What is substance abuse?

Substance abuse is overindulgence in or dependence on an addictive substance, especially alcohol or drugs. Substance abuse has been a global public health problem among the youth; not only does it affect the development of the human body, but it also causes negative effects on relationships and the outlook on society.

Substance abuse and addiction can damage social heath and impact many kinds of relationships such as those of family, friends, and romantic relationships. When users become addicts, their only focus becomes being dependent on the drug. Common feelings of shame, guilt, fear and judgment only fuel the feeling of non-acceptance and creates secretive tendencies.

Teens who abuse drugs are at a greater risk of developing an addiction when they become adults, and it is important to understand the difference between substance abuse and substance addiction. Addiction is commonly defined as a chronic relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and is considered both a mental illness and complex brain disorder.

The common reason for substance use is because teenagers are either curious, exposed to peer pressure, are stressed, are dealing with emotional struggles or are looking for an escape.

Statistics show that the number of teenage drug related uses are descending, In the year of 2015 after dropping a couple years, it increased up to 3.7 deaths per every 100,000 teens, translating to 772 deaths in the year of 2015.

The use of most illegal drugs has been at an all-time low, except for the use of drugs such as marijuana. However, nowadays teens are vaping, increasing usage of inhalant related drugs. For teens who do use vaping and are using nicotine, studies show that they’re much more likely to smoke cigarettes later in life. Statistics show that in a small group of people, 4.6 of them moved on to smoking cigarettes.

https://www.addictioncenter.com/teenage-drug-abuse/

https://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/teen-drug-use-down-teen-overdoses-up

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/media-guide/science-drug-use-addiction-basics

https://drugabuse.com/library/addiction-hurts-relationships/