Kate Hamilton

HLTH 1050

December 1, 2019

Research Paper

Every individual is exposed to drugs l at some point in their lives. In fact,

most people do not even know that they are being introduced to drugs or

exposed to them at the time. For example, individuals are exposed to drugs while

at the grocery store because there is alcohol available for purchase. Alcohol, a

depressant, has become a norm in today’s society and is available virtually

anywhere an individual goes. At restaurants, there is a designated bar area that

allows the selling and distribution of alcohol. When going to the gas station or

convenience store, there are cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and now e-cigarette

cartridges and supplies. People are constantly around some form of drug every

day, with or without realizing it. With this much exposure to the diverse selection

of drugs around us, it is no surprise that there are millions of people addicted to

some form of drug. This exposure to drugs is more impactful on the young adults

in our society. If a young adult starts using drugs before their brain is fully

developed, it could cause addiction at a very young age and a dependence that

will impact their lives for the rest of their lives. In 2018, the Center for Disease
Control released statistics about the amount youth using illicit drugs, marijuana,

misuse of prescription psychotherapeutic drugs, and alcohol. In addition, these

statistics also share the amount of individuals using cigars, cigarettes, and

tobacco. The numbers are very disheartening. In 2017, 14.8% of all individuals

aged 16-17 years old have used an illicit drug. In addition, 24.2% of 18-25 years

old used an illicit drug, [FastStats-Illicit Drug Use]. This is very shocking to see.

Approximately one in four 18-25 year-olds are or have used an illicit drug. In

addition, approximately one in six 16-17 year-olds are using illicit drugs. Examples

of illicit drugs include cocaine, crack cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, and hallucinogens.

These drugs are illegal and no one should have access to these types of drugs, let

alone sixteen and seventeen year-olds. These drugs are very addictive and cause a

dependency very quickly. Even though these statistics are high and concerning,

there are even more young individuals who are using alcohol at a very young age.

In 2017, 19.4% of sixteen and seventeen year-olds have used alcohol. That is

about one in five young adults using alcohol, a substance that is illegal for anyone

under the age of twenty-one, [FastStats-Illicit Drug Use]. Even though these

statistics share some disheartening facts about young adults that are using illicit

drugs, there were some facts that showed trends in the opposite direction. In

2016, 7.4% of all 16-17 year-olds were smoking cigarettes. In 2017, 6.7% of all 16-
17 year-olds were smoking cigarettes. Even though this number should be around

0%, the fact that this percentage went down is a giant step in the right direction,

[FastStats-Illicit Drug Use].

All of those statistics listed above show the amount of people who use

tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs. Each person who starts to use one of these

substances starts doing so differently. There are many different circumstances

that could lead someone to start using these addictive substances. The National

Institute on Drug Abuse stated that, “people use drugs for many reasons: they

want to feel good, stop feeling bad, or perform better in school or at work, or

they are curious because others are doing it and they want to fit in. The last

reason is very common among teens,” [National Institute on Drug Abuse]. I

believe that the most common reason to start using these harmful drugs among

adults is that they want to feel good or stop to feeling bad. This reason is depicted

quite often in movies. Whenever a character is dealing with something or needs

help with something, often times they find themselves in a bar to try to feel

better. However, dealing with one’s problem this way only makes it worse. This

has become a popular trend in American adults. In fact, the CDC reported that

56.3% of adults aged 18-25 years old used alcohol in 2017, [FastStats-Illicit Drug

Use]. In the same year, it was reported that 36.9% of 18-25 year-olds participated
in binge alcohol use, [FastStats-Illicit Drug Use]. This is concerning because the

legal drinking age in the United States is twenty-one years old. Another issue that

needs to be addressed is how these underage youths have access to the alcohol.

If there was stricter control over who can purchase and hold the alcohol, it is

possible that there would be a decrease in the amount of teenagers drinking

alcohol. Even though alcohol and other drugs can temporarily make you feel

good, use and eventual misuse of these substances will lead to addiction and

cause more problems than when you started. The National Institute on Drug

Abuse also stated that individuals start to use these substances to perform better

at work or school. In one of the beginning modules of this drug class, we learned

that there are students who take Adderall to perform better at school and focus

better on their assignments. This can lead to addiction and cause the individual to

get used to the effects of these drugs and start to look for different substances to

try to get the same effect. Pressure for perfectionism is instilled on all students

from a young age. This can lead to drug abuse in young individuals. They can take

Adderall to enhance their performance, or they can start to experiment on

different substances with other students. Most of the time, students start to

experiment with these drugs with other individuals to fit on or to seem cool. They

typically do something they would not do to be initiated in some sort of group

and feel like they belong. This one act leads to a hard and unforgiving road of

addiction.

Addiction is a disease that millions of people face on a daily basis. Someone

who uses drugs is probably not thinking about the long term effects of using the

substance. They probably think something along the lines of, “only one time will

not hurt,” or “I will know before I get addicted, it won’t happen to me.” However,

this mindset contributes to the struggle of getting over an addiction. The National

Institute on Drug Abuse stated, “drug addiction is when you can’t stop taking the

drug even if you want to. The urge is too strong to control, even if you know the

drug is causing you harm,” [National Institute on Drug Abuse]. Addiction is the

end result of constant, chronic drug use. There are many different reasons why

someone could become addicted to these substances. One example is trouble at

home, work, school, or with other people. Having trouble at home can cause an

individual a need to have a break or to use a substance that makes them feel

better. Another example is mental health problems. The National Institute on

Drug Abuse stated that, “people who have untreated mental health problems,

such as depression or anxiety, or untreated attention deficit/hyperactivity

disorder (ADHD) are more likely to become addicted. They might use drugs to try

to feel better,” [National Institute on Drug Abuse]. Engaging in drugs while an

individual is young will affect the brain in ways that cannot be changed. The brain

is still developing, so this will change how the brain functions and change their

brain function forever. In addition, hanging around with people who use drugs

will normalize drug use and increase one’s exposure to them. Lastly, an

individual’s biology and genetic makeup contribute to addiction. Dr. Steven

Melemis said, “although everyone has the potential for addiction, some people

are more predisposed to addiction than others. Some people drink alcoholically

from the beginning. Other people start out as a moderate drinker and then

become alcoholics later on,” [Melemis, Steven]. Dr. Melemis also stated that

addiction is 50% genetic predisposition and 50% poor coping skills. Dr. Melemis

studied the relationship between twins and addiction. He stated that, “one study

looked at 861 identical twin pairs and 653 fraternal (non-identical) twin pairs.

When one identical twin was addicted to alcohol, the other twin had a high

probability of being addicted,” [Melemis, Steven]. Addiction is a disease that

needs to be combatted.

In conclusion, there are a lot of individuals who are using illicit drugs. There

are a lot of underage children who are using drugs and it is becoming a problem

that needs to be addressed. There are a lot of individuals who use drugs to feel

better, perform better in school, or to fit in. Whatever way you put it, there are
too many young individuals using drugs and too many individuals addicted to

these harmful substances. We all need to come together and combat this issue

together.
 Works Cited

“FastStats - Illegal Drug Use.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 May 2017,
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/drug-use-illicit.htm.

Melemis, Steven. “The Genetics of Addiction - Is Addiction a Disease?” The

Genetics of Addiction, Addictions and Recovery,
https://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/is-addiction-a-disease.htm.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. “The Science of Drug Use: Discussion

Points.” NIDA, 28 Feb. 2017, https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-
topics/criminal-justice/science-drug-use-discussion-points.