Adolescence: Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Adolescence, roughly the second decade of life, is a period of rapid physical growth, emotional development, and social change, as a young person moves from childhood towards adulthood. It is also, unfortunately, the period during which many individuals first come into contact with tobacco, alcohol, or drugs — a problem serious enough that the WBCHSE syllabus places it directly alongside the diseases discussed earlier in this chapter as a matter of health and well-being.

Adolescents may be drawn towards drug and alcohol use for a number of overlapping reasons: simple curiosity about the "high" or effect these substances produce; peer pressure, or the desire to fit in with a group of friends who are already using them; a search for adventure, excitement, or a temporary escape from stress, anxiety, or difficult circumstances at home or school; and, in some cases, a genuine lack of parental attention, guidance, or a supportive environment in which to talk about such pressures openly.

The effects of drug and alcohol abuse are wide-ranging and serious. Physically, long-term abuse damages vital organs — for example, chronic alcohol abuse is strongly linked to liver damage, and long-term tobacco use is a leading cause of cancers of the lung, mouth, and throat, as noted in section 7.14. Psychologically, dependence develops when a person's body and mind come to need the substance simply to feel normal, often accompanied by anxiety, mood disturbances, and a gradual decline in the ability to concentrate or perform daily tasks. Socially, drug and alcohol abuse frequently strains family relationships, disrupts education, and can lead a young person towards risky or harmful behaviour.