Drug Use in Adolescents

Information Page:
Alcohol is a liquid produced by fermentation and it is also a depressant drug. Further processing
produces alcoholic drinks such as beer, wine, spirits and other drinks. Almost 70 percent of high
school students will have tried alcohol, half will have taken an illegal drug, nearly 40 percent will
have smoked a cigarette, and more than 20 percent will have used a prescription drug for a
nonmedical purpose Alcohol, cannabis and tobacco are the three most commonly used drugs
among young people. Increasing rates within Australia of alcohol consumption are causing
concern and are in need to be acted upon.
Many Australians drink alcohol in amounts that are harmful to their health. This kind of drinking
can cause death, disease and injury and is a major factor in ill health and social harm in
Australia. No level of alcohol consumption can be considered safe for everyone. To minimise
your risk of accident, disease or death, the Australian Guidelines recommend healthy adults
should drink no more than 2 standard drinks on any day, and no more than 4 standard drinks on
a single occasion. A standard drink is a can or stubby of mid-strength beer, 100ml of wine, or a
30ml shot of spirits.

People are most likely to begin abusing drugs including alcohol during adolescence and young
adulthood. The ages most at risk of alcohol consumption vary between the ages of 18 and 20.
Young people are experiencing the consequences of drinking too much and as a result,
underage drinking is a leading public health problem in this country. 72.3 percent were choosing
not to drink, but 8.7 percent had more than four standard drinks at least once a month. Each
year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage
drinking, this includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of
homicides, 300 from suicide, as well as hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and
drownings.

The effects of any drug (including alcohol) vary from each person. How alcohol affects a person
depends on many things including a person's size, weight and health, also whether the person is
used to it and consumption of poly drug use. The effects of any drug also depends on the
amount taken. In 2010, 1 in 5 Australians consumed alcohol at levels that put them at long-term
risk of harm from alcohol related disease or injury, and around 2 in 5 drank at levels that put
them at short-term risk of alcohol-related injury.

The effects of alcohol on the brain occur within five minutes of alcohol being drunk.
With Low to moderate doses some of the effects possibly experience after drinking alcohol include:
 feeling relaxed
 lack of judgement
 mild euphoria
 loss of coordination
 reduced coordination and slower reflexes
 memory loss
 lowered inhibitions
 vomiting
 increased confidence
 headaches and hangovers
 inappropriate sexual or violent behaviour
 accidental injury (to yourself or others)
 blurred vision
 slurred speech  being in a road accident
 flushed appearance  deliberately harming yourself or others
 headache  alcohol poisoning (which can be fatal)
 nausea
 vomiting
 sleep.
 dizziness
 In higher doses such as when someone drinks heavily over a short period with intentions of
becoming drunk, "binge drinking". This is harmful because it results in immediate and severe
drunkenness. As well as the health risks, it can lead people to take unnecessary risks and put
themselves and others in danger. In Australia, there were 11,250 alcohol-attributable deaths
between 2003 and 2006, and an estimated 367 deaths and almost 14,000 hospitalisations due
to the drinking of others in 2005 alone
Some common effects of binge drinking are:

 headaches
 tremors
 nausea
 vomiting
 coma
 death.

Long Term:
Some of the long-term effects of drinking more than the recommended guidelines include:

 brain injury  cirrhosis

 loss of memory  liver cancer
 confusion  inflammation causing pain
 hallucinations  changes in red blood cells
 cancer  weakness
 high blood pressure  loss of muscle tissue
 irregular pulse  tingling and loss of sensation in hands and feet
 enlarged heart  flushing
 greater chance of infections,  sweating
including tuberculosis  bruising
 inflamed lining  males: impotence, shrinking of testicles, damaged/reduced sperm
 bleeding  females: greater risk of gynaecological problems, damage to foetus if
 ulcers pregnant.
 severe swelling and pain.
 hepatitis

Get help:

 Your GP (doctor)
 Alcohol and Drug Foundation Tel. 1300 85 85 84
 DirectLine – 24-hour confidential drug and alcohol telephone counselling,
information and referral Tel. 1800 888 236
 Family Drug Help – information and support for people concerned about a relative
or friend using drugs Tel. 1300 660 068
 Youth Support and Advocacy Service (YSAS) –– for people aged between 12 and
21 who are experiencing problems related to alcohol and other drugs Tel: 1800 458
685
 Podcast:
Hello everybody, your tuning into the Update. and I'm Juliet Malcolm. Today we'll be jump starting
into alcohol use through adolescence with the protective factors that can be implemented and the
necessary funding.
Today, alcohol is widely available and aggressively promoted throughout society. Worldwide
consumption in 2010 shows that 13.5 grams of pure alcohol was consumed per person aged 15 years
or older each day. And alcohol use continues to be regarded, by many people, as a normal part of
growing up. Yet underage drinking is dangerous, not only for the drinker but for the community, as
evident by the number of alcohol-involved motor vehicle crashes, homicides, suicides, and other
injuries.

People who begin drinking early in life run the risk of developing serious alcohol problems, including
alcoholism, later in life. They also are at greater risk for a variety of adverse consequences, including
risky sexual activity and poor performance in school. Across the globe females are more often lifetime
abstainers than males. And with this brings a greater mortality rate in men, in 2012 there was about
3.3 million deaths caused by alcohol, of global deaths 7.6% were among males and 4% of
deaths among females due to alcohol.
Identifying adolescents at greatest risk can help stop problems before they develop.

There are no parenting skills or behaviours that guarantee a young person will never touch drugs.
However, parents and guardians can reduce the possibility of a young person experiencing drug
problems in a number of ways.

Suggestions include:

 Foster a close and trusting relationships with parents, family members and role models from an early
age, and support and encourage positive behaviour.
 Parents to model appropriate behaviour, such as drinking moderately, not smoking and not using illicit
drugs.
 Establish agreements and guidelines about what is acceptable behaviour around alcohol and drugs.
 Encourage a healthy approach to life, including good foods, regular exercise and sports.
 Encourage to have many friends.
 Allow to practise responsibility and develop good decision-making skills from an early age.
 Keep yourself informed about drugs and educate on the dangers of drug use.
 Have open and honest discussions about drugs.
 Place alcohol out of view for adolescence to take

 Keep engaged in a school or community environment and possibly

spiritual beliefs

The Australian Government will continue to support drug and alcohol treatment services across
Australia with funding of more than $75 million a year.

Across Australia, around 150 groups that provide direct drug and alcohol treatment and support
services will be given guaranteed funding for another two years.

This includes services such as drop-in centres that provide counselling and information, withdrawal
management and rehabilitation clinics.
The funding strengthens efforts to make sure people seeking help are able to access services in their
community, provided by a range of organisations and tailored to local needs.
This continued funding for direct treatment services is important to individuals and families struggling
with drug and alcohol misuse, and will maintain the availability of treatment for people seeking help.

Thank you for listening to The Update, I hope to see you all next time. Bye for now.

News Article:

Alcohol use in adolescence, are you at harm?

In Australia 2018, 39% of young people aged 15-24 drink alcohol at levels that puts
them at risk of harm. Nearly a third of Australians drink partake in binge drinking. Although
consumption of alcohol in Australia has declined since the 1980s, it remains high by world
standards.

A standard drink consists of 12.5ml of pure alcohol, which is equivalent to an average

of 2.2 standard drink per person each day. In 2011, around three-quarters of Australian
secondary school students had ever tried alcohol, and 51% had consumed alcohol in the
past 12 months. Involvement with alcohol increases with age, with the proportion of
students drinking increasing from 8% of 13 year olds to 37% of 17 year olds. Many of the
statistics are frightful and stage the fact that alcohol use is harming adolescents in
Australia.

Many risk factors influence whether an adolescent tries drugs, including the availability
of drugs within the neighbourhood, community, and school and whether the adolescent’s
friends are using them. Socialising with friends, peer pressure or the need to feel part of a
group lead to many teens using drugs “because others are doing it”, in a way to fit in or
beliefs such as that drugs are “cool” or harmless make it more likely that an adolescent
will use drugs. An adolescent’s inherited genetic vulnerability of personality traits like poor
impulse control, high need for excitement, relaxation or to forget the issues troubling a
younger person from psychological or physiological pain.
Simple boredom and for curiosity, along with experimentation or wanting to take risks
are reasons adolescents use alcohol. Adolescents are often motivated to seek new
experiences, particularly those they perceive as thrilling or daring. Finally, some
adolescents suffer from characteristics of existing mental health disorders such as
depression, social anxiety, stress-related disorders, and physical pain. Using drugs and/ or
alcohol may be an attempt to lessen these feelings of distress.
Health determinants largely relate to the health behaviour of alcohol use through
adolescence. The socioeconomic characteristics of education increase the likelihood of an
individual. A higher level of education on a person leads to the practice of healthy habits
and behaviours towards alcohol and will be knowledgeable of the effects it has. This is turn
can cause an adolescent to think wisely of their attitudes when wanting to take action. An
individual's own mental health status can also effect one's life, someone who has
psychological factors including stress and trauma has a greater probability to abuse
alcohol in an attempt to disguise these damaging health disorders.
The sociocultural factors of family and peers can either influence a person's health
positively or negatively with the behaviours they exhibit around an individual. For
example, being a child of an alcoholic or having alcoholic family members places a person
at greater risk for alcohol problems. Children of alcoholics are 4 to 10 times more likely to
become alcoholics themselves than are children who have no close relatives with
alcoholism. These children are also more likely to begin drinking at a young age and
progress to have drinking problems more quickly. Additionally, violence, physical or
emotional abuse, mental illness, or drug use in the household increase the likelihood of
this health behaviour. The environmental factors surrounded by an individual can limit
access to health services in accessing support if they are located in an area away from the
main suburban region. The health determinants faced within an adolescent's life are
important to be looked upon with the influence it has on using and abusing alcohol.
Overall, there are many contributing factors and determinants that lead to the use of
alcohol in adolescents. With the availability and popularity it has on children in Australia
alcohol fazes a real issue that needs to be addressed.
 Stats to Australia:

In Australia 2018, 39%of young people aged 15-24 drink alcohol at levels that puts them at risk of
harm. Nearly a third of Australians drink more than they should on a single occasion (known
as binge drinking). Although per capita consumption of alcohol in Australia has declined
since the 1980s, it remains high by world standards
In 2012-13, there were 183.6 million litres of pure alcohol available for consumption in
Australia, and in 2013 per capita consumption was 9.88 litres. As a standard drink consists of
12.5ml of pure alcohol, this is equivalent to an average of 2.2 standard drinks per person4 per
day (7). In 2010, 1 in 5 Australians5 consumed alcohol at levels that put them at long-term
risk of harm from alcoholrelated disease or injury, and around 2 in 5 drank at levels that put
them at short-term risk of alcohol-related injury (9). In 2011, around three-quarters of
Australian secondary school students6 had ever tried alcohol, and 51% had consumed alcohol
in the past 12 months. Involvement with alcohol increased with age, with the proportion of
students drinking in the last seven days increasing from 8% of 13 year olds to 37% of 17 year
olds (10). In Australia there were 11,250 alcohol-attributable deaths between 2003 and 2006
(19), and an estimated 367 deaths and almost 14,000 hospitalisations due to the drinking of
others in 2005 alone

Stats to world:
Globally, 6.2% of all male deaths, 1.1% of all female deaths and 3.9% of disability-adjusted
life years are attributable to alcohol (17, 18).

Risk factors:
- socialising with friends, peer pressure or the need to feel part of a group: Many teens
use drugs “because others are doing it”—or they think others are doing it—and
they fear not being accepted in a social circle that includes drug-using peers
 relaxation or fun: to escape reality with the hope in forget the issues troubling a younger
person.
 Simple boredom
- curiosity, experimentation or wanting to take risks Adolescents are often motivated
to seek new experiences, particularly those they perceive as thrilling or daring.
- to escape from psychological or physiological pain.: ome adolescents suffer from
depression, social anxiety, stress-related disorders, and physical pain. Using
drugs may be an attempt to lessen these feelings of distress.
 Many factors influence whether an adolescent tries drugs, including the
availability of drugs within the neighbourhood, community, and school and
whether the adolescent’s friends are using them. The family environment is also
important: Violence, physical or emotional abuse, mental illness, or drug use in
the household increase the likelihood an adolescent will use drugs. Finally, an
adolescent’s inherited genetic vulnerability; personality traits like poor impulse
control or a high need for excitement; mental health conditions such as
depression, anxiety, or ADHD; and beliefs such as that drugs are “cool” or
harmless make it more likely that an adolescent will use drugs.

Effects
The effects of any drug (including alcohol) vary from person to person. How alcohol affects a person
depends on many things including their size, weight and health, also whether the person is used to it and
whether other drugs are taken. The effects of any drug also depend on the amount taken.

Short Term:
The effects of alcohol on the brain occur within five minutes of alcohol being drunk.
Low to moderate doses
Some of the effects that may be experienced after drinking alcohol include:
 feeling relaxed
 mild euphoria
 reduced coordination and slower reflexes
 lowered inhibitions
 increased confidence
 inappropriate sexual or violent behaviour
 blurred vision
 slurred speech
 flushed appearance
 headache
 nausea
 vomiting
 sleep.
 dizziness
 lack of judgement
 loss of coordination
 memory loss
 vomiting
 headaches and hangovers
 accidental injury (to yourself or others)
 being in a road accident
 deliberately harming yourself or others
 alcohol poisoning (which can be fatal)


In higher doses: When someone drinks heavily over a short period with the intention of becoming drunk,
it is sometimes referred to as "binge drinking". Binge drinking is harmful because it results in immediate
and severe drunkenness. As well as the health risks, it can lead people to take unnecessary risks and put
themselves and others in danger.
Some common effects of binge drinking are:

 headaches
 tremors
 nausea
 vomiting
 coma
 death.

Long Term:
Some of the long-term effects of drinking more than the recommended guidelines include:

 brain injury
 loss of memory
 confusion
  hallucinations
 cancer
 high blood pressure
 irregular pulse
 enlarged heart
 greater chance of infections, including tuberculosis
 inflamed lining
 bleeding
 ulcers
 severe swelling and pain.
 hepatitis
 cirrhosis
 liver cancer
 inflammation causing pain
 changes in red blood cells
 weakness
 loss of muscle tissue
 tingling and loss of sensation in hands and feet
 flushing
 sweating
 bruising
 males: impotence, shrinking of testicles, damaged/reduced sperm
 females: greater risk of gynaecological problems, damage to foetus if pregnant.

Determinants:

Many factors influence whether an adolescent tries drugs, including the availability
of drugs within the neighbourhood, community, and school and whether the
adolescent’s friends are using them. The family environment is also important:
Violence, physical or emotional abuse, mental illness, or drug use in the household
increase the likelihood an adolescent will use drugs. Finally, an adolescent’s
inherited genetic vulnerability; personality traits like poor impulse control or a high
need for excitement; mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, or
ADHD; and beliefs such as that drugs are “cool” or harmless make it more likely that
an adolescent will use drugs.

Protective Factors:

There are no parenting skills or behaviours that guarantee a young person will never touch
drugs. However, parents and guardians can reduce the possibility of a young person
experiencing drug problems in a number of ways.

Suggestions include:

 Foster a close and trusting relationship with your child from an early age, and support and
encourage positive behaviour.
 Model appropriate behaviour, such as drinking moderately, not smoking and not using illicit
drugs.
 Establish agreements and guidelines about what is acceptable behaviour around alcohol
and drugs.
 Encourage a healthy approach to life, including good foods, regular exercise and sports.
 Encourage your child to have more than one group of friends.
 Allow your child to practise responsibility and develop good decision-making skills from an
early age.
 Keep yourself informed about drugs and educate your child on the dangers of drug use. Do
not exaggerate or make information up.
 Have open and honest discussions about drugs.
 Place alcohol out of view for adolescence to take

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