Underage Drug and Alcohol Abuse

By Cecilia Sarnowski '22

December 2018

Underage drug and alcohol abuse… What does this make you think about? That simple phrase makes me think of a topic that is pushed under the carpet and not paid enough attention to by society.

CBS conducted a study in which adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 were surveyed anonymously. The results involving the consumption of alcohol are, in my personal opinion, not shocking. The survey measured that about 78% of adolescents consume alcohol regularly. While 81% of adolescents have had the opportunity to elicit a substance, where 42.5% have used a substance. In an interview I conducted with Executive Director/Founder of a local rehab, Jana Morris MS, CAC-D, NCC, LPC, she had said, “ I have seen kids go from experimenting with substances and alcohol to death within three weeks.”

There are three main factors that can lead to the abuse of drugs and alcohol: environment, biology, and development. The first factor, environment, includes people, places, and general quality of life a person was brought up with. Teens generally experiment with drugs and alcohol between the ages of 12 and 14. The lack of parental guidance, peer pressure, and physical and verbal abuse are examples of environmental factors that may cause a person to turn to drugs. The second factor I mentioned, biology, includes the genes encoded in a person’s DNA. The genes a person has may cause them to be more vulnerable to drugs and alcohol. Examples of biology include gender, ethnicity, and presence of a mental disorder. The third and final factor that should be considered is development, which encompasses both biology and environment. In most cases of drug or alcohol abuse, a genetic factor must be set off by an environmental factor.

There are many stands against the use of drugs and alcohol in adolescents, such as clubs like SADD. Unfortunately, not enough people participate in clubs like SADD. Other ways to support the discouragement of underage drug and alcohol abuse include CADCA, which holds several campaigns one of which includes “The Drug-Free Kids Campaign”. Another association that holds several campaigns is named Orange Partnership. Orange Partnership holds an online campaign called “Got Your Back”.

I am not sure if those of you who are reading this have the same thoughts, but I often associate addiction with people who are less fortunate and honestly, that is far from the truth. A man named William S. Burroughs once said, “Addiction is a disease of exposure. Doctors and nurses, for instance, have a high addiction rate.” The people we think of as those who would be preventing these illnesses have them as well. That goes to show that not only adolescents are susceptible to addiction but it may also be harder for an adolescent to turn down the offer they are being presented. According to our first hand source, Jana Morris , adolescents are also more susceptible to addiction due to their undeveloped frontal lobe, which is the part of the brain that helps us to make decisions. During adolescence the frontal lobe will literally shut down in order to develop. The shutting down of the frontal lobe leaves people with less access to the part of their brains that helps them make decisions. Another fact regarding the frontal lobe is that the lobe may not be fully developed until the age of twenty- five. The reason for the difficulty is mainly based on peer pressure. I’m not saying that adults don’t experience this pressure, I am simply saying that it may be harder for an adolescent to say no to a peer. The fear of saying not to a peer comes from the fear of being disliked which, in all honesty, everyone has. Not being liked or not being considered good enough is a fear that can be lethal. Yes, it may be hard to turn down popularity or the feeling of acceptance, but I would rather say no to acceptance and popularity than going into my life and finding that I may have ruined it. Don’t get me wrong, there are places to get help but when you are looking for a job or filling out an application it will become known that you got that help and people will be glad that you got that help. But, will people look at you the same way as everyone else? According to our primary source, Jana Morris, “the sooner treatment is provided the better the chance the patient has of living a clean, free of their addiction, life.” Ms. Morris had said to me that she always tells the parents of her patients, “ You are not given a handbook to life...”, and I agree, you are not given a a handbook, but you are given chances to change your lifestyle and people to encourage you on your journey through life.