Teenagers are commonly associated with risky and dangerous behavior. Curiosity is the common cause of irrational actions and attempts to use and abuse things like drugs and alcohol. Schools attempt to educate on the effects of drugs by using programs such as D.A.R.E and punish students for partaking in it.
Psychology course teacher Ann Berger claims, “Lacking connection and community with others is the main reason they turn to drugs and alcohol.” She went on to say that the large amount of loneliness observed in teenagers is one of the reasons it might be so common. Being that one of the first biological needs is community and therefore lack of it would lead to coping mechanisms such as drug and alcohol abuse.
The D.A.R.E program is taught nation-wide at an attempt to lessen the rates of students using drugs. However, it is argued that these programs cause more harm than they help. Researchers believe that because these programs introduce drugs to students and inform them on where to find them and the effects they have on a person has been one of the causes of rising drug abuse rates.
As they travel from school to school teaching students about the dangers of drugs, the number of teens using them is steadily increasing. Research from the National Center of Drug Abuse Statistics (NSDAS) stated that as of 2016, drug use in students starting as young as 8th grade has risen a total of 61%. There is an even higher number seen in high school seniors who have abused alcohol at least once.
Rules become stricter and more devices are created to catch someone in the act, so there continues to be more activity. This proves that the systems set in place might be flawed in how effective it is at controlling students.
It is believed that drug and rehab programs are ineffective because they give knowledge of where and how to obtain such things. Deputy Sheriff Jamey Fah explained that it was just the opposite, “There has been around the same amount of students being discovered with drugs and vaping devices. The programs work at informing students about the dangers of drugs and I found that more students are getting their hands on them through social media.”
Fah believes that the programs have little to no effect on students because the average of students being caught and punished have remained around the same. Teenagers will always be experimental however, the extra information on drug and alcohol abuse might create an easier access.
Although drug and rehabilitation programs are used to prevent teens from abusing substances, there is an increase in the amount of teens being reported using them. It proves that many different things are going into play on why it is steadily growing and questions how effective the preventions are.
