Effects+of+Drugs

THE EFFECTS OF DRUG USE ON STREET YOUTH
====**Drugs are readily available to those who choose to use them in either an ''experimental" way or to those who are chronic drug abusers.The consequence of such use, even casual use, can be devastating to both the user and to the family members.Teen drug use not only negatively effects the family, it creates an even more devastating effect on society as a whole. Youth's immature physical, emotional, and psychological development make them more susceptible than adults to the harmful effects of drug abuse.**====

THE HEALTH EFFECTS
====**THE EFFECTS ON THE YOUTH - Since teen drug use varies, depending on such factors as: frequency of use, the kind of drug taken, how much is taken, how quickly it gets into the brain, combinations of drugs taken at the same time, the differences in body size and chemistry, and other components, so do the effects on the individual. (****Schneider. 2004)**==== ====**THE EFFECT ON THE FAMILY - The use of drugs, plus its effects on mood and performance, can lead to family problems. Drug use can disrupt family life and create destructive patterns of codependency,that is the youth or whole family out of love or fear or consequencies inadvertently enables the user to continue using drugs by covering up, supplying money, or denying there is a problem. Pregnant drug users, because of the drugs themselves or poor self- care in general, bear a much higher rate of low birth-weight babies than the average. Many drugs (e.g,crack and heroin) cross the placental barrier, resulting in addicted babies who go through withdrawal soon after birth, and fatal alcohol syndrom can effect children of mothers who consume alcohol during pregnency. Pregnant youths who acquire the AIDS virus through intravenous drug use pass the virus to their infant.**==== ====**THE EFFECT ON SOCIETY- Drug related crime can disrupt neighborhoods due to violence among drug dealers,threats to residents, and the crime of the addicts themselves. In some neighborhoods youths are recruited as lookouts and helpers because of the lighter sentences given to them as juvenile offenders. Guns have become a common thing among youths. Another example of drug effect on society is what is happening in various parts of United States. US Department of Justice.(Howell, Decker. 1999) []**====

DRUG EFFECTS ON THE INDIVIDUAL
====**People who use drugs experience a wide array of physical effects other than those expected.** **The excitement of a cocaine effect, is followed by a "crash'' a period of anxiety, fatigue, depression and a strong desire to use more cocaine to alleviate the feelings of crash. Marijuana and alcohol interfere with motor control are factors in many automobile accidents. Users of marijuana and hallucinogenic drugs may experience flashbacks, unwanted recurrences of the drug's effects week or months after use. Abrupt abstinence from certain drugs result in withdrawal symptoms. Heroin withdrawal symptoms causes vomiting,muscle cramps, convulsions and delirium.** **Due to the fact that purity and chemical makeup of illegal drugs such as heroin are uncontrolled, drug overdose is a constant risk.**==== ====**With the continued use of a physically addictive drugs tolerance develops; i.e, constantly increasing amounts of drugs are needed to duplicate the initial effect. Shearing of needles to inject some drugs dramatically increases the risk of AIDS and some types of hepatitis.** **There is an risk of increased dangerous sexual activity among drug users,with prostitution and from the disinhibiting effects of some drugs.** **This also puts them into a high risk category for contracting AIDS and other sexual transmitted diseases.** **There are over 10,000 deaths directly attributable to drug use in the U.S every year; the substances most frequently involved are cocaine, heroin, and morphine, often combined with alcohol or other drugs. (US No Drugs, 2009) [|http://www.usnodrugs.com/effects-of-drug-abuse.htm]**====

**Table 2. Proportion of street youth reporting selected risk behaviours and reporting sex with partners with certain high-risk characteristics(E-SYS Quick Facts, 2008)**

 * Sexual behaviour of street youth || 2001 || 2003 ||
 * Ever had unwanted sex* (%) ||
 * **Male** || **11.0** || **12.5** ||
 * **Female** || **28.0** || **27.8** ||
 * **Overall** || **18.3** || **18.2** ||
 * Ever felt obligated to have sex (%) ||
 * **Male** ||  || **14.3** ||
 * **Female** ||  || **25.5** ||
 * **Overall** ||  || **18.5** ||
 * No condom use at last obligated sexual encounter (%) ||
 * **Male** ||  || **47.0** ||
 * **Female** ||  || **39.0** ||
 * **Overall** ||  || **44.0** ||
 * Ever traded sex (%) ||
 * **Male** || **16.5** || **14.5** ||
 * **Female** || **26.5** || **29.3** ||
 * **Overall** || **20.9** || **20.2** ||
 * No condom use at last encounter where sex was traded (%) ||
 * **Male** || **26.4** || **29.0** ||
 * **Female** || **24.5** || **10.0** ||
 * **Overall** || **25.0** || **19.0** ||
 * **Percentage of street youth reporting having had sex partners with selected risk characteristics in previous 3 months** ||
 * **Under the influence of drugs during sex** || **47.4** || **50.8** ||
 * **Had been told they had an STI** || **17.0** || **16.0** ||
 * **Had traded sex** || **7.1** || **9.5** ||
 * *** Unwanted sex is defined as having sex, but not wanting to do so, with someone in a position of authority. ||

=Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Canadian Street Youth (1999 – 2005)=

DRUG USE AND HIGH CRIME RATES
====**There are many reasons that street youth are linked to crime and illegal acts. Many drug users engage in criminal activity, such as burglary and prostitution, to raise the money to support their drug habits. Also, previous history of any type abuse plays a factor in the individuals motive for, and behaviours behind being involved in criminal activity. Issues of abuse in the family is the main cause that leads most youth to seek shelter on the street in the first place. We often learn how to behave by watching the behaviours of others, especially when referring to children and their parents. Types of abuse and other factors or reason for the relationship between street youth and crime can be found at this link to Professors Stephan W. Baron's slide presentation entitled: Why Street Youth Become Involved In Crime**. [|www.raisingtheroof.org/media/presentations/ResearchPanel3-StephenBaron.ppt]====