Analysis Paper: Drug and Alcohol 2
Substance use, legal and illegal, is a major problem in our culture, and alcohol and drug use
are not a geographical issue, it is a global issue, and unfortunately research data indicates it is
especially high in the United States of America. Adult alcohol and drug use has been the catalyst
for many of society's enormous problems at large and has had an excessive cost on family and
institutions. Some research indicates that drug and alcohol usage among adolescents is trending
downward. According to McWhirter et al. (2016), “the overall use of drugs in the United States
by young people has continued to decline over the last few years, providing some
encouragement” (p.153). Many studies have indicated that adults who become ensnared by drug
and alcohol addiction or dependence begin using alcohol and drugs as adolescents. Societal,
family and peer groups contribute to the use of alcohol and drugs by adolescents.
The environment plays a large part in youth development; therefore, statistics show where
you live matters. Communities with high crime and extreme poverty are communities that have a
great deal of stress. That stress is overwhelming placed on the back of the youth population in
those communities. Because of this overwhelming stress, adolescents may be suspectable to what
they believe may be stress reducers or coping mechanisms to deal with the stress and may use
alcohol and drugs to relieve the stress. “Endogenous and exogenous stressful life events and
social norms supportive of alcohol use from parents and peers were significant predictors of
alcohol use, intoxication, and alcohol use disorder, with consistent patterns across males and
females” (Coley, Sims & Carrano,2017). McWhirter et al. (2016) has shown that a variety of
environmental factors contribute to drug use, including the soil that nurtures drug use, including
poverty, racism, community and interpersonal violence, lack of educational and job opportunities
(p.156).
Analysis Paper: Drug and Alcohol 3
There are several factors that may predict adolescent drug and alcohol usage. Studies have
theorized that peer popularity and peer acceptance are major factors in adolescents’ alcohol and
drug use. Adolescents are more vulnerable to peer pressure because they are still developing
their identity and their brain is still growing, making them more suspectable to peer acceptance
pressure. Lee et al. (2018) notes that “Identities form in the context of social experience in
domains generally considered important to adolescents—academics, social relationships,
extracurricular activities, and risk behaviors.” McWhirter et al., 2016 notes that “Peer groups
strongly influence a young person’s decision to use drugs, and they predict the age of initial drug
use, especially alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco” (Lewis et al., 2010) (McWhirter et al., 2016,
p.157).
An important predictor of alcohol and drug use in adolescents is their family tree. Studies
indicate that the family is the single major predictor of adolescents' alcohol and drug use through
either genetics or family atmosphere. According to Šumskas & Zaborskis (2017), “the following
parenting factors were associated with weekly use of alcohol: father’s and mother’s low
monitoring, father’s authoritarian-repressive and mother’s permissive-neglectful parenting style”
(Sumskas &Zaborskis,2017). McWhirter et al. (2016) supports Šumskas & Zaborskis (2017)
research. McWhirter et al. (2016) notes that “research consistently identifies family factors, such
as parenting style, as central to the etiology of multiple problem behavior outcomes, including
early- onset substance use (Mares et al., 2011) (McWhirter et al. 2016, p.158).
Family-related legal and ethical issues that families of adolescent alcohol and drug users may
face are informed consent and confidentiality. In the past, parents usually had autonomous rights
when it came to their children's health and medical issues. However, today's laws in most states
do not allow parents to make total decisions about their children's treatment or counseling. They
Analysis Paper: Drug and Alcohol 4
must get consent from their children that are legally capable. Most state laws require parental
consent for most healthcare needs of a minor, with some exceptions. Ethically, parents cannot be
told what goes on in a counseling session without the adolescent's permission, except in a couple
of situations.
Parental risk factors and variables that may lead adolescents to alcohol use are family
dysfunctions, child abuse, neglectful parenting, and parental alcohol and drug addictions.
McWhirter et al. (2016) indicates that "parents' alcohol-related problems as well as lenient
attitudes about alcohol are directly related to alcohol-related problems in adolescents and to
excessive drinking" (Mares et al., 2011) (McWhirter et al. p.159).
Peer related legal and ethical issues to drug and alcohol use can be that adolescents who
use alcohol can end up getting involved with gangs and getting involved with adolescents who
practice deviant behaviors. Adolescents could wind up committing criminal acts, causing them to
in up in criminal court or in prison, which would cause them to have a criminal record. Clinton &
Clark (2010) notes that “adolescents should choose their friends carefully and stay away from
youths that use alcohol and drugs” (p.123).
One variable that contributes to peer related issues is a variable called “peer clusters.”
There is a theory that some social scientists call “peer clusters.” Peer cluster theory hypothesizes
that drug use is linked to peer relationships” (McWhirter et al.,2016, p.157). According to
McWhirter et al. (2016), “Peers provide information about drugs, shape attitudes toward them,
create a social context for their use, give rationales for using them, and make them available”
(Schwinn & Schinke, 2014) (p.157). Individual legal and ethical issues that correlate with
adolescents' alcohol and drug use are academic problems, health problems, mental health
problems such as depression. The use of substances by adolescents can affect their mental health,
Analysis Paper: Drug and Alcohol 5
causing bad peer associations causing them to involvement with the juvenile court system that
could ruin an adolescent’s life. McWhirter et al. (2016), proposes that “adolescents with poor
coping skills are vulnerable to this intense emotional pain; drug use can become a relief-seeking
behavior aimed at alleviating both internal problems and external problems” (p.159).
In conclusion, alcohol and drug use among adolescents is widespread in the United States. In
fact, drug use among adolescents is widespread not just in the USA but is widespread globally.
Adolescents legal and illegal substance use has its roots in numerous factors. The environment,
family, and peer clusters are factors that may lead adolescents to substance usage. Studies
indicate that drug use, including the soil that nurtures drug use, includes poverty, racism, and that
parenting styles, family dysfunction and peer influence all contribute to the use of alcohol and
drugs in adolescents. Early intervention programs are having an impact on drug and alcohol use
among adolescents and that is good news. McWhirter et al. (2016), note that “the overall use of
drugs in the United States by young people has continued to decline over the last few years,
providing some encouragement” (p.153).
Analysis Paper: Drug and Alcohol 6
References
Clinton,GT., & Clark,GC. (2010).GThe quick-reference guide to counseling teenagers. Baker
Books.
Coley, R. L., Sims, J., & Carrano, J. (2017). Environmental risks outweigh dopaminergic genetic
risks for alcohol use and abuse from adolescence through early adulthood.GDrug and
Alcohol Dependence,G175, 106-118.Ghttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.01.042
Lee, C., Corte, C., & Stein, K. F. (2018). Drinker identity: Key risk factor for adolescent alcohol
use.The Journal of School Health,88(3), 253-260.Ghttps://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12603
McWhirter,GJ.GJ., McWhirter,GB.GT., McWhirter,GE.GH., & McWhirter,GR.GJ. (2016).GAt risk youth.
Cengage Learning.
Šumskas, L., & Zaborskis, A. (2017). Family social environment and parenting predictors of
alcohol use among adolescents in lithuania.International Journal of Environmental
Research and Public Health,14(9), 1037.Ghttps://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14091037
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