Opioid use among Teenagers
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Opioid use among Teenagers
Introduction
The concept of opioid use among teenagers is one that is very popular in the
contemporary environment. When one compares the state of opioid use in recent times, a person
can note that it is more that the state of the environment before. However, it is important to note
that there are some people that believe that opioid use in the modern environment has reduced
among teenagers and is more common among older adults. There have been numerous
arguments regarding the matter where there are some people that believe that teenagers are using
these prescription drugs more in recent times as compared to before. The stand I take with regard
to the matter is that teenagers are now using these drugs more than before. It is imperative to go
through some of the arguments that support my view on the matter and consequently show better
comprehension of the issue at hand.
Argument in support of the position
Many factors in the contemporary environment have seen an increase in the number of
teenagers addicted to these drugs. One of them is peer pressure. Despite the fact that peer
pressure has always existed, it is imperative to note that in contemporary times it is even worse
than before. Teenagers are easily swayed by their colleagues to engage in the use of these
prescription drugs (Gurati, 2017). Some teenagers have the strength to resist this behavior but
many more easily become addicted to the use of these drugs (Allen et al, 2017). As time has
progressed, more teenagers hae been noted to fall victims of drug abuse.
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Another concept to review is poor parenting. In the past, parents and guardians were on
point to ensure that their children did not engage in various activities. Children were more
disciplined and knew what was right and thus sought to engage in appropriate actions and
avoided drugs (Elam et al., 2020). In recent times, parents give their children way too much
freedom and this leads to them abusing drugs (Elam et al., 2020). Rather than taking time to
teach their children about the dangers that are present in society, these parents engage in other
social activities away from their children.
A point to comprehend as it relates to poor parenting is that of early childbirth. The
modern world is full of young mothers and fathers that are yet to figure out their lives. When
these young parents give birth, they do not understand the best means through which they can
raise their children (Elam et al., 2020). Young pregnant teenagers result to the abuse of drugs for
they lack the emotional support and advice that they require (Zamani et al., 2019). It is also
notable that many of the young teenagers that have young parents do not receive the proper
parenting they need. These children go off into the streets seeking validation and care from other
people that might have ill intentions. Many are times when these children end up associating
with drug dealers. In the past, parents took responsibility very seriously and there were rare cases
where children would veer off the morality path and start using drugs for recreational purposes.
The advent of the internet is another concept that has led to an increase in teenage drug
abuse. The modern world is one that has seen young teenagers accessing videos on the internet.
Some of these videos and films show some people abusing drugs and having a good time
(Zamani et al., 2019). Owing to the curiosity nature of young children, it is possible to see them
following these internet concepts and seeking to have the same experience they see online
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(Mackey, Liang & Strathdee, 2013). It is important to note that the contemporary environment is
one that involves manipulation. Some of the actors offer wrong information regarding the feeling
they get when they use the drugs. Some of these videos are created just to get the attention of the
young children.
Concentrating more on the internet, one can note the fact that here are many social media
websites that enable people to connect with friends and family over long distances. Some of
these friends have gone through some serious criminal experiences poses a danger to others. A
drug dealer can reach out to the youth and have them know about the arrival of drugs. In the past,
it was hard to have such direct communication and this is because the internet had not been
invented (Patry et al., 2019). People would spend a lot of time engaged in other activities and not
have