Substance Abuse in American

Since the 1950s, substance abuse in the American population has been on the rise. In the 1950s, many Americans began to seek chemical solutions to feelings of stress and anxiety and turned toward tranquilizers as the answer to an increasingly complex world. Many children growing up during this time saw their parents opt for a drug solution to life's problems, and in the 1960s many turned toward marihuana, LSD, and various other concoctions which provided a momentary release from reality. As the drug culture grew and blossomed, it became clear that the problem was inching its way into the American school system itself.

In fact, studies have shown that to many, "if you were really down on what older people had done to the planet, [drugs] could elevate your mood. The main idea was to experience something; usually something other than the hopeless world created by those over thirty."1

During the past few years, however, the problem of increased drug and alcohol abuse within the schoolage population has dramatically increased. Even though child and teenage substance abuse is an individual behavior, one must also remember that the behavior itself may very well be indicative of a deeper sociocultural context that tends to determine these actions.2 In that context, it is necessary to look at an overview of the literature on the subject, analyze the specifics of alcohol abuse in the schools, turn to similar questions regarding drug abuse, look at the variety of solutions p

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them after high school, and being unable to deal with the pressures of college, may drink or engage in substance abuse all the more. In a very real sense, alcohol and drug abuse has a long term effect on personality, relationships, family life, and on grades. In the same vein, use of substances often alienates the adolescent from the very peers he or she sought to emulate. Drug abuse is an even more serious variant which is becoming almost equal in severity in some areas as is alcohol abuse. Within the school system, educators continually preach that drugs are not the answer, and indeed are quite dangerous. If this is the case, then why is drug abuse such a problem in the schools, continuing on in the demographic spectrum as individuals age? One answer holds that society expects far too much from its educational system. Schools themselves are somewhat insulated from society, they are structures, and, in many cases, children have been conditioned to believe little or none of what they hear from teachers. Surveys have also shown that among those adolescents who are either contemplating or participating in the use of drugs, and overwhelming 80 percent would rarely feel comfortable talking with a teacher about drugs.11 Intere

Category: Psychology - S