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Benchmark- Substance Abuse Prevention Among Adolescents
Reflective Critique
Mxxxy Coxxxn
Grand Canyon University
Psy 352/ Health Psychology
Professor Konpka
04/19/2025
, 2
Substance Abuse Prevention Among Adolescents
This year I lost three people I cared about to drug abuse. All three of these wonderful
people were exposed to substance abuse at young ages. Substance abuse prevention is a serious
concern especially among adolescents given the lasting impact that early exposure to drugs and
alcohol can have on developing brains and lives. Adolescence is a period of heightened
emotions making this group extremely vulnerable and susceptible to engaging in substance use.
The prevalence of substance abuse among youth is a complex issue. Substance abuse within the
youth group has higher rates of mental and physical illnesses (CDC, 2024). While trends in
substance use can fluctuate, statistics consistently demonstrate that a large portion of youth
experiment with alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. This highlights the urgent need for prevention
strategies to help support healthy development of adolescents (Free AI Paragraph Rewriter,
n.d.). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that overdose deaths have increased
94% among those aged 14-18 years old (Tanz et al., 2022).
History and Prevention Plans
As early as 1880 laudanum and morphine were a cure all and sold in any emporium with
out a prescription, they were an essential ingredient in many products such as cough syrup and
teething medication (Pascual, 2021). In 1914 the United States Congress passed the first federal
law criminalizing the use of nonmedical use of opium and cocaine called the Harrison Narcotics
Tax Act (Ashraf, 2011). This was to address the drug epidemic that our country was facing. At
the end of the 1940’s heroin uses among inner city youth became a national problem. In the
1960’s there were prodrug advocates selling the youth on the possible positive experiences
associated with the use of narcotics (Mandel & Feldman, 1986). In 1971 President Richard
Benchmark- Substance Abuse Prevention Among Adolescents
Reflective Critique
Mxxxy Coxxxn
Grand Canyon University
Psy 352/ Health Psychology
Professor Konpka
04/19/2025
, 2
Substance Abuse Prevention Among Adolescents
This year I lost three people I cared about to drug abuse. All three of these wonderful
people were exposed to substance abuse at young ages. Substance abuse prevention is a serious
concern especially among adolescents given the lasting impact that early exposure to drugs and
alcohol can have on developing brains and lives. Adolescence is a period of heightened
emotions making this group extremely vulnerable and susceptible to engaging in substance use.
The prevalence of substance abuse among youth is a complex issue. Substance abuse within the
youth group has higher rates of mental and physical illnesses (CDC, 2024). While trends in
substance use can fluctuate, statistics consistently demonstrate that a large portion of youth
experiment with alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. This highlights the urgent need for prevention
strategies to help support healthy development of adolescents (Free AI Paragraph Rewriter,
n.d.). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that overdose deaths have increased
94% among those aged 14-18 years old (Tanz et al., 2022).
History and Prevention Plans
As early as 1880 laudanum and morphine were a cure all and sold in any emporium with
out a prescription, they were an essential ingredient in many products such as cough syrup and
teething medication (Pascual, 2021). In 1914 the United States Congress passed the first federal
law criminalizing the use of nonmedical use of opium and cocaine called the Harrison Narcotics
Tax Act (Ashraf, 2011). This was to address the drug epidemic that our country was facing. At
the end of the 1940’s heroin uses among inner city youth became a national problem. In the
1960’s there were prodrug advocates selling the youth on the possible positive experiences
associated with the use of narcotics (Mandel & Feldman, 1986). In 1971 President Richard
