Voted Most Popular (Abused) Drug in High School

As the school year draws to a close and final tests are either in session or over with, high school students turn their attention from grades to graduation. Drug use has often been associated with the high school persona in the media. Unfortunately, across the country high school students are falling victim to these temptations and leading themselves down a very dangerous path of substance abuse.

The number one drug that seems to put a large amount of high school students at risk is marijuana. Students can come into contact with this fairly easy these days — either through friends or any of the parties that take place at the end of the year. This type of substance abuse exposure can be dangerous to youths because it seems harmless and doesn’t seem to have any negative side effects right away, but can open the flood gates to addiction to much harder substances later in life. 

Another drug that is very popular within the high school scene is amphetamine. Amphetamines are a synthetic, addictive, mood-altering drug — used illegally as a stimulant and legally as a prescription drug to treat children with ADHD and adults with narcolepsy. The use of these substances can lead to heavy substance abuse because they can have hidden addictive qualities. Although they may be initially used just to get the “high,” many people are unaware of how addictive the contents may be if used improperly.

Finally, another major class of drugs that is causing severe substance abuse problems with teenagers is prescription drugs such as Adderall. Adderall is a drug commonly prescribed to those that suffer from attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. This drug helps people with ADHD calm their minds and focus on a single given task. However, the abuse of this drug comes when students who do not have a prescription for it use it to calm down and focus for things like tests and essays, giving them the equivalent of a high. Along with Adderall, there are many other prescription drugs that are being abused by teenagers — including painkillers, which also have highly addictive and dangerous qualities if abused. 

The abuse of these substances can have long lasting negative effects on a teenager’s developing brain. Evidence has shown that exposure to these types of substances can cause addiction and heavier drug use in the future. It is important that drug programs in schools are utilized to their full potential and the awareness of this type of drug abuse is given the attention that it needs.

Tyler Davis is a health writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Odyssey House. Follow on Twitter.