Drug abuse at any age can cause
serious health effects, but teens who abuse drugs are at particular risk for
negative consequences. Teens who abuse drugs are more likely to struggle with
addiction later in life and have
permanent and irreversible brain damage. Some
other common negative effects of teen drug abuse are:
Ø Emotional problems. Drug abuse can
cause or mask emotional problems such as anxiety, depression, mood swings,
suicidal thoughts and schizophrenia. In fact, drug use can also increase the
severity of these emotional problems. For example, teens that use marijuana
weekly double their risk of depression and anxiety.
Ø Behavioral problems. Teens who abuse
drugs have an increased risk of social problems, depression, suicidal thoughts
and violence, teens who abuse drugs are more likely than teens who don’t abuse
drugs to engage in delinquent behaviors such as fighting and stealing.
Ø Learning problems. Drug abuse damages
short-term and long-term memory and can lead to problems with learning and
memory later in life.
Ø Diseases. Teens who abuse drugs with
needles increase their risk of blood-borne diseases like HIV, AIDS and
Hepatitis B and C.
Brain damage. Drug abuse among teens can result
in serious mental disorders or permanent, irreversible damage to the brain or
nervous system. Brain damage among teens who abuse drugs includes brain
shrinkage; impaired learning abilities; amnesia and memory problems; impaired
reasoning, perception and intuition; increased or decreased socialization; and
changes in sexual desire.
No comments:
Post a Comment