Why Teenagers Try Drugs

Teenagers are renowned for being curious about the world around them and wanting
to discover new activities. It is not surprising that addictive and destructive
substances such as drugs would attract teengers’ attention. But why exactly do they
strive to try these substances when they know it can be potentially harmful?
Teenagers often try drugs due to stress, peer pressure, self-medication,
misinformation, and easy access.

Everyone gets stressed to some degree, but being a teenager might be the most
stress-inducing time in one’s life. In order to relieve this tension, teenagers often vie
for the consumption of drugs. According to the Casa Palmera Treatment Center, “A
recent study by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America showed that 73 percent of
teens report the number-one reason for using drugs is to deal with the pressures and
stress of school. Surprisingly, only 7 percent of parents believe that teens might use
drugs to cope with stress, showing parents severely underestimate the impact of
stress on their teens’ decision to use drugs” (Casa Palmera). It appears that parents
and teachers often do not think that teenagers can be stressed enough to be
prompted to take drugs. However, research has proven otherwise.

Peer pressure is more known than stress as a cause of teenagers taking drugs. It is
usually thought of first between parents when trying to understand why their children
consume strange substances. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse,
“The desire to impress your friends may override your fear of taking risks. This could
also apply to deciding whether to try drugs or alcohol—your decision might be
influenced by who’s around and if you think they’d be impressed” (“Why Does Peer
Pressure Influence Teens To Try Drugs?”). Wanting to fit in and show off to your
friends are powerful drivers when it comes to taking drugs. Teenagers strive to find a
place in their society, and doing drugs is seen as an avenue to achieve that.

Getting proper medical and psychiatric care for teenagers is not easy, and a lot of
these individuals do not want to talk to their parents about their problems. Therefore,
a lot of teenagers treat taking drugs as self-medication. According ScienceDaily,
“Research shows that some teens are using drugs to alleviate feelings of depression
(“self-medicating”), when in fact, using marijuana can compound the problem. The
report, released to coincide with May’s Mental Health Awareness Month, shows a
staggering two million teens felt depressed at some point during the past year, and
depressed teens are more than twice as likely as non-depressed teens to have used
marijuana during that same period. Depressed teens are also almost twice as likely
to have used illicit drugs as non-depressed teens” (“Teen ‘Self Medication’ For
Depression Leads To More Serious Mental Illness, New Report Reveals”). So,
teenagers with depression often are faced with the choice of confronting parents
about their state, or trying to self-medicate themselves through drugs. They often
choose the more secretive way of dealing with their issues.

In addition to self-medicating themselves, teenagers see drugs in a brighter light than

adults in general. They often do not understand or comprehend how dangerous
drugs can be. According to the Casa Palmera Treatment Center, “Many teens, 41
percent to be exact, mistakenly believe that it’s safer to abuse a prescription drug
than it is to use illegal drugs. Nearly 1 in 5 teens have already abused a prescription
medication or prescription painkiller in order to get high or deal with stress” (Casa
Palmera). This misinformation leads to an increase in the likelihood of a teenager
trying harmful substances.

With marijuana and other drugs becoming easier to obtain, the rate at which teenagers can get hold
of these substances is higher. According to Heath24, “Overall, teens who had alcohol and illegal
drugs available to them started drinking and using drugs at a younger age, and used more alcohol
and drugs in their 20s” (“Easy Access to Drugs and Booze Ups Teens’ Addiction Risk”). These statistics
show a clear connection between ease of access and getting addicted to drugs.

Teenagers and drugs have a close relationship because of several factors. Stress, peer pressure, self-
medication, misinformation, and easy access all make drugs appealing to this demographic. The only
thing we can do is properly educate teenagers on the risks of drugs and have parental figures open
themselves up to these individuals in order to increase communication.