causing people to compulsively use drugs despite


EFFECTS OF DRUG ABUSE AND ADDICTION

Drugs are chemicals that affect the body and brain. Different drugs can have different effects. Some effects of drugs include health consequences that are long-lasting and permanent. They can even continue after a person has stopped taking the substance.

There are a few ways a person can take drugs, including injection, inhalation and ingestion. The effects of the drug on the body can depend on how the drug is delivered. For example, the injection of drugs directly into the bloodstream has an immediate impact, while ingestion has a delayed effect. But all misused drugs affect the brain. They cause large amounts of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate our emotions, motivation and feelings of pleasure, to flood the brain and produce a “high.” Eventually, drugs can change how the brain works and interfere with a person’s ability to make choices, leading to intense cravings and compulsive drug use. Over time, this behavior can turn into a substance dependency, or drug addiction.l. They can impact almost every organ in the human body.Drug addiction can lead to a range of both short-term and long-term mental and physical health problems.



*A weakened immune system, increasing the risk of illness and infection
*Heart conditions ranging from abnormal heart rates to heart attacks and collapsed veins and blood vessel infections from injected drugs
*Nausea and abdominal pain, which can also lead to changes in appetite and weight loss
*Increased strain on the liver, which puts the person at risk of significant liver damage or liver failure
*Seizures, stroke, mental confusion and brain damage, lung disease
*Problems with memory, attention and decision-making, which make daily living more difficult
*Global effects of drugs on the body, such as breast development in men and increases in body temperature, which can lead to other health problems
Other life-changing complication
Dependene on drugs can create a number of dangerous and damaging complications, including:
*Accidents. People who are addicted to drugs are more likely to drive or do other dangerous activities while under the influence.
*Suicide. People who are addicted to drugs die by suicide more often than people who aren't addicted.
*Family problems. Behavioral changes may cause marital or family conflict and custody issues.
*Work issues. Drug use can cause declining performance at work, absenteeism and eventual loss of employment.
*Problems at school. Drug use can negatively affect academic performance and motivation to excel in school.
*Legal issues. Legal problems are common for drug users and can stem from buying or possessing illegal drugs, stealing to support the drug addiction, driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or disputes over child custody.
*Financial problems. Spending money to support drug use takes away money from other needs, could lead to debt, and can lead to illegal or unethical behaviors.


Why Do Teens Use Drugs?
There are many different possible causes of teen drug use. Many are reacting to peer pressure and believe that turning to drugs and alcohol is how to become popular in high school. Some use drugs to self-medicate from painful feelings.

Some teens even turn to “study aid” drugs like Adderall or Ritalin, because they believe these substances will boost their academic performance. High school is often the first time that kids encounter illicit substances, and their curiosity often gets the better of them.

1 Peer Pressure
Peer pressure is influence from the people in one’s social group or setting. Not all peer pressure is bad, though. This influence can cause people to act more responsibly or join a sports team, for example. However, usually, when peer pressure is discussed, it is negative and often is tied to bullying.

Teens face an overwhelming amount of peer pressure in high school, from their classmates and friends. Peer pressure during adolescence often involves risky behaviors, such as trying drugs or alcohol. Teenagers may feel as though they need to give in to this pressure to fit in socially.

2 Academic Pressure
High school is an exceptionally busy and stressful period of life, and academic pressure in high school is very high. Students face harder classes and are gearing up to go to college or start a career. The pressure to get good grades, do well on entrance exams and succeed in extracurricular activities comes from both parents and teachers.

Overwhelmed by homework and studying, teens sometimes turn to performance-enhancing drugs to boost their energy and concentration. They might also take drugs to help them sleep better under stress. Taken without a prescription, these drugs can become addictive and can cause dangerous health effects.
3 Boredom
 One of the most common reasons that teenagers begin experimenting with drugs and alcohol.  They see drugs and alcohol as a pass time to be explored. Try to giving students more responsibilities or extra - curricular activities to get involved.
4 A bonding experience
Many teenagers usually around freshman year in high school are shy and have trouble making friends. We turn to drugs and alcohol to help us feel morw confident.
5 Depression
Some teens turn to drugs and alcohol as a form of escapism. When they are sad or depressed they see these substances as a way to self- medicate.
6 Curiosity
Curiosity is a natural of life and teenagers are not immune to the urge. Many teens begin experiencing with drugs and alcohol simply because they are curious and want to know what it feels like.
7 Weight loss
Female teenagers often turn to harder drugs such as cocaine for a quick way to lose weight. During high school especially young girls become more body conscious

8 Stress
During high school many teenagers are overly stressed with a packed schedule of advanced classes and extracurriculat activities. A lack of coping skills can lead them to seek out an artificial method of coping with stress. They then turn to drugs such as marijuana in order to relax.
9 Low self esteem
In teenagers, especially between the ages of fourteen and sixteen low self esteem due to physical appearance or lack of friends can lead to self destructive behaviour. The media bullied and often family put pressure on teenagers to act and look a certain way and they lose confidence in themselves if they do not meet those high standards. Drugs and alcohol seems like an easy way to escape they reality.
10 Enhanced experience
Drugs and alcohol ate often used to enhance certain experiences. Cocaine are commonly used to enhance energy and focus when they feel like they can't do something on their own and need a little help. Marijuana and alcohol are often used to relax and be more comfortable in social situation.
11 Now or Never
Teenagers often feel social imperatile to experiment and experience all that we can while they are still going. They feel like it is a now or never situation. They have to try drugs now before they become adults and have responsibilities. They feel like if they do not try it now they will be missing out.
12 Genetic
If there is a family history of drug addiction or alcoholism, teenagers may be genetically predisposed to experiment with drugs and alcohol and become addicted.

Preventing drug misuse in children and teenagers Take these steps to help prevent drug misuse in your children and teenagers:

*Talk to the children about the risks of drug use and misuse.
* Be a good listener when your children talk about peer pressure, and be supportive of their efforts to resist it.
*Set a good example.  Don't misuse alcohol or addictive drugs. Children of parents who misuse
drugs are at greater risk of drug addiction.
* Help the child to make good choices and good friends.
* provide guidance and clear rules about not using drugs
*Strengthen the bond. Work on your relationship with your children. A strong, stable bond between you and your child will reduce your child's risk of using or misusing drugs
* Learn the facts about the harmful effects of drugs.
* Avoids tv programmes movies and vedio games that glamorize Tobacco, alcohol and drugs.
* Help the child learn the importance of being a responsible individual


Symptoms
Drug addiction symptoms or behaviors include, among others:

*Feeling that you have to use the drug regularly — daily or even several times a day
*Having intense urges for the drug that block out any other thoughts
*Over time, needing more of the drug to get the same effect
*Taking larger amounts of the drug over a longer period of time than you intended
*Making certain that you maintain a supply of the drug
*Spending money on the drug, even though you can't afford it
*Not meeting obligations and work responsibilities, or cutting back on social or recreational activities because of drug use
*Continuing to use the drug, even though you know it's causing problems in your life or causing you physical or psychological harm
*Doing things to get the drug that you normally wouldn't do, such as stealing
*Driving or doing other risky activities when you're under the influence of the drug
*Spending a good deal of time getting the drug, using the drug or recovering from the effects of the drug
Failing in your attempts to stop using the drug

Conclusion
Teenagers might enter high school as children, but they graduate as young adults. This four-year period is transformational — full of growth, hardships and self-discovery. It’s also an experimental time, and for millions of teens, that means trying drugs and alcohol.

The availability of drugs at school is surprisingly high, especially in high school. Sadly, some teens using drugs will suffer serious consequences as a result of their substance use.
Declining grades, lack of interest in school subjects, lack of interest in a future career, absenteeism from school and other activities, and increased potential for dropping out of school completely are all major problems associated with adolescent substance abuse in this nation.
Most people are aware of the many health problems that can be caused by drug use. Though some individuals can get by with occasional substance use, every intoxicant has side effects and most are addictive in some form or another. Many also carry the risk of potentially deadly overdose, the risk of which can be increased by lack of experience and a low tolerance to the drug.

Which side effects, short-term and long-term, will arise during drug use depends largely on the type of drug. Many substances, including prescription medications, carry a minor risk of severe side effects emerging during their first use. These can include allergic reactions or psychological reactions such as panic attacks, hallucinations, and psychosis (loss of connection to reality). Some people are naturally more sensitive to intoxicants and therefore are more likely to experience rare side effects and/or overdose.


1. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-FFR1-2015/NSDUH-FFR1-2015/NSDUH-FFR1-2015.htm
2. https://WWW.mayoclini.org.