The negative effects of illegal drug use Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The negative effects of illegal drug use - Essay Example Almost one-quarter of these teenagers reported that they had participated in unprotected sex as a result of drug or alcohol use. It is important to note that alcohol is a powerful drug and illegal to minors putting it into the illegal drug category with respect to teenage use. Teens 14 and under who drink or use drugs are more likely to be having sex at double the rate of those in this age group that do not. High school teenagers that use alcohol are seven times more likely to have sex than their non-drinking peers. Older teens that drink are seven times as likely to have intercourse as non-drinking teens and those that use other drugs five times as likely. Drug and alcohol using teenagers are three and five times, respectively, more likely to have multiple sexual partners (Hartge, 1999). Teenagers experience more emotional fluctuations than do younger children or an adult which explains why the suicide rate is higher in that group. Teenagers that use drugs and alcohol are more likely to attempt suicide. According to a study of teenagers that attempted suicide, alcohol and drug abuse was the most frequently shared characteristic. Of the teenagers that took their own life, 70 per cent were frequent users of drugs and/or alcohol. However, current research does not demonstrate that drug and alcohol use actually instigates suicide, just that these behaviors are connected.   Teenagers that experience emotional problems to a higher degree than others have a greater propensity to consider suicide and to use drugs. (Shaffer et al, 1996). Illegal substances most frequently linked with drug-related fatalities include opiates such as heroin, cocaine, amphetamines and barbiturates. Alcohol, particularly when used in combination with harder drugs, is also linked with drug-related deaths. Cannabis and hallucinogens (i.e.