Rise of Drug Use in Students

Different types of drugs have been in use throughout history, however, the use, as well as the number of types of drugs available today, is exponentially greater compared to any period throughout history. This is dire news as the number of drugs and drug use increases the younger is also getting roped into this Vice. The rise in the number of drug addicts in the younger generation is very concerning and unless concrete action is taken the effects of this rise will continue to hurt us for the next several generations. A drug addiction if not treated quickly can last the entirety of a person’s life and damages not only their prospects but also the lives of the family members and friends of the person. In most cases, however, the person is likely to be left to his own devices, and more often than not the person falls further into the clutches of drugs eventually becoming unredeemable as a functioning member of society.

The recent rise in the use of drugs among the students can be attributed to several reasons, the prime among them being the shift in the way the drug dealers have shifted their attention towards dealing drugs to students in educational institutions. This allowed them to sell to a concentrated market with less danger. Many students have been convicted of acting on the behalf of these drug dealers and selling drugs to other students inside dormitories. The act of selling on the inside unless the students are explicitly caught, or they are ratted out by angry customers since the chances are quite slim and therefore very few cases are known. Many students take these drugs supposedly to deal with the increasingly rigorous demands of the curriculum. The notion that drugs are somehow beneficial to a student’s studies is very dangerous as it can be a slippery slope leading to a life marred in drugs, with no hope of ever using the education which you thought was benefitting from those drugs.

Students who are increasingly taking drugs are at that age when they are itching to prove themselves adults but do not have any of the experience an adult has. This leads to a situation where their over-eagerness leads them to do drugs and lose control of themselves which often then leads to problems such as brawls and accidents.

College and High school students are often victims of Mental pressure and coercion. Students are often tempted by their seniors to partake in these drugs or are forced to by their own twisted sense of belonging. Meaning that these students feel that if they do not model themselves just as those around them, they will be rejected, and this sense of false and dangerous belonging leads them down a dark road. Another major reason is the way most students develop a Fear of Missing Out when they see their fellows doing drugs this fear combined with curiosity makes them try drugs, and then other students see them and so the cycle continues.

Los Angeles is a good example as the city has one of the highest addiction rates among students. In order to counter this many initiatives have been started including awareness, strict monitoring, and establishment of rehab centers. These rehab centers are meant to focus on students and their eventual reintegration into society. This rehab Los Angeles initiative is one of the most promising ways of stopping the scourge of drug addiction as it not only targets the students in need of rehab but also provides a warning to others through their awareness programs.

Unless the rising tide of drug addicts is met with a firm stance the future is quite bleak as the number of addicts rises the cases of violence will also increase.