Drug abuse can impact the brain’s ability to function in the short term as well as prevent proper growth and development in the long term. Substance abuse affects teen brain development by:
Interfering with neurotransmitters and damaging connections within the brain
.
Reducing the ability to experience pleasure
.
How does drugs affect a child’s development?
When children are being neglected due to parental substance abuse, developmental problems often arise, such as speech delays, malnutrition, and cognitive functioning issues. Parental drug use during pregnancy can result in
birth defects
, attachment problems and drug-affected newborns.
Overall, drug addiction can
cause depression, mood disturbance, insomnia, anorexia, sexual dysfunction, paranoia and hallucination
[2]. During the early stage of addiction, a person may use these substances to seek pleasure. However, this feeling requires ever higher doses to get the same effect.
How does substance abuse affect cognitive development?
Brain-imaging studies in humans and neuropsychological studies in nonhuman animals have shown that
repeated drug use causes disruptions in the brain’s highly evolved frontal cortex
, which regulates cognitive activities such as decision-making, response inhibition, planning and memory.
How does substance abuse affect students?
Not only can drugs impair teens’ cognitive development, they can also affect students’ performance in school: their
ability to memorize things, concentration in the classroom, prioritization of assignments
, likelihood to attend class, and even their overall IQ.
How does peer pressure lead to substance abuse?
Beyond prompting kids to use drugs, peer pressure or the desire to impress their peers can
override a teen or tween’s fear of taking risks
, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse for Kids. 1 This risky behavior with drugs and/or alcohol can result in the following: Accidents. Addiction.
What are the economic consequences of drug abuse?
$120 billion in lost productivity
, mainly due to labor participation costs, participation in drugabuse treatment, incarceration, and premature death; $11 billion in healthcare costs – for drug treatment and drug‐related medical consequences; and.
What is the role of family in prevention of drug abuse?
Parents play a major role in preventing substance abuse among youth and in helping them if
they’ve initiated use
. Talking with a child about the dangers of substance use and showing disapproval of such behavior are key to shaping children’s attitudes and behaviors.
What are the causes and effect of drug abuse?
Drug abuse can affect several aspects of a person’s physical and psychological health. Certain drugs
can lead to drowsiness and slow breathing
, while others may cause insomnia, paranoia, or hallucinations. Chronic drug use is associated with cardiovascular, kidney, and liver disease.
What are the effects of substance abuse in the family and the community?
Early exposure to a home divided by drug use can cause a child to
feel emotionally and physically neglected and unsafe
. As a result, they can become more mentally and emotionally unstable. Children may develop extreme guilt and self-blame for a parent’s substance abuse.
How does peer pressure affect behavior?
Positive
peer pressure can help teens develop the coping skills necessary for adulthood
. … Negative peer pressure can lead teens in bad directions. It could lead them to try alcohol or drugs, skip school or engage in other poor behaviors that could put their health at risk.
How does peer pressure affect mental health?
Negative peer pressure can also affect mental health. It can
decrease self-confidence and lead to poor academic performance
, distancing from family members and friends, or an increase in depression and anxiety. Left untreated, this could eventually lead teens to engage in self-harm or have suicidal thoughts.
What are the negative effects of peer pressure?
- pressure to use alcohol, cigarettes or drugs.
- pressure to engage in risk taking behaviours.
- distraction from schoolwork.
- distance between family and existing friends.
- drastic changes in behaviour and attitudes.
What are the consequences of drug abuse on the community?
Increase in domestic disputes
.
Increased rates of homelessness and poverty
.
Substantial financial health care burden
.
Increased rates of co-occurring mental disorders
.
What are the major causes of drug abuse?
- Family history of addiction. Drug addiction is more common in some families and likely involves genetic predisposition. …
- Mental health disorder. …
- Peer pressure. …
- Lack of family involvement. …
- Early use. …
- Taking a highly addictive drug.
What is the impact of addiction?
People with addiction often have one or more associated health issues, which could include
lung or heart disease
, stroke, cancer, or mental health conditions. Imaging scans, chest X-rays, and blood tests can show the damaging effects of long-term drug use throughout the body.
