Drug Biography

In 1971 ,President Richard Nixon declared drug users public enemy number one. Young, white, middle-class kids were openly using recreational drugs, and long-held stigmas about drug use were shrinking, especially in the Bay Area. Public perception typically connected drugs with protest culture and the social rebellion of the '60s and '70s. To then-president Richard Nixon, and many others, it was a sign of society coming apart at the seams.

Nixon began a grand campaign to strike back. He wanted nothing less than a full-scale “war on drugs” that would be waged against the dealers and users of drugs at home, as well as the cultivators and suppliers abroad. It would be carried out through aggressive policing and military intervention. And it would set a trend for decades to come.

Availability of Drugs to Teenagers

Even among teens that do not use drugs, it is acknowledged that they are fairly easy to come by. 29% of teens in grades 9 through 12 report that illegal drugs were made available to them on school property. Not only that, 38.4% of teens in public schools report that drugs are readily available (as opposed to 22.4% at private schools). Teens in upper grades report greater access to drugs than do teenagers in lower grades. And 62.9% report that street gangs are present to sell the drugs.
Here are the rates, reported by teens, as to which drugs they knew how to obtain easily: 

1. Marijuana: 85.8% 
2. Amphetamines: 55.4% 
3. Cocaine: 47.8% 
4. Barbiturates: 46.3% 
5. Crack: 39.2% 
6. LSD: 33.1% 
7. Tranquilizers: 30.1% 
8. Heroin: 29.6% 
9. Crystal meth: 26.7% 
10. PCP: 24.2%  

Statistics

Teenagers often experiment with a variety of activities and substances. Unfortunately, this experimentation can lead to substance abuse and addiction. Statistics show that drug abuse is a growing problem among teens. In addition to cocaine, Ecstasy and other club drugs, a recent Monitoring the Future Study showed that the top six most abused drugs by teens are: marijuana (31.5%), Vicodin (9.7%), amphetamines (8.1%), cough medicine (6.9%), sedatives & tranquilizers (6.6% each). Without treatment, the effects of drug abuse on teens can lead to serious consequences now and well into adulthood.


 

Effects of Drugs

Most Common 
Regardless of the drug used, there are many problems related to drug use, such as:

1. Family or relationship problems
2. Problems at work or school
3. Accidents
4. Legal problems
5. Financial problems
6. Health problems 
7. Sexual Problems

Drugs can have lasting effects on the brain and body. Using drugs often compromises judgment and physical abilities and makes a person unable to perform in a variety of contexts:

1. Academics.
2. Athletics.
3. Music or dramatic arts.
4. Decision making in everyday situations.
5. Driving any kind of vehicle.
6. Operating equipment or tools. 

On The Brain
Three main themes arise. First, all drugs effect the brain - some very substantially, particularly in adolescents. Second, the plasticity of the brain and its amazing ability to compensate for change, can lead to drug-crippled brains. Thirdly, certain neurons appear to be more resilient than others to drug effects. Most drugs (cocaine, alcohol, etc.) tend to work by increasing dopamine levels in the amygdala and other pleasure regions of the brain.