The teenage years can be a time of great emotional turmoil as it is the transition from childhood to adulthood. A lot of issues such as peer pressure, search for identity, romantic and family relationships as well as school performance beset teenagers as they undergo this phase. It is inevitable that quite a large percentage of teenagers resort to drug abuse to cope with, alleviate or escape these issues. Teen drug abuse has actually become a common and prevalent phenomenon. Majority of deaths in individuals in the 15-24 age bracket are attributed to alcohol or teen drug abuse. Violent criminal acts that include, murder, assault and rape can be accounted for by teen drug abuse as well.

To combat anxiety and depression, teen drug abuse can also be a temporary coping mechanism for disturbed teenagers. A teenager with a family history of alcohol and drug abuse as well as lack of social skills are those predisposed to serious teen drug abuse, therefore these teenagers must steer clear of experimentation. It is essential that drug abuse by a teenager be prevented by providing emotional security, guidance and education to the child by the family. In fact, there is no telling as even teenagers with no family history of drug or alcohol abuse may also have a predilection to be gravely immersed in teen drug abuse.

Drug abuse if the biggest and foremost concern among children and parents as cited in the National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse. The survey was conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (Columbia University). Physical signs of teen drug abuse to be on the lookout for are nagging cough, red eyes and irregularities in eating and sleeping habits. Parents should also be suspicious when their teenager starts to behave aberrantly and becomes aloof to other members of the family. Red light warning signals on the effects of grave teen drug abuse are irritability and violent behavior, anxiety and panic attacks, lethargy and chronic bronchitis symptoms, memory loss and learning problems, frequently recurring chest colds, paranoia, teeth clenching and muscle tension, convulsions, dehydration, hypothermia, brain damage and consequently, death.

Teen drug abuse has consequential effects of the user’s mood and performance. As a result of preoccupation with teen drug abuse, a teenager can have deteriorating performance in school or in college as well as the workplace. This could actually lead to detention, suspension or dismissal. Teen drug abuse can not only negatively affect family and personal relationships but ruin them as well. Teen drug abuse can also be devastating to parents as the problem can get out of hand and their child becomes defiant and can even have deviant behavior. If you suspect your child to be into teen drug abuse, it is wise to seek the help of authorities or reputable private or government agencies that can provide guidance, counsel, support and treatment to your teenager.

Teen drug abuse may not only be a phase of experimentation in a teenager’s life, but it can possibly lead to serious and grim drug addiction until adulthood that can be debilitating and complicated to resolve. Teen drug abuse, when combated in the initial stages can lead to a better quality of life and well-being not only as a teenager, but eventually as an adult as well.