Drug czar presentation

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Drug Use and Delinquency

CHAPTER OUTLINE

FREQUENTLY ABUSED DRUGS Marijuana and Hashish Cocaine Heroin Alcohol Other Drug Categories

DRUG USE TODAY The Monitoring the Future (MTF) Survey The PRIDE Survey Are the Survey Results Accurate?

WHY DO YOUTHS TAKE DRUGS? Social Disorganization Peer Pressure Family Factors Genetic Factors Emotional Problems Problem Behavior Syndrome Rational Choice

PATHWAYS TO DRUG ABUSE Focus on Delinquency: Problem Behaviors and Substance Abuse Adolescents Who Distribute Small Amounts of Drugs Adolescents Who Frequently Sell Drugs Teenage Drug Dealers Who Commit Other Delinquent Acts Losers and Burnouts Persistent Offenders

DRUG USE AND DELINQUENCY Drugs and Chronic Offending Explaining Drug Use and Delinquency What Does This Mean to Me? Reducing Drug Activity

DRUG CONTROL STRATEGIES Law Enforcement Efforts Education Strategies Preventing and Treating Delinquency: Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Community Strategies Treatment Strategies

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

After reading this chapter you should:

1. Know which are the drugs most frequently abused by American youth.

2. Understand the extent of the drug problem among American youth today.

3. Be able to discuss how teenage drug use in this country has changed over time.

4. Know the main explanations for why youths take drugs.

5. Recognize the different behavior patterns of drug-involved youths.

6. Understand the relationship between drug use and delinquency.

7. Be familiar with the major drug- control strategies.

8. Be able to argue the pros and cons of government using different drug-control strategies.

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There is little question that adolescent substance abuse and its association with delinquency are vexing problems. Almost every town, village, and city in the United States has confronted some type of teenage substance abuse problem. Nor is the United States alone in experiencing this. In the United Kingdom, one out of eight high school students reports having used illicit drugs (other than marijuana) at least once, and in Denmark 85 percent of high school students report using alcohol in the past month. South Africa reports an increase in teen cocaine and heroin abuse, and Thailand has a serious heroin and methamphetamine problem.1

Self-report surveys indicate that more than half of high school seniors have tried drugs and almost 80 percent have used alcohol.2 Adolescents at high risk for drug abuse often come from the most impoverished communities and experience a multitude of problems, including school failure and family conflict.3 Equally troubling is the associa- tion between drug use and crime.4 Research indicates that 10 percent of all juvenile male arrestees in some cities test positive for cocaine.5 Self-report surveys show that drug abusers are more likely to become delinquents than are nonabusers.6 The pattern of drug use and crime makes teenage substance abuse a key national concern.

FREQUENTLY ABUSED DRUGS A wide variety of substances referred to as drugs are used by teenagers. Some are addicting, others not. Some create hallucinations, others cause a depressed stupor, and a few give an immediate uplift. In this section we will identify the most widely used substances and discuss their effects. All of these drugs can be abused, and be- cause of the danger they present, many have been banned from private use. Others are available legally only with a physician’s supervision, and a few are available to adults but prohibited for children.

Marijuana and Hashish Commonly called “pot” or “grass,” marijuana is produced from the leaves of Cannabis sativa. Hashish (hash) is a concentrated form of cannabis made from unadulterated

Surveys indicate that more than half of all

high school–age kids have used drugs.Al-

though this is a troubling statistic, these

surveys also show that teen drug use is

down from five and ten years ago. Many

programs have been implemented over

the years to help children and teens avoid

taking drugs, such as educating them

about the dangers of drug use and devel-

oping skills to “Just Say No.” Some of

these programs take place in the school

and the community, and some involve po-

lice and other juvenile justice agencies.

But what role can families play in helping

to prevent teen drug use? A study by the

Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse

suggests that parents can play an impor-

tant role. The study found that teens

whose parents set down rules about what

they can watch and listen to, care about

how they are doing at school, and gener-

ally take an active interest in their lives

are the least likely group to use drugs. In

contrast, teens with hands-off parents

were found to be more likely to try drugs.

VIEW THE CNN VIDEO CLIP OF THIS

STORY AND ANSWER RELATED CRITICAL

THINKING QUESTIONS ON YOUR JUVENILE

DELINQUENCY: THE CORE 2E CD.

The Lindesmith Center is one of the leading independent drug policy institutes in the United States. View its Web site by clicking on Web Links under the Chapter Resources at http://cj.wadsworth.com/ siegel_ jdcore2e.h

tt p :

substance abuse Using drugs or alcohol in such a way as to cause physical harm to oneself.

hashish A concentrated form of cannabis made from unadulterated resin from the female cannabis plant.

Juvenile Delinquency: The Core COPYRIGHT © 2005 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc

resin from the female plant. The main active ingredient in both marijuana and hashish is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a mild hallucinogen. Marijuana is the drug most commonly used by teenagers.

Smoking large amounts of pot or hash can cause dis- tortions in auditory and visual perception, even produc- ing hallucinatory effects. Small doses produce an early excitement (“high”) that gives way to drowsiness. Pot use is also related to decreased activity, overestimation of time and space, and increased food consumption. When the user is alone, marijuana produces a dreamy state. In a group, users become giddy and lose perspective.

Marijuana is not physically addicting, but its long-term effects have been the subject of much debate. During the 1970s, it was reported that smoking pot caused a variety of physical and mental problems, including brain damage and mental illness. Although the dangers of pot and hash may have been overstated, use of these drugs does present some health risks, including an increased risk of lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, and other diseases. Prospective parents should avoid smoking marijuana because it lowers sperm counts in male users and females experience disrupted ovulation and a greater chance of miscarriage.7

Cocaine Cocaine is an alkaloid derivative of the coca plant. When first isolated in 1860, it was considered a medicinal break- through that could relieve fatigue, depression, and other symptoms, and it quickly became a staple of patent medi- cines. When its addictive qualities and dangerous side effects became apparent, its use was controlled by the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.

Cocaine is the most powerful natural stimulant. Its use produces euphoria, rest- lessness, and excitement. Overdoses can cause delirium, violent manic behavior, and possible respiratory failure. The drug can be sniffed, or “snorted,” into the nostrils, or it can be injected. The immediate feeling of euphoria, or “rush,” is short-lived, and heavy users may snort coke as often as every ten minutes. Another dangerous practice is “speedballing”—injecting a mixture of cocaine and heroin.

Crack is processed street cocaine. Its manufacture involves using ammonia or baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to remove the hydrochlorides and create a crys- talline form of cocaine that can be smoked. In fact, crack gets its name from the fact that the sodium bicarbonate often emits a crackling sound when the substance is smoked. Also referred to as “rock,”“gravel,” and “roxanne,” crack gained popularity in the mid-1980s. It is relatively inexpensive, can provide a powerful high, and is highly addictive psychologically.

Heroin Narcotic drugs have the ability to produce insensibility to pain and to free the mind of anxiety and emotion. Users experience relief from fear and apprehension, release of tension, and elevation of spirits. This short period of euphoria is followed by a period of apathy, during which users become drowsy and may nod off. Heroin, the most commonly used narcotic in the United States, is produced from opium, a drug derived from the opium poppy flower. Dealers cut the drug with neutral substances (sugar or lactose), and street heroin is often only 1 to 4 percent pure.

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Marijuana is the drug most commonly used by teenagers. Surveys suggest that marijuana use among high school students is much lower today than it was during its peak in the mid-1990s.

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marijuana The dried leaves of the cannabis plant.

cocaine A powerful natural stimulant derived from the coca plant.

crack A highly addictive crystalline form of cocaine containing remnants of hydrochloride and sodium bicar- bonate; it makes a crackling sound when smoked.

Juvenile Delinquency: The Core COPYRIGHT © 2005 Wadsworth, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc

Heroin is probably the most dangerous commonly abused drug. Users rapidly build up a tolerance for it, fueling the need for increased doses to obtain the desired effect. At first heroin is usually sniffed or snorted; as tolerance builds, it is “skin popped” (shot into skin, but not into a vein); and finally it is injected into a vein, or “mainlined.”8 Through this progressive use, the user becomes an addict—a person with an overpowering physical and psychological need to continue taking a particu- lar substance by any means possible. If addicts cannot get enough heroin to satisfy their habit, they will suffer withdrawal symptoms, which include irritability, depres- sion, extreme nervousness, and nausea.

Alcohol Alcohol remains the drug of choice for most teenagers. More than 70 percent of high school seniors reported using alcohol in the past year, and 78 percent say they have tried it at some time during their lifetime; by the twelfth grade just under two-thirds (62 percent) of American youth report that they have “been drunk.”9 More than twenty million Americans are estimated to be problem drinkers, and at least half of these are alcoholics.

Alcohol may be a factor in nearly half of all murders, suicides, and accidental deaths.10 Alcohol-related deaths number one hundred thousand a year, far more than all other illegal drugs combined. Just over 1.4 million drivers are arrested each year for driving under the influence (including 13,400 teen drivers), and around 1.2 million more are arrested for other alcohol-related violations.11 The economic cost is stagger- ing. An estimated $185 billion is lost each year, including $36 billion from premature deaths, $88 billion in reduced work effort, and $19 billion arising from short- and long-term medical problems.12

Considering these problems, why do so many youths drink to excess? Youths who use alcohol report that it reduces tension, enhances pleasure, improves social skills, and transforms experiences for the better.13 Although these reactions may follow the limited use of alcohol, alcohol in higher doses acts as a depressant. Long- term use has been linked with depression and physical ailments ranging from heart disease to cirrhosis of the liver. Many teens also think drinking stirs their romantic urges, but scientific evidence indicates that alcohol decreases sexual response.14

Other Drug Categories Other drug categories include anesthetic drugs, inhalants, sedatives and barbiturates, tranquilizers, hallucinogens, stimulants, steroids, designer drugs, and cigarettes.

Anesthetic Drugs Anesthetic drugs are central nervous system (CNS) de- pressants. Local anesthetics block nervous system transmissions; general anesthetics act on the brain to produce loss of sensation, stupor, or unconsciousness. The most widely abused anesthetic drug is phencyclidine (PCP), known as “angel dust.” Angel dust can be sprayed on marijuana or other leaves and smoked, drunk, or injected. Originally developed as an animal tranquilizer, PCP creates hallucinations and a spaced-out feeling that causes heavy users to engage in violent acts. The effects of PCP can last up to two days, and the danger of overdose is high.

Inhalants Some youths inhale vapors from lighter fluid, paint thinner, cleaning fluid, or model airplane glue to reach a drowsy, dizzy state that is sometimes accom- panied by hallucinations. Inhalants produce a short-term euphoria followed by a period of disorientation, slurred speech, and drowsiness. Amyl nitrite (“poppers”) is a commonly used volatile liquid packaged in capsule form that is inhaled when the capsule is broken open.