Teen/Adult Druguse

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There are many differences between teens, adults, and the narcotics they use. Each age
brings unique problems, for example dosage, suppliers, and costs. The differences don‟t just stop
at age though. There are also other things to consider such as the reason(s) why, availability,
types of drugs, and the people users surround themselves with. Another factor to consider is
whether these narcotics are self-discovered or not. Drug addiction/abuse is the chronic or
habitual use of any chemical substance to alter the state of the body or mind for other than
medically warranted purposes.Over the past ten years drug use among teens and adults has
increased and has become a danger to our society as a whole.
Two main categories of the types of narcotics are prescription drugs and illicit drugs.
When most people think of the word „drug‟ they automatically think of illicit drugs such as
marijuana or cocaine. While those, too, are a huge part of the world of drugs, prescription drugs
are rising into popularity. Street drugs aren‟t as easily obtained as prescription drugs because of
costs and availability. The estimated street value for just one Oxycontin pill is 40 dollars,
whereas if a user were to get a prescription for this narcotic then most of the time insurance
would cover the costs. If teens cannot get a prescription for the narcotic they feel that they need
then another alternative would be to steal it out of their parent‟s medicine cabinets or buy off of
the street, putting them in danger (Shepps).
A lot of users would rather use prescribed drugs because to them, it‟s just
medicine.People tend to think that just because it is prescribed andthe manufacturing of

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prescribed drugs is regulated that it is safer than illicit drugs such as heroin or cocaine. In fact,
prescribed drugs are more commonly abused rather than illicit drugs (Shepps). Teens tend to
abuse multiple substances whereas adults are more singular in their focus (Mable). Teens feel the
need to experiment and try new drugs. Adults feel more comfortable using one type of drug
because they know that it works for them and they are familiar with its side effects and
consequences (Mable).
63 Percent of users who were asked how they got hooked on narcotics said it was
accidental. Users never plan on becoming addicts. Stress is another huge part in why users also
start using. Drug addiction can impair the normal stress response and can send the wrong signals
to the brain confusing the individual. In a personal interview with Cathy Stanley, she was asked
when and why she first started using and her response was, “I had a series of life or death
medical procedures done on my bowels and I was constantly on pain medication. It felt
incredible to be pain free for what felt like that first time in years. Afterwards I was so
accustomed to being pain free, almost numb, that I didn‟t want to stop. As my body became used
to it, it seemed like I just needed more and more.After that I could never take enough pills to
make the pain go away. The pain intensified and since the pain didn‟t stop, I didn‟t either.”
When a user starts out young and never gets help, his or her addiction transitions and
evolves as he or she becomes an adult. As these teens become adults they have to factor in
dosage. As their age and size grow so will the drug that they use. The higher the dosage the more
it will cost. Higher dosage essentially means that the user needs more of whichever narcotic they
are currently using, therefore the more money they will have to pay. If a user feels they have no
particular use for that particular drug or that it‟s not doing its job for whatever reason then they‟ll
move on to stronger, more effective drugs.

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Over the past couple of years studies have proven that drug use has indeed increased. In a
recent study at San Francisco General Hospital, an estimated 1.8 million of youth age twelve and
older have proven to be users of amphetamine. A survey by the Partnership for a Drug-Free
America found that between the grades eight and twelve drug use has increased 22.5 percent in
the past three years. Recent studies also state that twelve percent of the teens that were asked
why they do drugs said „they don‟t know‟ or „because it feels good‟ (Weber).
A lot of users turn to drugs to escape reality, they find it easier to stay high than to face
the hardships of life (NAWS). Usually addicts don‟t even realize that they are addicted or don‟t
realize the severity of the addiction. Most of them don‟t think that they need help to get off of
drugs. They feel that they can stop using on their own and cannot admit to their addiction. Until
any one addict can admit that they are in fact addicted to a substance then they cannot be helped
because admitting it is the first step to recovery (NAWS).
No step in recovery should be avoided or skipped because any gap in recovery is just
reserving a space for relapse (NAWS). The main difference in teen drug use recovery and adult
drug use recovery is the age difference. If a teen is going to a recovery group to help get clean
then he or she will not be placed in a group with adults. It‟s easier for users to talk about it and
come clean with people their own age. There are twelve steps to recovery. Only after each step is
successfully completed can an addict truly beat his or her addiction. The first step is admitting to
the addiction and knowing that this means realizing that being addicted to a substance leaves you
powerless. Admitting it is one of the hardest steps but it‟s impossible to move forward if a user
can‟t come to this conclusion. The second step is accepting the fact that you are in fact addicted
to a substance and realize that a power greater than yourself can restore you back to sanity. Many
users skip this step because they think admitting it is the same as accepting it. The third step is

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making the decision to devote yourself to something other than narcotics. Most users devote
themselves to either God or their families. Step four is to make sure you take inventory of your
life as well as yourself. Look out for things in yourself and in your life that may lead you off
your course of recovery. The fifth step is to learn to organize your priorities. A user has to
understand that drugs and/or money for drugs no longer comes first and shouldn‟t have come
first to begin with. Step six is to admit to yourself and others that you wrong in your addiction.
This, too, is just as hard as step number one. Nobody likes to be wrong. A user has to realize this
in order to move on to step seven. In step number seven you must remove all the defects within
your character. This means that a user must remove all regret, resentment, and any other negative
feelings they may have from the past. Recovery means beating it and letting it go. Step number
eight is you must ask for help from friends, family, and/or God to remove these defects. Support
is the best thing a user could get at this point in recovery. Step number nine is also as hard as step
number one; in step nine you must make amends whenever possible. A lot of users seem to think
making amends and admitting that they were wrong means the same thing but is doesn‟t. Making
amends means asking for forgiveness for wrong-doings. The tenth step is to continue to take
personal inventory of yourself as well as life. Keep on removing defects and correcting what is
wrong in your life. Step eleven is to make sure you improve all of your relationships especially
with those closest to you. The very last step, number twelve, is to carry on these messages to
other addicts who are struggling and need help to reach the path of recovery.
Most people think that the word recovery means just quitting and to completely beat the
addiction and that a relapse means complete failure. Neither one of these are true. Many addicts
spend their entire lives going in and out of recovery. This does not make them failures, but
heroes instead. Trying is the best anyone can ask of an addict, and support is the best way to help

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them because they can‟t do it alone. Addicts who have no support from friends or family are
more likely to spend most of, if not all, their lives in and out of recovery. It is proven that addicts
trying to get clean have a better chance in doing so if they attend counseling sessions, although
addicts who attend family counseling sessions are even more likely than those who attend
independent counseling to get clean and stay clean (Hardings). More support from more people
can only make it easier on the addict to know that there are people there for them that will not
judge them but give them a shoulder to lean on. It helps our society by knowing the dangers and
updates on the increase of drug use so something can be done about it. Not only is it good to
know the horrid truth of illegal drug use but it is also very helpful to keep updated on the use of
drugs in general, illegal or not. Most parents don‟t realize how bad it has gotten and they just
assume their kids won‟t try it and that they know better but 1 in every 4 kids whose parents do
not talk to them about drug use are more likely to try drugs. So, in conclusion by knowing the
facts on the increase in drug use can help us to better our society and community and make it a
better living place for the next generation.