Boys 1

Emma Boys

Dr. Cassel

English 1201

11 July 2021

How do socioeconomic status and parenting effect drug use in teenagers?

Substance abuse has been a global issue for teens and young adults for a long time. Yet

with the plethora of the anti-drug programs and campaigns against smoking and vaping,

substance abuse continues to destroy the lives and futures of this younger generation. Many

wonder why all the data and evidence against substance abuse does not stop the abuse from

happening. Why do teens feel the need to get involved with drugs? How might their

socioeconomic status and home life effect their likelihood of getting involved with a substance?

Addiction begins in the brain by tampering with how the brain naturally sends chemical

messengers. Many substances will cause the brain to release large amounts of dopamine, which

then causes a feeling of happiness or euphoria. Over time the brain seeks more and more

dopamine stimulation, which gives a person the desire to use drugs more often. After long term

use, neurons will die, and the brain may be permanently damaged even after the drug use has

ended. One very vulnerable population is teenagers. According to the National Institute on Drug

Abuse, “the earlier a person begins to use drugs, the more likely they are to progress to more

serious use” (“Brain and Addiction”). If substance abuse is scientifically proven to cause brain

damage and addiction, why do young people feel the need to go down that path?
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One issue that is a large factor of drug use is mental health. If children are living under

stressful conditions, they might be more prone to depression. Alison Knopf, a writer for the

Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, wrote that childhood depression was

associated with later opioid and heroin use (5). It may be assumed that children and teens who

are living in poverty or with subpar parenting are more vulnerable to mental health issues and

substance abuse.

Another reason teens may become involved in drug use is their peers. Dr. Nigel Barber

argued in his Psychology Today article that teens often feel peer pressured into trying a new

substance. He states that if the habit is discouraged by their parents, then they will be more

intrigued and willing to rebel with their peers. While this seems like a cliché statement, Barber

does speak truth when he says that children who are closer to their parents, want to please them.

If a parent has a happy and affectionate relationship with their child, then there is less likelihood

of future substance abuse (Barber).

In a several recent national surveys, it was observed that high school seniors with

college-educated parents were more likely to have gotten drunk recently than those with parents

who had not graduated high school. The opposite was found regarding cigarette use: the students

with the educated parents were less likely to have recently smoked than the students with the

uneducated parents. The same study also stated that students from a higher income were slightly

more likely to consume alcohol than those in a lower income. (“Does Socioeconomic

Advantage”) These findings pose an interesting question. Does the substance that teens choose to

use vary according to their parent’s influence? Seeing that both alcohol and cigarettes can be
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very harmful to one’s health, it is interesting to see the correlation between education and choice

of substance. It is clear that a parent’s lifestyle has an important role in teen behavior.

In an article published in the Journal of Adolescence, a study was done reviewing the

correlation between parental involvement and adolescents’ risk behaviors. This study surveyed

adolescents in Peru and El Salvador, asking questions about parental involvement, substance use,

and sexual experience. This study found that boys generally are higher risk of risky behavior

than girls, as parents tended to have more knowledge about their daughters than their sons. It was

also found that if a parent was involved, then the child was less likely to be involved with

substance use or sexual behaviors (Albertos et al. 231-236). This article brings a key point to the

table: parental care and involvement lower’s a teen’s risk of substance abuse.

In the article “Does Socioeconomic Advantage Lessen the Risk of Adolescent Substance

Use?” it was found that upper-middle class teens with parents who discouraged them from

substance use were less likely to abuse substances in their adulthood. Those teens with more

lenient parents were more likely to engage in substance use as adults. Regardless of one’s wealth

or status, parental involvement and home life are major factor in a teen’s choices. It seems as if

home life plays a giant factor in how teenagers relate to substances.

Regardless of social status or wealth, drug use in teens generally comes down to

parenting. If parents work hard to maintain a happy and healthy relationship with their teen, there

will be a greater chance of a life free of substance abuse and addiction. While the research

question posed above has not been answered to the fullest extent, some valid points were made

through this review. I hope to continue to learn more about drug abuse in teens. I also hope to
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figure out if different parenting styles have influence over teen drug use, and some more reasons

as to why teens get involved with substance abuse.

Works Cited

Albertos, Aranzazu, et al. “Parental Knowledge and Adolescents’ Risk Behaviors.” Journal of

Adolescence, vol. 53, Dec. 2016, pp. 231–236. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.10.010.

Barber, Nigel “Do parents cause drug addictions in teens?” Psychology Today, 14 April 2010

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-human-beast/201004/do-parents-cause-drug-

addictions-in-teens. Accessed 11 July 2021

“Brain and Addiction.” NIDA for Teens, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 3 June 2021,

teens.drugabuse.gov/. Accessed 5 July 2021.

“Does Socioeconomic Advantage Lessen the Risk of Adolescent Substance Use?” Socioeconomic Status

& Teen Drug Use, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 2018,

www.hazeldenbettyford.org/education/bcr/addiction-research/socioeconomic-advantage-edt-818.

Accessed 5 July 2021.

Knopf, Alison. Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter. 9 Mar 2021, Vol. 37, p5-6; DOI:

10.1002/cbl.30535. Database: Education Research Complete

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