Posts Tagged teenage drug abuse

Random Drug Tests in Schools: Good and Bad Side

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Testing on March 12th, 2010

Drug testing in schools have always been a controversial issue. Although many have claimed that these measures have drastically lowered the rate of drug users among students, there are also groups that claim the process does more harm than good.

Is it effective?

Teenagers are much more aware now on how to cheat on drug tests. Several resources, printed or online, offer information on how drug tests are conducted and where cheating can be done. When these drug tests fail, they produce a false sense of security to the school and also to the parents.

drug testWhat do Parents Think?

Parents are divided in the issue of random drug testing in school. Some of them would agree that these random drug tests are effective in lessening the occurrences of drug abuse in school. Other parents would argue that there would be no substantial evidence to support these claims. Some parents also say that forcing a child to undergo a random drug test is a form of a threat.

How can it be helpful?

Random drug testing is a great tool for detection of drug abuse among students. These drug tests instill either a sense of responsibility or a sense of fear of getting caught in the student that may cause him or her to avoid from drug use.

How can it be harmful?

Although it is a great way to detect drug abusers, it is not a method of eliminating the issue of drug use. It is still the responsibility of the parents to ensure that their children are away from drugs. Having false results, such as ones caused by tampering or adulteration, may only give parents a wrong basis for discipline as they now think that their children are drug-free. When conducting drug tests, it is of utmost importance that every step is monitored to avoid adulteration or that the method used is tamper-free, such as hair drug tests.

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Why are Young People Vulnerable to Drug Abuse?

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing, Prescription Drug Abuse on September 14th, 2009

young drug abuse

Experimenting with drugs at young age has become a vital concern of the people in this country. Often it is seen teenagers or more precisely the adolescents are more prone to abusing drugs. There was a time when most of them used the drugs without actually understanding its dire consequences. But today several preventive programs adopted at different levels have been quite successful in spreading the awareness about the ill-effects of substance use. But still teenage drug abuse is on the rise. The question is why is it so? Thus understanding the inherent factors is an absolute necessity to prevent teenage drug abuse.

There are varied reasons which account to teenage drug use, the most important of them being their struggle to overcome identity crisis and establish an identity of their own. Sometimes they have no one to share their concerns with and this is when the peer group takes the charge. They disregard parental guidance and are very prone to peer pressure. The Public Health Model shows that substance use is the result of an interaction between three factors –

The individual – the knowledge that the individual may have about substance use and its consequences as well as his coping skills with respect to the difficulties in his life and peer pressure may influence his decision to take drugs.

The substance – the availability of a substance is also a fundamental risk factor. The composition and nature of the substance can also influence its use.

The environment – the environment or the context of drug use is a very important factor. A number of factors within the environment increase the vulnerability of drug use. These are – behavior of parents, peers and role models, existing cultural norms, attitude about drug use, laws and policies regarding the availability of the substance, possibilities or perceived possibilities for livelihood and personal development.

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