Substance Abuse In High Schools

When you think of someone who you would consider a chronic smoker or substance abuser, you would imagine someone who is on the street corner or standing outside of a building puffing a cigarette, since smoking is illegal in most public buildings. However, many of these habits and addictions start at a much younger age, affecting many teens in high school. In fact, according to the National Center for Addiction & Substance Abuse, 40 Million or 1 in 7 Americans ages 12 and older, have an addiction. This number far exceeds other chronic illnesses such as Heart Disease, which affects 27 Million, Diabetes which affects 26 Million, and Cancer which affects 9 Million persons. Forty-four percent of high school students know someone who sells drugs and 68% of 12th graders have tried alcohol. As young people, we are often faced with the ethical decision not to use drugs or to follow peers into substance abuse, which keeps us from becoming positive leaders in our community.
But first things first, what causes youths to turn to substance abuse? To be quite honest, there are many reasons:
Some youths turn to substance abuse to escape the painful realities of their lives, which could include a substance or domestic abuse within the home, financial difficulties or homelessness. In these cases, substance abuse is utilized as a “Painkiller” …show more content…
“The Canadian Lung Association found that 70 percent of teens who smoke have friends who smoke or started smoking because of peer pressure. According to the Underage Drinking Research Initiative, “two-thirds of 10th graders and two-fifths of 8th graders have tried alcohol.” At school, my classmates may be pressured by other students to join them to drink or smoke. Some students are convinced that substance abuse will make them look cooler in the eyes of their friends. As young people, we don’t always realize that the decisions we make can affect us for a