Question

In short answer format, use no more than 100 to 150 words to answer the following questions:

3. What is the extent of substance abuse among adolescents and what are some of the underlying causes of substance abuse for this age group?

Answer 1

The adolescents are at greater risk for substance abuse. It has become a common landscape among adolescents to use use drugs and alcohol though it may be not in much amount but in very smaller amount and may not develop an addiction in later years of life. But most of the adolescents experiment with some form of drugs and alcohol during this age of their life. The underlying causes are peer pressure, curiosity, socio-economic background and environment at home. Adolescents belonging to dysfunctional families and poor socio-economic background are at greater risk of developing addiction for drugs and alcohol. The curiosity to experience the effects of drugs make them experiment with drugs and alcohol, also the peer pressure and to conform to the norms of their peers they take up substance abuse. The other reason is that they lack a mature critical thinking at this stage of life.