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Period 6 Advice 1
The Reality of Teenage Drug Use
Some Even Start in their Tweens
By: Lisa Corleto, Junior, Deer Park H.S., Deer Park, NY
TeenNewsNet Columnist
Some Even Start in their Tweens
By: Lisa Corleto, Junior, Deer Park H.S., Deer Park, NY
TeenNewsNet Columnist
Drugs have intermingled their way into the lives of children and teenagers on sadly, a daily basis. Everywhere you go; there is some sort of representation of drugs in music or movies, etc. From Haight Ashbury (notorious in the 60s-70s) to a dark alley in a city, to a child’s school, a neighborhood park, and to a friendly neighbors house, drugs can be found. It’s not as uncommon as you think; it’s just a matter of noticing. Most of us converse with someone on drugs on a daily basis and do not realize it. What a person can notice really depends on how much of a well kept secret it is.Teens can easily hide their drug use today as the adult community is supplying them and not even aware. How is this possible? Open your medicine cabinet and it may "hit in you in the face." I don’t necessarily mean LSD, mushrooms, and heroin, but Prescription Drugs are now taken to get high as well. According to recent data, teenage drug use has been on the decline; however, teenage use of prescription drugs is on the rise. Such prescription drugs include Ritalin, Zoloft, Percocet, Vikadin, and much more.
After a visit to your medicine cabinet go to your garage or even underneath your kitchen sink. Another popular (and easily accessed) way to get high is through the common household product. Such products include aerosol cans, felt tip markers, glue, and gasoline. The scary thing is that teens can get away with buying most of these products from their local supermarket. What are the dangers of using these easily available products as an alternative to the common drug? Teens “huff” the fumes of the product, inhale, or bag them, and the first time they do this it can cause death or severe brain damage.
Currently, the most popular drug used among teenagers is Marijuana (an overwhelming 60% of drug-users use only Marijuana) (http://www.teendrug abuse.us/marijuana.html) That’s not all, the Marijuana used now, is much more potent than that used in the 60s and 70s and is laced with a variety of other drugs. Over 100,000 teenagers (alone) were treated for dependence on Marijuana (http://www.teendrugabuse.us/marijuana.html).
A friend (for his protection his identity will remain anomonyous happens to have done drugs (and still does them on the occasion). This friend allowed me to ask him a few questions. He really did give me a dose of reality as he was answering my questions.
Q: When did the drug use start?
A: At the age of 10.
Q: What did you start off with?
A: Weed and cigarettes.
Q: Who supplied you with the weed at the age of 10?
A: My friends, they were older.
Q: Weren't you scared when you tried weed for the first time?
A: No, there was the being afraid of being caught; but I was around it before.
Q: How much older were the teens that asked you to try it? What did they say that made you want to do it?
A: They didn’t say anything. They were anywhere from 15 to 19. They just asked me if I wanted to hit it and I said yeah. My best friend did it first though and he was 11.
Q: Were there other 10 year olds doing it?
A: No, my friend was 11.
Q: How often at that age did you do it? What made you want to try it?
A: I saw my friends do it and they like it so I wanted to see what it was like. Maybe once a month,but now it’s more
Q: Why do you feel these teens gave you weed for free and risked going to jail for supplying a minor? What were the benefits to giving it to you?
A: There were no benefits they were under 20, as well they were just my friends and wanted to share. I smoke my friends up and get smoked up all the time, its how friends act towards each other.
Q: Were they supplying others?
A: Sometimes, but not for profit and they weren’t supplying me I was just smoking it with them.
Q: Did that lead to anything else?
A: Yes, but later on.
Q: What other drugs did that lead to?
A: I’ve done ecstasy, coke, all scripts (prescriptions), ‘shrooms, acid, liquid mdma and liquid mdm, (mdma and mdm are the main ingredients in ecstasy but it’s a different feeling when its liquid).
Q: Why did you start drug use in the first place?
A: It was offered to me by older friends and I looked up to them and I wanted to a part of their world.
Q: How did this affect you?
A: I made a lo t of friends and I’ve spent a lot of money.
Q: Did it affect you physically? Did you feel tired...start to look different?
A: I look different when I’m on something but not normally and I acted differently and my views on life have changed.
Q: What do you mean by "my views on life changed"?
A: The way I look at life is different; I see life as a time span that I can do anything I want in just as long as I feel ok with it. I also don’t judge anyone on what they do.
Q: How did it affect your relationships?
A: Most of my relationships, I’ve kept most of my use to my self and in some cases, a complete secret.
Q: Where were your parents?
A: They were at work, it was the summer and I was hanging out with my friends.
Q: Did they know or realize?
A: No, not until this past year.
Q: Did this affect your school work?
A: Yes and No. Yes because I didn’t go and no because I’ve always done well when I did go.
Q: Did you stop at one point?
A: Yes I’ve stopped a few times. When I moved I stopped for a whole year.
Q: Why?
A: I lost the drive to do it.
Q: What made you restart?
A: I met people who smoked.
Q: What caused you to stop now?
A: I’m trying to save money. I only do it when it's free.
Q: Do you have intentions on stopping completely? Not even doing it when it’s free?
A: Eventually, we all do.
Q: Do you have anything to say to the readers?
A: The society I live in is different than yours; the people, there is a different language, different time clock, and different forms of respect. It’s a different world and we all share it but if you’re not in it you don’t see it.
Q: When you say the society is different, the language, etc....can you expand on that more?
A: Sure, the society is just everyone who smokes lives by different rules and a code. We say things like 'dub', which means 20 dollars worth of weed.
A dime is ten. We are usually good at converting metric to standard, for instance there’s 28 grams to an ounce, and can figure money well. There are different kinds of weed like regs, dro, exotics and haze. Also, a gram of coke is a grizzi. The different types of bud are ak47, northern lights, mids, crush, qrange crush and purple haze. Other things along that nature are included in the “lingo."You might be thinking to yourself that some of what he said is absurd. It really isn’t. What he endeavors is what many also endeavor as well; there could also be another scenario. A teen could start using due to a bad family situation, depression, stress, peer pressure, etc. They could stop because they realize the harm it’s causing. It depends on who the person is and what their situation is. However, that doesn’t make it acceptable. It can be understood why some teens do turn to drugs, but it never is a good idea.
Drugs are a terrible substance to put into your body; I don’t care what you say -- they are deadly and can have terrible effects. Sure, the short term effects feel great, but the reality is…What if you don’t wake up after the next shot of heroin? Or the next huff of an aerosol can? What if you get brain damage? Are those great long term effects? Are they worth that short instance of feeling good? Also, what about those who truly care about you? Don’t you realize how you are hurting them? Please take moment to think before you start using!
If you notice any of the following behaviors in someone who know, you must act now!:
For Marijuana use the noticeable signs include – large pupils, an odor, blood shot eyes, “sleepy appearance”, lack of motivation
For prescriptions- Agitation and anxiousness
For ecstasy- “hyper alertness”, sweating, dry mouth, fatigue and jaw clenching
For inhalants- drowsiness, strong chemical odor
(http://www.adolescent-substance-abuse.com/signs-inhalants.html)
Other “symptoms” are definitely possible, these are just a few to give you, the reader, a sampling of what you might expect.
When approaching someone regarding their drug abuse don’t be nervous. They need this in order not to harm themselves further. You are being a good friend/family member and truly showing you care. They might act out of anger, shock, etc, but the point must be heard. Without your help (as I said before) they can harm themselves or the people around them. In some instances, they can also kill themselves (unintentionally). Many celebrities have done so as recent as Heath Ledger to Janis Joplin (who died of a heroin overdose) as well as many more in between. The truth is scary, but it MUST be known.
For further information please log on to the following Websites:
ASK- Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base
http://www.adolescent -substance-abuse.com/index.html
Teen Drug Abuse- Troubled Teens are Resorting to Drugs
http://www.teen drug abuse.us/index.html
Brain Source
http://www.brainsource.com
Specific Drugs and Their Effects
http://www.yesican.gov/drugfree/drugeffects.html
Free Vibe
http://www.freevibe.com/Drug_Facts/index.asp?id=google
