SOME THINK IT'S OKAY TO EXPERIMENT
Section: News
By: HEDY KHOO
Publication: The New Paper 03/06/2007
Page: 10,11
No. of words: 976

Synopsis: This article basically voice out the perspectives of teenagers on alcohol and drug abuse, with many insisting that it is not such a big issue. Some says that they just wanted to try out, out of curiosity. This article also shares students’ experiences in underage drinking and smoking, and how others have managed to abstain from drug and alcohol abuse.


I was completely shocked at the comments and perspectives that these teenagers give regarding issues with alcohol, smoking and drugs. Even though I have seen teenagers abusing alcohol and drugs at the void decks pretty often, I have never thought through as to why they do so.

In my opinion, what the society must face several questions. Why do these teenagers drink and smoke, what are the causes, what are the implications, and what are the solutions?

The implications can be very severe. Alcohol, cigarettes and drugs are detrimental to health, endangering the lives of the teenagers and even the lives of others. They will lose control of their own emotions and might turn to stealing. They will face serious consequences if caught, especially with repeated abuse.

Teenagers abusing drugs, alcohol and smoking can be influenced by the media, such as television and movies. Their parents’ attitude towards drinking and smoking also determines the attitudes of their children.

Hence, these teenagers do not see drugs and alcohol as something new, probably due to these few causes. What’s appalling to me is the fact that they do not see the reason why the government makes such a big fuss over the abuse of alcohol and drugs, mainly because they are not aware of the implications.

I believe there are many reasons why teenagers turn to drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. Witnessing family conflicts or family violence and other personal problems at home can make them feel rejected and lonely. A loved one passing away can also make them distraught and at a loss, turning to alcohol and drugs to alleviate their sorrows. Lack of parental support, monitoring and communication is probably also related to cases of drinking and smoking. Academic failure in school can be one of the causes, especially when the teenager takes his academic results too seriously.

However, I believe the main factor is peer pressure. The teenagers in our society are lured into trying out alcohol and drugs for the first time to see how it tastes or feels like, out of curiosity. Unfortunately, after their first few tries, they are addicted to the drugs, and no longer see them as a big deal. This can be seen when the press interviews some teenagers, and a few of them admits to drinking and smoking, yet brush off the incident, thinking that its not a big deal.

In my opinion, the only solution to drug abuse is family or individual counseling, to find the underlying reason as to why the teenager takes such a desperate action. Advice and support from a health care professional also is also an effective way of combating his addictive behavior.
Even though these teenagers have their own reasons for turning to drugs and we should empathize with them, I think there are no valid reasons to turn to drugs to solve their sorrows or problems, unknowingly endangering their lives in the process.