When Teens Become Addicts

More and more commonly we see teens using and selling drugs. When I was in high school I started smoking pot. I wasn't often that I did. My friends didn't smoke, I never had any money, and I lived out in the country so it wasn't easily accessible. I first smoke pot with my older sister , but I don't blame her for being the reason I became an addict. I honestly don't blame pot for my future addiction at all. When I was 17 I ran away to live with a boy I liked, I smoked pot with him all the time.
Youths across the nation have been more and more involved with the illegal sale of drugs. The average teen of any race responsible for the sale of Marijuana is 12%, Cocaine, Meth, and other drugs are on average 5%. Teens tend to sell drugs in urban inner city areas to help support their families. Some teens are pressured by peers and even families to be drug dealers.
Many kids feel the need to use drugs because they want to fit in. I have looked through many web sites that are made for teen entertainment and was astonished with the amount of teens bragging about their drug use. Then there are the teens, like I was, who were using drug use as an outlet. As a depressed and angry teen I turned to drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol. I picked up anything that would make me forget about the day. When I went to school, I was made fun of daily, picked on for being different. I was just being what I wanted to be and it was not accepted around me. I was laughed at, I was the butt of jokes all day long, I was even set up intentionally by other kids for the purpose of humiliation. It made me despise people and hate life. I was very angry and hurt but pretended nothing ever bothered me when deep down I was always crying. I started drinking a lot and would use drugs ever time I got the opportunity.
Teens don't understand the dangers of drug use. Most feel like if they only use a couple times, they will forget about it, no harm done. But in situations like my own, the realize it covers and helps forget so using becomes a must, which leads to addictions.
Over time I have talked to many former addicts who said it started out when they were teens and they could never kick it because they didn't want to.
40% of teens agreed that movies and TV shows
make drugs seem like an OK thing to do, according to a 2003 study. Teens who don't like being alone, can't seem to keep themselves occupied, or crave excitement are prime candidates for substance
abuse. Not only do alcohol and marijuana give them something to do, but it also puts them in a state that makes them feel like they are no longer lonely or sad that they are.
Getting drugs is no longer a difficult task since kids can get it from peers, family, and from people on the street. Drug dealers don't discriminate age like cigarette and alcohol dealers do. It is far more simple for kids to get their hands on drugs if they desire it and will the ever popular media trends that make drug use look "cool", teens will work harder and harder to get what they want to fit in, cover up, and trend with the best. Question is, what can we do as adults, and family to get the message to them? We must get the message across that they can destroy and damage their future and that drugs isn't going to resolve their problems and cause solutions to their needs.I am not saying it will be easy, but the sooner you start, the better.