Ethical Issues on Teenage Drug Abuse in the 21st Century

“Nationwide, the drug overdose death rate has more than doubled during the past decade among people aged 12 to 25 -- rising from 3.1 deaths per 100,000 in 1999-2001 to 7.3 deaths in 2011-2013...” How do ethical dilemmas show the effect on adolescents drug abuse in the 21st century? The issue of teenage drug abuse is revealed in this essay as it is important because many teens today have been abusing the use of substances. They are abusing drugs because they are dealing with emotional or mentally things happening in their lives and just want to get away from it. This is being researched, so many people can understand how using substances can harm their body. It is important to examine the issue of teens drug abuse through an ethical lens to have a better understanding of teens being harmed and how it can lead to overdose. In the 21st century, many teens are using substances. Even though many teens are taking them, they can have many ethical dilemmas. Those dilemmas are being influenced by the music they listen to, how using drugs can harm their body, and their behavior problem.

First, music, the music industry is very popular today because they have so many types of music to listen. People today use music to match how they are feeling. Adolescents that use substances may listen to songs that contain explicit lyrics. In the article, “Is Music Too Blunt”, stated, “Could this evolution of music be causing a new generation of people who are more likely to try illicit drug, the numbers seem to say so…” This meant that the music now is causing the rate of adolescents using drugs are increasingly growing. The cause of this rate to grow is that teens are listening to artist that make the songs. With artists today, for example: Post Malone, Kanye West, Rihanna, and etc. have made songs that contains depression, drugs, and others. In the article, “Glorification of Drugs in Alt- Rap Songs Negativity Impact Teens”, talked about how many music artists create lyrics that can connect people’s feelings. It stated, “These top rappers brought real-life issues to the stage.” Schmid stated this to show that many musicians today express their feeling through music, which can lead many others to feel the same way. Most of the songs in the 21st century contain lyrics that have hardcore explicit words and that is what kids are now listening to. Rap songs can contain lyrics that have meaningful meanings that can hit teens’ feelings. In the article, “ Rap Music and Molly”, talked about how many rap music lyrics are referencing to molly. Adolescents today called meth, Molly. The article stated, “While many of these songs focus on the euphoria molly can cause, they leave out the danger it poses to the brain and the body”. This meant that if teens are getting excited for molly then the rate of adolescents who will die would increase. This may be a hot topic today, according to the text, there have been about 3.7 deaths for every 100,000 teens taking substances. Teens that are seeking help from their addiction to drugs should see a music therapist. In the article, “Music Therapy for Teens Suffering From Addiction”, talked about how there are many varieties of music are out in the world and how certain type of music can help adolescents that are abusing substances to stop. In the article, it stated “Music therapists use a variety of music-based techniques to address the needs of people dealing with a broad range of physical and mental/emotional health challenges.” This meant that many musics can help adolescents with their addiction to taking substances. Although some music can contain harsh lyrics that can put them back and parents do not want that; therefore, music therapists can help, they will choose music that is cool, calm, and collected. To conclude, music today can cause many teens to take substances that are dangerous. Some adolescents today are trying to seek help for their addiction, but it is hard to stop because they have the urge to take it. This urge can control their behavior and health.

Second, with the addition of taking substances, it can lead to health issues. About 60,000 Americans have died from a drug overdose and about ¾ of the overdose are adolescents in the age range of 15-24 years old. In the article, “President Donald J. Trump is Taking Action to Stop Youth Opioid Abuse” talked about how people should make ads to help others to stop harming their body with substances. The text started, “It is estimated that more than 2 million Americans will suffer from addiction to prescription or illicit opioid in 2018.” This means the increase of many Americans is getting severely addicted to taking drugs that can kill them. Many adolescents are harming their body without thinking about what they are putting into them. In the article, “More Kids Sickened by Pot, Officials Say”, talked about how numbers of calls to the poison control center have exposed that marijuana has steadily grown over the years. The text stated, “Emergency room physicians also are seeing an uptick in underage patients with the health concern caused by marijuana injection...” Many kids are getting sick because they might have gotten into someone stash of substances and it is dangerous for kids. Doctors fear that the side effects of marijuana when trying to stop is a huge risk. In the article, “The Teenage Brain on Weed”, talked about how Savoie, a patient at the hospital, is seeking help to stop their addiction. It stated, “But after five years of heavy use, Savoie noticed his short-term memory was starting to fray.” Heavy use of substances like smoking marijuana can lead to many problems like how Savoie got short-term memory. When it comes to drugs, it will most likely damage their brain cells and cause behavior issues.

Third, teen drug abuse causes behavior issue. Drugs causes people to have uncontrolled behavior, temporary euphoria, and etc. In the article, “Risky Motor Vehicle Behaviors Among Rhode Island High School Student”, stated “...current marijuana use, having felt sad/hopeless for 2 or more consecutive weeks...” This meant marijuana has already taken over teens’ body by making them more addicted to the substances than before. Adolescents can have a hard time recovering from their addiction. In the text, “Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction”, stated, “Adolescents who abuse drugs often act out, do poorly academically, and drop out of school.” This means that teens today are failing classes and quitting school. Drugs can control their brain that will lead them to do harmful things. Do people choose this path for them to harm themselves? In the article, “Smart, Young, and Addicted”, stated, “ ‘Is it a choice, or is it a disease’ by Thomas Brophy...” Brophy said this to show that teens made a choice to take substances and there are consequences or effect in taking. To conclude, when teens act like they are being disrespectful or etc. then it is either they are on drug or taking them. Adults should be aware that adolescents are taking it.

In conclusion, teen using drugs have many issues in the 21st century. Using drugs have many problems like their behaviors and health. Some people are influenced by listening to music that contains substances use, suicide, and etc. If this issue continued, children that are younger than them would see them use substances and will copy them and start. If children start than the population will decrease and the rate of overdose would accelerate highly. That is why we should stop this.

Work Cited

• Bellum, Sara. “Rap Music and Molly.” ​NIDA for Teens​, 9 Apr. 2013, teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/rap-music-and-molly.
• Castaldo, Joe. 'The Teenage Brain on Weed.'​ Maclean's​, Jan. 2018​. SIRS Issues Researcher​, https://sks-sirs-com.ezproxy.library.nashville.org.
• 'Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction.'​ Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction​, Feb. 2007, pp. 1-30​. SIRS Government Reporter​, https://sks-sirs-com.ezproxy.library.nashville.org​.
• Jackson, Tracy L., and MPH Tara Cooper. 'Risky Motor Vehicle Behaviors among Rhode Island High School Students.'​ Rhode Island Medical Journal​, 2018, pp. p. 47-50​. SIRS Issues Researcher​,​ ​https://sks-sirs-com.ezproxy.library.nashville.org
• Lord, Rich. 'Smart, Young & Addicted.'​ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette​, 25 Mar. 2018, pp. A-1​. SIRS Issues Researcher​, https://sks-sirs-com.ezproxy.library.nashville.org.
• McGreevy, Patrick. 'More Kids Sickened by Pot, Officials Say.'​ Los Angeles Times​, 14 Jul. 2018, pp. B.1​. SIRS Issues Researcher​, https://sks-sirs-com.ezproxy.library.nashville.org.
• “Music Therapy for Teens Suffering From Addiction.” ​The Right Step​, The Right Step, 23 Feb. 2017, www.rightstep.com/teen-drug-addiction/music-therapy-teens-suffering-addiction-right-step/
• 'President Donald J. Trump is Taking Action to Stop Youth Opioid Abuse.'​ WHITE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE​, 07 Jun. 2018​. SIRS Government Reporter​, https://sks-sirs-com.ezproxy.library.nashville.org.
• Redding, Ryan. 'Is Music Too Blunt?'​ University Wire​, 28 Sep. 2017​. SIRS Issues Researcher​, https://sks-sirs-com.ezproxy.library.nashville.org.
• Schmid, Danielle. 'Glorification of Drugs in Alt-Rap Songs Negatively Impacts Teens.' University Wire​, 17 Jul. 2018, pp. n/a​. SIRS Issues. Researcher​,https://sks-sirs-com.ezproxy.library.nashville.org.
• Thompson, Dennis. “Drug Overdose Rates Soaring Among U.S. Youth.” Consumer HealthDay, 19 Nov. 2015, consumer.healthday.com/general-health-information-16/drug-abuse-news-210/drug-overdose-rates-soaring-among-u-s-youth-705469.html.