Adolescent Involvement in Alcohol and Drug Use

Macken defines a drug in scientific terms "as any substance other than food which by its chemical nature affects the structure or function of a living organism". (Macken 1975:7). There are a wide range of synthetic and organic materials that can be labelled drugs. Such materials would include alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, the opiates and also the hundreds of medicines to be found in chemist shops. Our society is a drug taking society, that is a pill for every ill. There are drugs for sleeping, headaches, stomach ailments, almost everything really. When young children see drugs being so openly used there is no wonder, they will experiment with more illicit drugs. Although illicit drugs are frowned upon, a blind eye may be turned on alcohol or the usage of prescribed drugs. Alcohol in fact is a substance which is used greatly among adolescents and it may lead to the use of more illicit drugs.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

masters

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

National University of Ireland Maynooth

Year dc:date.issued

1998

Author dc:creator

• Ruane, Deirdre

• Sociology

Language dc:language

en