Lately, the United States has experienced an upsurge in the number of juvenile arrests related to drug use and trafficking. The issue of drugs has dominated the media in the past few years with research showing disconcerting statistics on the average age of drug users dropping to below 17 years of age. This means that there are more teenagers indulging in drug use and trafficking than any time in the history of the United States. The important question here is, why are drugs so popular with the youth? I will seek to understand and answer this question through use of documented research, backed with valid argument and approved statistical data.
I believe that the most obvious and documented number one reason for the popularity of drugs with the youth is the “feel-good” effect that drugs have on an individual’s biology. This “feel-good” effect is not the same as the feeling one gets from eating cake or chocolate. Drugs have a much higher intensity effect on the body in a way that it alters one’s mind and response to certain stimuli. Most of these drugs have such a high intensity effect that ranges from muscle relaxation to hyperactive euphoria, synesthesia even to near catatonia.
I believe the effect these drugs have on the body has one other reason why drugs are so popular with the youth, i.e. these drugs tend to alter and distance the user from their true self. This can be seen in the different effects the most common drugs have on the user’s mind. MDMA users have a benevolent sensation towards existence, a feeling that they would not have without the drug. Mescaline users have a feeling of a much more intense connection to the world and existence that appears to be more authentic to them than usual, while opiate users tend to have a feeling that allows them to narrow down their connection to existence, life and the world to the point where the world beyond themselves is non-existent. These three drugs are a good representation of the different types of drugs in the market, depressants, psychedelics and stimulants. All of them altering the user and giving him another personality, a temporary but fleeting get away from their true self.
Experimentation is one common characteristic trait among the youth. At teenage (13 years to 18 years), many youth are open to new “adventures”, of sorts, where they readily accept and try new things that, most of the time, are illegal. The thrill of having something affects one’s biological, mental and psychological self is unpredictable for the curious teenager. This points to the social aspects of drug use among the youth.
Peer pressure is a phenomenon that is most evident and common in teenagers. Through influence, one teenager can be able to alter another’s perceptions, beliefs and opinions about something, in this case, drug use. At this age, social stratification is a common thing, where individuals group themselves on a common factor, be it class, beliefs, faith and view of the world. Most drug-using teenagers tend to move and operate in cliques where drug-use is considered extreme, rebellious and cool. This tends to appeal to many as they seek to fit in and this is how many are influenced into drug use and eventually drug trafficking and/or addiction.
In conclusion, many facets of social, psychological and even economic facets of drugs and drug abuse appeal to many young people, explaining their popularity with individuals falling under that age bracket. Every individual has their own reason(s) why they indulge in drug abuse.
Works Cited
Bartollas, C., & Schmalleger, F. (2011). Juvenile Delinquency (8th ed.). Prentice Hall.
