The drug problem among the British teenagers

The drug problem among the British teenagers

The drug problem among

the British teenagers

CONTENTS

Introduction

1. What did the European survey show?

2. The most spread species of drugs.

a) Cannabis

b) Cocaine

c) Heroin

d) Amphetamines

e) Ecstasy

f) Hallucinatory drugs

g) Tranquillisers & Sedatives

3. A story about Simon Foster.

4. Report of Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence.

5. A new anti-drug campaign & it's help.

Conclusion

Bibliography list

INTRODUCTION

The title of this paper is "The drug problem among the British teenagers". At present there exists a big problem, concerning many teenagers. This is the problem of drug addiction.

The government of many countries takes measures to eliminate this addiction. But even in such developed country as Great Britain these measures aren't very effective. However the police very often arrest 12- & 13-year-old drug users.

The aim of my scientific work is to expose the harm of the drug addiction & to explain it to the Ukrainian youth, because the drug problem is a very big problem. If we don't stop it, the damage to humanity will be irreparable loss. The consequence of the drug-use in many cases is the death.

What did the European survey show?

Nowadays, there many secret groupings devoted to spreading of drugs. There are many kinds of drugs & that's why many teenagers cannot resist the drugs' temptation.

That's why last year, a European survey showed that the number of teenagers who had tried drugs was 6 per cent in Greece, 15 per cent in France and 30 per cent in Britain.

Statistics show that drug use by British teenagers has doubled since 1989. Half teenagers who were interviewed admitted they had tried at least one type of drug. 70 per cent said they had been offered drugs in the past 3 months.

The drugs that the government is most worried about are stimulant drugs such as Speed and Ecstasy (or 'E' as it is commonly known) and hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD. They are worried that many young people believe these drugs to be exciting and fashionable. They think that many of teenagers will be influenced by films such as Transporting and Pulp Fiction, which show attractive people taking drugs.

The most spread species of drugs.

It must be noted that the most spread species of drugs are cannabis, cocaine, heroin & others. The following paragraph deals with the short story about every of them

Cannabis. Commonly found in herbal form, looking like sage or dried herbs, or as a resin, resembling chunks of liquorice or a golden powder. Usually smoked by mixing with tobacco; gives off aromatic, slightly sickly smell. Produces feeling of elation, relaxation. Can cause psychological dependence and short-term memory loss; increases risk of bronchitis and other lung problems.

Cocaine. Fine, white crystalline powder, usually taken by sniffing it up a use or by injection. Produces state of euphoria. Prolonged "snorting" causes ulceration and perforation of the nasal septum. Crack cocaine is a smokable form, varying from yellow/beige "rocks" to white powder. Powerfully psychologically addictive. Produces rush of euphoria followed by rapid depression.

Heroin. White or speckled browns powder; can be sniffed, injected, or heated and the resulting fumes then inhaled. Produces relaxed euphoria, dehydration and lack of appetite. Highly addictive.

Amphetamines. Commonly a powder found in a variety of colours, but may be in pill or capsule form. Taken orally, injected or inhaled, amphetamines cause excitability, talkativeness, feeling of unlimited energy. Regular use can lead to weight loss and psychological dependence.

Ecstasy. Tablet or capsule in a variety of colours and forms. Increases awareness and energy, inhibitions disappear; causes dehydration, increased blood pressure and heart rate; may affect co-ordination. Has been linked with fatalities.

Hallucinatory drugs. LSD—taken by mouth, as tiny coloured tablets, or impregnated in paper or gelatine squares. Effects include heightened awareness of sound and colour, hallucinations; may also cause disorientation, panic, persecution mania and conviction of invincibility. Flashbacks can occur several months after use. Psilocybin is another hallucinogen, found in so-called "magic mushrooms"—certain species of fungi that grow in the wild.

Tranquillisers and Sedatives. Tablets or capsules in various colours and forms available legally on prescription. Usually taken orally; cause drowsiness, light-headedness, feeling of relaxation. May cause psychological dependence.

A story about Simon Foster.

Next is concern with the story about an English teenager, 15-year-old Simon Foster.

At school he felt a misfit, until he fell in with a group of boys with whom he began enjoying something in common: smoking cannabis. "I thought it was really cool, and that I'd found a niche in life."

An occasional adventure became regular routine. But after 18 months, Simon was caught red-handed. He was expelled from school and, fined £25, acquired a criminal record.

His horrified parents found it hard to talk to him about the problem; their anxiety all too often turned attempts at discussion into shouting matches. They took the view that Simon should face up to life's diffi­culties as they had done when young.

Simon promised never to touch drugs again—but after he won a place at a London sixth-form college, he soon made contact with local pushers. He did so badly in his A levels that university was out of the question. He began drifting through life, taking short-lived reporting jobs on local newspapers and trying just about every drug, from Valium and amphetamines to LSD and even heroin. But cocaine became the main love of his life. "I never forgot the first 'high' it gave me. From then on it was as if I was forever chasing that wonderful buzz of total euphoria."

As he came to rely on cocaine, his life spiralled into nightmare. "I kept telling myself that I was just a 'recre­ational' user. But I spent more and more time behind closed curtains in my flat, gripped by loneliness, fear and paranoia. Yet I was terrified of giving up the drug that seemed to help me cope with those feelings."

At 25, realizing at last that he could no longer ignore the problem, he sought help from a group therapy programme. Now drug-free and try­ing to make a living as a freelance writer, he concludes: "My addiction wasted my time, money and oppor­tunities. Understanding that was a major step towards recovery." Thousands of other young people risk going down the same route as Simon Foster.

Report of Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence.

A 1993 report by the Institute for the Study of Drug De­pendence estimated that by the age of 20, up to one person in three has tried drugs, mainly cannabis. About one in ten—around half a million young­sters—are thought to have tried amphetamines; another half-million are believed to use Ecstasy regularly. In 1992, there were 2,754 under-17s convicted for possessing drugs—a 264 per cent increase since 1988.

Children are trying drugs earlier and earlier. An annual countrywide summary of the experience of chil­dren aged 11 to 15, by Exeter University, found that in 1992 the percentage at each age that had used drugs had almost doubled since 1990.

In December 1992, Scarborough police charged or cautioned 26 chil­dren between 12 and 16 about use of LSD. In Dorset, police arrested chil­dren of 12 and 13 for possession of LSD and Ecstasy.