PROBLEMS FACED

BY A TEENAGER
 PREVALENCE
Data collected by the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows that between the years of 2007 and 2011, marijuana
use grew from 5.7% to 7.2% among 8th grade students; among 10th grade students, from 14.2% to 17.6%; and
among 12th grader.
The finding of the study show that more males than females began smoking when they were in primary and high
schools whereas most females started smoking after high school
Different drug habits often relate to one another in a highly significant manner. It has been demonstrated that
adolescents who drink at least to some degree may be as much as sixteen times more likely than non-drinkers to
experiment with illicit drugs
The heightened usage of ecstasy most likely ties in at least to some degree with the rising popularity of rave culture
 FACTORS
Social influence
Peer acceptance and social norms gain a significantly greater hand in directing behavior at the onset of adolescence; as
such, the alcohol and illegal drug habits of teens tend to be shaped largely by the substance use of friends and other
classmates .
social influences on alcohol use and marijuana use tend to work directly in the short term, peer and friend norms on
smoking cigarettes in middle school have a profound effect on one's own likelihood to smoke cigarettes well into high
school.

Demographic factors
Surveys conducted in Argentina, Hong Kong, and Canada have each indicated the most common reason for drinking
among adolescents to relate to pleasure and recreation; 80% of Argentinian teens reported drinking for enjoyment,while
only 7% drank to improve a bad mood
On the other hand, drinking to cope with negative emotional states correlates strongly with high neuroticism and low
agreeableness
Peer pressure (or social pressure)

It is influence on observers, or an individual who get encouraged to follow others by changing their attitudes, values,
or behaviors to conform to those of the influencing group or individual.
Social groups affected include both membership groups, in which individuals are "formally" members (such as political
parties and trade unions), and cliques in which membership is not clearly defined
One may also recognize dissociative groups, with which one wishes to avoid associating, and thus behave counter to that
group's norms.
Peers become an important influence on behavior during adolescence, and peer pressure has been called a hallmark of
adolescent experience.
Negative peer pressure can have negative consequences such as Drugs,Alcohol ,Fighting
 Advantages of peer pressure

Students who learn with smarter classmates tend to perform better academically themselves
It teaches flexibility teens who are eager to fit in will turn on a dime as needed
A 2011 study from the University of Buffalo showed that friends influence how much a kid eats. Individuals are influenced
by the eating and activity norms set by those around them.
An upside to worrying so much about what peers think is that it helps kids develop a greater awareness of their own
feelings, which in turn improves their social skills. Its through interaction with others that you can learn most easily what
its like to be someone else.
Theres no doubt that peers can make each other more aggressive, but they can also make each other smarter and
happier,.