Drug addiction in teenagers
Parents need to wake up to the needs of their children, and the government must act to cut the supply lines that bring drugs to the nation's youth, writes Habiba Hegab*
The teen years are one of the critical stages of any human being's experience, where one learns about life with all its good and bad habits. Painfully, most teenagers do not realise the link between their actions today and consequences tomorrow, leading to many disasters in the long run.
Drug addiction has become a terrible and widespread problem. Teenagers turn to drugs for several reasons including out of curiosity, because it feels good, to reduce stress, to feel grown up, or to fit in. Others simply use them because they believe that drugs will help them think better or overcome problems. Furthermore, depression plays a important role as a driving force that pushes a lot of people to take the road of one or another of the many forms of addiction, which they believe will get them live with this depression. But the truth is drugs do not solve problems, they simply hide feelings and as soon as their effect wears off the problems remain, or even become worse.
The percentage of drug addictions among teens in the last few years has approximately doubled; accordingly, we've got to address and end this epidemic that's ruining every aspect of many young lives. To start with, we need the help of parents to guide their children to the right path, steering them away from anything that might have even a small effect on them. Moreover, parents should find out who their sons and daughters are hanging out with, because hanging out with the wrong crowd can get you into a lot of trouble; as we all know, teens are easily influenced by their friends.
The difficulty that we're facing here is that most parents just cannot accept the fact that their "babies" are smoking, drinking or even worse. They have just one thought in their minds: that children at that age shouldn't be doing these terrible things. Beyond that, they seem incapable of reflection or action. They just want to bury their heads in the sand and hope that the problem will sort itself out. At a loss for words, parents often unknowingly build an invisible wall between themselves and their children at that age.
Researchers have concluded that most people -- especially young people -- who suffer an addiction are emotionally unsure of themselves and in desperate need of love and affection. They are lonely and insecure and are seeking the same thing: relief, support and confidence. They are the victims of yesterday and what life has put them through. Some people believe that they should take the whole blame, but no: How can we blame them when they weren't mature enough to cope with all their problems, and all they needed was someone to warn them against these dreadful substances, but no one ever did? Consequently, they fell into the trap without even realising what they were getting themselves into. When and if they start to wake up it is too late as the drugs control and haunt them, taking their lives away.
Finally, the worst point that most people aren't aware of is the availability of these drugs; you can easily buy them! The government should put an end to that and punish all those who make them accessible.
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2006/780/sc62.htm