By Sayyedah Jaffer (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania)
Teen drug abuse is very common amongst today’s youths. Many of the youths of today’s generations have easy access to different types of drugs which is also causing an effect in their daily lives and their academic life.
Drugs do not have a rightful place in society or school where teens are living in their most formative years. Teens who are drug users or abusers can be identified through their academic performance in school or through their athletic performance after school. For example: a teen who is a drug user will usually skip classes, have lower grades, lack of responsibility to that of a teen who is drug free.
Alcohol is one of the most misused drugs of today and almost readily available everywhere. It can be found at every teen part or dance clubs. The consumption of alcohol causes teens to wake up with a hang over the next day not realizing what they have been up to because of the drowsiness of the alcohol and also missing classes and affecting their academic life.
The real question which comes to every person’s mind is what types of drugs do teens use? Well according to NIDA’s monitoring the future survey – which looks at the different drugs that teens are using, alcohol comes at number one – no guesses there! It is then followed by tobacco and marijuana.
There are currently no federal laws regarding school-based drug testing, however, there are two Supreme Court Cases that grant public schools the authority to conduct drug testing in certain circumstances:
- In 1995, the Court ruled that it was legal for schools to randomly test student athletes
- In 2002, that ruling was expanded to included students who participate in a competitive extracurricular activity such as a marching band or chess club.
The real question comes to every parent’s mind is that how do they control or stop their children from getting in touch or using drugs.
Therefore, the solution to that is that parents should build a friendship relationship with their children and have a day to day update from the school as to how they child is progressing.
Many parents are busy working fulltime and therefore neglect spending time with their children or even being informed as to who the child goes with or where the child goes in their absence.
Most parents rely everything on school but unfortunately by that time it’s too late. Parents should educate their children about drugs and alcohol before the child even enters in their teens. Always be supportive and involved in your child’s life so as to know everything that your child is doing while being at home or at school. Educate yourselves to watch out for signs if your child has been in contact with drugs or alcohol.
- Teendrugabuse.us
- teens.drugabuse.gov
- Centreonaddiction.org
