Ways To Prevent Teenagers From Smoking And Drinking Alcohol

Juvenile Delinquency

Juvenile delinquency is one of the serious problems society is facing today. It has been a persistent concern for decades. There have been a lot of studies relating the causes of delinquency, yet little research exists the experiences that the juveniles, themselves lived (Donges W., 2015). Juvenile delinquents are minors, usually defined as being between the ages of 10 and 18, who have committed some act that violates the law. These acts are not called “crimes” as they would be for adults. Rather, crimes committed by minors are called “delinquent acts.” Instead of a trial, the juvenile has an “adjudication,” after which she receives a “disposition” and a sentence. However, juvenile proceedings differ from adult proceedings in a number of ways (Find Law, 2018).

Delinquency itself is a social inadequate adjustment on the part of the individual to difficult situations (Bridges K. 2001). Some factors that are linked to juvenile delinquency are: the lack of supervision of parents (Mowen, T., 2018), the children’s school experience (Hirschfield, P., 2018), violence in their home and social circles, peer pressure, and many more (Baysingerlaw, 2018).

Kids may also choose to be delinquents because they believe they have a little chance of becoming successful life. In the long run, delinquents view criminal acts such as drug dealing and car theft as their ticket to a better life; in the short run, delinquency can provide them with cash for bling (Siegel L. & Welsh B, 2017)

During adolescence, teenagers indulge to try a range of behaviors risky to their health including smoking, drinking, and the use of soft drugs to satisfy their sense of adventure (Kleinjan, Marloes, Engels & Rutger, 2014). In this generation, it is apparent that teenagers indulge in delinquent activities such as smoking and drinking alcohol. The Philippines is a common example of this phenomenon. (Youth and Tobacco in the Western Pacific Region, n.d.).

According to Youth and Tobacco in the Western Pacific Region (2016), more than one in every eight Filipino aged 13–15 years old have been found to be puffing tobacco products, according to the Youth and Tobacco in the Western Pacific Region: Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) 2005-2014 report of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Drinking alcoholic beverages beyond one’s capacity to the point of intoxication is a risky behavior in which most young people get involved at some time. On average, Filipino youth start drinking alcohol at the age of 16 or 17. It is also said that there are many cases when children as young as 12 years old are already drinking alcoholic beverage in the Philippines (Valbuena, J., 2008).

Smoking tabacco and excessive alcohol intake are the first and third most lethal risk factors affecting health in the United States (Mokdad A., Marks J., Stroup D. & Gerberding J., 2004). According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2004) each year, approximately 1.5 million people become everyday cigarette smokers and a large majority of these individuals are adolescents and minors in the U. S.

Smoking

Smoking is the inhalation of the smoke of burning tobacco encased in cigarettes, pipes, and cigars (The American Health Dictionary, 2007). Cigarette smoking remains the number one preventable cause of death. It is well known that tobacco use increases the risk for contracting a variety of diseases and health conditions (Canadian Paediatric Society, 2016). The tobacco epidemic is one of the largest public health threats that the world has ever faced, killing more than seven million people a year. Smoking is the number one cause for a person to have lung cancer. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017), smoking causes 90% (or nine out of 10 persons) of all lung cancer deaths and also more women die from lung cancer each year than from breast cancer.

Addiction is a major health effect and it is the common effect to all forms of tobacco. It contributes to tobacco-caused death and disease (Matthew H., R., David S., Jack H., 2018). According to the Felman A. (2018), the drug that is primarily responsible for a person’s addiction is Nicotine. Cigarettes are intentionally designed by tobacco companies to have enough nicotine to create and sustain addiction. Studies about the effects of nicotine to a teenager conclude, that the impacts of early smoking initiation on the developing teenage brain have shown that nicotine induces persistent changes in neural connectivity in several brain areas all of which are involved with emotion regulation.

On the study of Waldron, Ingrid, Lye & Diane (1988) shows that teenagers who have less educated parents and teenagers with lower academic aspirations are more likely than their peers to smoke. Teenagers tend to adopt the doings of their parents whether it be good or bad, this is why teenagers whose parents are smoking are more likely to smoke because of it.

Public Health England (2015), have studied that, one solution to lessen smoking cigarettes or tobacco is to use E-cigarettes. They are 95% less harmful to your health than normal cigarettes. These provide the sensation of smoking cigarette with less health risk problems. Golberg, Marvin, Gomm & Gerald (1982), have also stated that, teenage cigarette smokers in anti-smoking campaigns may help in preventing teenagers on their bad habit of smoking if the involvement of teenagers who smoke is increased in participating in these seminars. Teenagers in these seminars tend to not listen at all. But with the help of other teenagers who want to stop smoking cigarette may inspire the youth to change for the betterment. Late adolescent teenagers may cut down their own smoking if they are involved in efforts to change the smoking behavior of younger adolescent teenagers. This shows that an anti smoking campaign that are being held in the school curriculum. might be effective in changing the smoking behavior of teenagers.

Additionally, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence (2008) have stated that medical combinations and counseling increases long term quit rates . Along with a long term use of 14 weeks of using nicotine gum or nicotine nasal spray, also called as nicotine patch, increases the long term quit rates by 26-32% . Funding and encouraging research on the effects of tobacco use in youth and into smoking prevention and cessation interventions by the government, can provide confidential confidential access to/and coverage for smoking therapies. This includes provincial/territorial medication of health plans that are beneficial to teenagers (Radha J. , 2007).

Drinking Alcohol

Drinking alcohol in the other hand is a depressant, meaning it slows down vital functions resulting in inaudible speech, unsteady movement, disturbed perceptions, and the inability to react quickly (DrugFreeWorld, 2018.). Alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways, and can affect the way the brain looks and works. These disturbances can change the mood and behavior of a person, thus making it harder to think clearly and move with coordination.

Alcohol plays a significant role in intentional injuries as a result of aggression and violence. Alcohol has been linked to physical violence by a variety of research studies (Buddy T., 2018).

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (n.d.) that heavy drinking takes a toll on the heart, liver, pancreas, and with the extended intake of it would lead to cancer.

Better Health Channel (n.d) said that young people usually use alcohol or booze. The misuse of alcohol can result to binge drinking, drink driving, and unsafe sex. Intensive drinking over a short period of time with the idea of becoming drunk is called binge drinking. Alcohol can poison the brain as it is a neurotoxin. Excessive alcohol intake can interfere the vitamin B absorption that can affect the brain from working properly. People under the age of 25 can affect the developing brain with the misuse of alcohol. People at 15 years of age are especially at risk. The affected areas are associated with addiction, motivation, and impulse control.

There have been a lot of approaches have been developed and studied that aimed to prevent underage drinking. Some approaches are school based, involving curricula targeted at preventing alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana use. Other approaches are extracurricular, offering activities outside of school in the form of social or life skills training or alternative activities.

In some prevention programs, there are strategies that try to include adolescents’ families. One strategy that was implemented was the policy strategies; that have lessened the social and commercial access of adolescents’ to alcohol, intensified the minimum legal drinking age, and minimized the economic accessibility of alcohol (Komro K. & Toomey T., 2002). If the teenagers involved in the program are pleased to change themselves then these approaches are more likely to work. And having standards with legal drinking age will help in preventing teenagers from drinking alcohol. Additionally, Quit Alcohol (2013) added that, one strategy that can help lessen and quit drinking is altering alcohol to a grape diet. It is verified that grapes aid in cleansing and fixing any impairment caused by alcohol and also reduce cravings. Eating grapes three times a day with the combination of Multivitamins intake can help to quit drinking.

In this study, the researchers aim to determine the effective ways on how to preclude teenagers in indulging themselves in doing irresponsible acts such as smoking and drinking alcohol at their early age. Information that will surely be significant to the government, for this qualitative research might vastly help the rehabilitation of the teenagers who indulge in the said delinquent activities.As studied and recommended by Harvey, J., & Chadi, N. (2016), legislate bans on smoking for all school and public properties should be administered by the school staffs and public sector workers. As linked by The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2007), people shall help young adults recognize that ‘doing drugs’ like smoking and drinking alcohol is detrimental and can tragically impact their lives.

Research problems

Generally the researchers intend to determine effective ways to prevent teenagers from smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. Specifically, the researchers intend to answer the following questions 1) Does smoking cigarettes affect the academic performance of the respondents? 2) Does drinking alcohol affect the academic performance of the respondents? 3) Does the social status of the respondents affect why the teenagers smoke cigarettes? 4) Does the social status of the respondents affect why the teenagers drink alcohol?

References

Journals

1. Bridges K. (2001). Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. Northwestern University School of Law Scholarly Commons, 531 v17. Retrieved from: https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2038&context=jclc
2. Donges, W. (2015). Journal of Correctional Education. Correctional Education Association, v66 n2 p75-90. Retrieved from: http://ceanational.org/journal
3. Hirschfield, P. (2018). Future of Children, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and The Brookings Institution. Princeton Bookings, v28 n1 p11-35. Retrieved from: http://futureofchildren.org/
4. Kleinjan, Marloes, Engels & Rutger (2014). New Directions for Youth Development, Wiley Periodicals. WILEY, n141 p15-32. Retrieved from: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA
5. Mowen, T. (2018). Youth & Society. SAGE Publications,v50 n2 p139-159. Retrieved from: http://sagepub.com
6. Radha J. (2017). Tobacco use and misuse among Indigenous children and youth in Canada. Paediatrics & Child Health. Volume 22, Issue 7 Pages 395–399. Retrieved from :https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/pxx124
7. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence (2008). A Clinical Practice Guideline for Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update. U.S. Public Health Service report, 35(2), 158-76. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4465757/

Internet Sources

1. “Better Health Channel” (n.d). Alcohol and Teenagers. VICTORIA. Retrieved from:https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/alcohol-teenagers
2. Buddy, T. (2018). The Impact of Alcoholism on Society. Very Well Mind. Retrieved from:https://www.verywellmind.com/impact-on-society-63268
3. Canadian Paediatric Society. (2016). Preventing smoking in children and adolescents: Recommendations for practice and policy. Pediatrics & child health. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4934164/
4. “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” (2017) Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm
5. “Drug free world “ (2018). The Truth About Alcohol. Foundation for a Drug-Free World. Retrieved from:https://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/alcohol.html
6. “FindLaw” (2018). Juvenile Delinquents. Juvenile Delinquency. Thomson Reuters.. Retrieved from: https://criminal.findlaw.com/juvenile-justice/juvenile-delinquents.html
7. Komro K. & Toomey T. (2002). Strategies to Prevent Underage Drinking. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse. Retrieved from:https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh26-1/5-14.html
8. Matthew H., R., David S. & Jack H. (2018).Smoking.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/smoking-tobacco
9. Mokdad A., Marks J., Stroup D. & Gerberding J. (2004). Actual causes of death in the United States, 2000. Division of Adult and Community Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15010446
10. Felman A. (2018). Everything you need to know about nicotine. Medical News Today. Retrieved from:https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/240820.php
11. “National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism” (n.d). Alcohol’s effect on the Body. NIIAA. Retrieved from:https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/alcohols-effects-body
12. “Public Health England” (2015). Independent expert e-cigarettes evidence review. Gov.uk. Retrieved from: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/phe-publishes-independent-expert-e-cigarettes-evidence-review
13. “Quit Alcohol” (2013). The How To’s – 5 Ways to Quit Drinking Alcohol. Quit Alcohol. Retrieved from: https://www.quitalcohol.com/sobriety/the-how-tos-5-ways-to-quit-drinking-alcohol.html
14. Seigel L. & Welsh B. (2017). Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and Law. Cengage Learning. Retrieved from: https://books.google.com.ph/books/about/Juvenile_Delinquency_Theory_Practice_and.html?id=DuAhDgAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y
15. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2004) . Overview of Findings from the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Office of Applied Studies; Rockville, MD. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2431150/
16. TheAmerican Health Dictionary (2007). Smoking. The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary. Retrieved from: https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/smoking
17. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2007). The Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking: A Guide to Action for Communities. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General. Retrieved from: https://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calls/underage-drinking-community-guide.pdf
18. Valbuena, J. (2008). Alcohol and media: The situation in the
19. Philippines. Health Action Information Network, The Philippines. Retrieved from: http://apapaonline.org/data/National_Data/Philippines/Alcohol_Media_Philippines.pdf
20. Waldron, Ingrid, Lye & Diane (1988). Relationships of Teenage Smoking to Educational
21. Aspirations and Parents’ Education.96th, Atlanta,GA. Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED305537.pdf
22. Youth and Tobacco in the Western Pacific Region (2016). 14% of Filipino Youth found smoking. SunStar Philippines. Retrieved from: https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/82944