Although it’s believed that the rate of drug abuse among teens and adolescents is dropping, the prevalence remains disturbingly high. There are various reasons why teens would turn to drugs and the key among them is experimenting. Another reason is teens often want to fit in and will do what it takes to be seen as cool. Additionally, some turn to drugs as a way of coping and dealing with the stress in their lives.
One other reason teens decide to experiment with or take drugs is because they have easy access to them. Unbeknownst to parents, teens may have access to a wider pool of drugs than previously thought. This increases the temptation to try them out, with some becoming hooked in the process.
Here are five of the reasons why American teens have easy access to drugs
- Teen Drug Dealers. When we think of drug dealers, we think of the stereotypical ones hanging out on street corners. However, teen drug dealers do exist and they bring drugs much closer to teenagers, especially in schools. High schools may be the perfect location for teens to seek out drugs and many transactions do take place on school grounds.
- Social Media. Teenagers spend a lot of their time glued to their phones scrolling through one social media after another. Seeing their peers glorifying drug use can further cement the notion that using drugs is cool and normal. Social media platforms also make it easier for teens to connect with dealers and suppliers who’d be otherwise hard to find. This makes it easy to access drugs with minimal effort.
- Disposable Income. Many teens have disposable income whether from doing various jobs or receiving an allowance from their parents. This makes it easy for them to buy drugs and since they have the capital, they can support their drug habits, at least in the beginning.
- Availability at Home. Nowadays, plenty of doctors prescribe opiates and other medicines to adults, bringing prescription pills closer to teens in the home. Teens who abuse prescription pills either find them in their homes, from their parents’ prescriptions, or know someone who does.
- They’re Illegal and Unregulated. Since most drugs are illegal, their sale is unregulated. This means that drug dealers and suppliers don’t care who they sell them to as long as they make money.
We Can Help
If you have a teen struggling with drug abuse, don’t hesitate to get them help.
Here at Evolve Indy, we offer a range of addiction treatment programs from partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs to fully outpatient ones. Through our family therapy program, we also work with families that have been devastated by addiction. We also collaborate with and support various drug education programs in the community, helping to increase awareness of the dangers of addiction.
Reach out to us today if you have a loved one struggling with addiction and we’ll provide the help they need to get back on their feet.