Many reasons are given to explain drug abuse among young people. Some say it is because
teenagers want to seem “cool” or are pressured by their peers to fit into a social circle where
drugs are abused. While this may be true, there are many other important factors that will
influence a young person to start abusing drugs. A proper understanding of those factors
is another important step towards reducing the stigma attached to drug abuse and prevent
-
ing addiction among youth around the world.
Young people are influenced by a number of factors at any given time. A person’s tem
-
perament or personality traits, factors such as the stability of their upbringing, family life
and bonds with family members and factors related to school, such as positive involvement
in school activities, as well as community factors, such as the degree of availability of illicit
drugs, all influence young people’s development, day-to-day lives, relationships with family,
friends and peers and self-image.
Some individual, family and community factors can put young people more at risk and
make them vulnerable to experimentation with drugs and eventual drug abuse and depend
-
ence. Examples of risk factors are having a specific temperament or particular personality
traits, a family history of addiction, a family member who abuses drugs, negative relation
-
ships with parents that lack bonding and warmth, neglect and abuse, lack of a family or
home, friends who experiment with or use drugs, living in a community where drug abuse
is common and a lack of schooling or employment. Insufficient rest and nutrition may also
put an individual at greater risk, so it is important to maintain a balanced diet and get
enough sleep. The more risk factors are present in a person’s life, the more likely it is that
he or she will start experimenting with or continue to abuse drugs in a regular pattern and
eventually become dependent.
However, a young person might be exposed to all of these negative risk factors and still
never try drugs, thanks to a number of protective factors that also exist at the individual,
family and community levels. These might include, at the individual level, a good sense of
discipline, healthy self-esteem, good problem-solving skills, good self-expression abilities, a
good ability to recognize and communicate emotions, an ability to maintain mental well
-
being
and to cope with stress or anxiety and an ability to establish personal goals. At the
family level, strong, healthy parental bonding and consistent family rules may help to
protect family members from risky behaviour. At the community level, the protective factors
include attending a school that has explicit policies on substance abuse and living in a safe
and caring community that supports the well-being of its members. Sadly, once a person
starts abusing drugs, the risk factors tend to outweigh the protective factors. Risk factors
such as poverty, the availability of drugs and alienation grow even stronger as a person
becomes more dependent on drugs.
The good news is that the protective factors can be strengthened if young people learn new
and improve existing skills before they experiment with or start abusing drugs. For example
Many reasons are given to explain drug abuse among young people. Some say it is because
teenagers want to seem “cool” or are pressured by their peers to fit into a social circle where
drugs are abused. While this may be true, there are many other important factors that will
influence a young person to start abusing drugs. A proper understanding of those factors
is another important step towards reducing the stigma attached to drug abuse and prevent
-
ing addiction among youth around the world.
Young people are influenced by a number of factors at any given time. A person’s tem
-
perament or personality traits, factors such as the stability of their upbringing, family life
and bonds with family members and factors related to school, such as positive involvement
in school activities, as well as community factors, such as the degree of availability of illicit
drugs, all influence young people’s development, day-to-day lives, relationships with family,
friends and peers and self-image.
Some individual, family and community factors can put young people more at risk and
make them vulnerable to experimentation with drugs and eventual drug abuse and depend
-
ence. Examples of risk factors are having a specific temperament or particular personality
traits, a family history of addiction, a family member who abuses drugs, negative relation
-
ships with parents that lack bonding and warmth, neglect and abuse, lack of a family or
home, friends who experiment with or use drugs, living in a community where drug abuse
is common and a lack of schooling or employment. Insufficient rest and nutrition may also
put an individual at greater risk, so it is important to maintain a balanced diet and get
enough sleep. The more risk factors are present in a person’s life, the more likely it is that
he or she will start experimenting with or continue to abuse drugs in a regular pattern and
eventually become dependent.
However, a young person might be exposed to all of these negative risk factors and still
never try drugs, thanks to a number of protective factors that also exist at the individual,
family and community levels. These might include, at the individual level, a good sense of
discipline, healthy self-esteem, good problem-solving skills, good self-expression abilities, a
good ability to recognize and communicate emotions, an ability to maintain mental well
-
being
and to cope with stress or anxiety and an ability to establish personal goals. At the
family level, strong, healthy parental bonding and consistent family rules may help to
protect family members from risky behaviour. At the community level, the protective factors
include attending a school that has explicit policies on substance abuse and living in a safe
and caring community that supports the well-being of its members. Sadly, once a person
starts abusing drugs, the risk factors tend to outweigh the protective factors. Risk factors
such as poverty, the availability of drugs and alienation grow even stronger as a person
becomes more dependent on drugs.
The good news is that the protective factors can be strengthened if young people learn new
and improve existing skills before they experiment with or start abusing drugs. For example
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