Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol

Alcohol and substance abuse is a prevalent problem among youth. Effects of alcohol and substance abuse range from mental health problems like depression and suicide ideation to dating violence, to poor academic performance (Radliff, Wheaton, Robinson, & Morris, 2012). Early exposure to substance and alcohol abuse in the home may lead to an earlier instance of drug and alcohol abuse. This is because of the higher degree of availability and potential lack of parental involvement. This research paper aims to highlight the various ways in which drug and alcohol abuse affect youth from within and outside the home.

Effects of alcohol and substance abuse on high school youth

Academic failure can be one effect of substance and alcohol abuse. One study notes the lack of school commitment from youth experimenting with drugs and alcohol (Kelly et al., 2015, p. 627). The study examined gender, and substance/alcohol abuse in a 30-day period, noting continual poor academic performance when engaged in such behaviors. "Mid-adolescent polydrug use in Australia predicts subsequent school non-completion after accounting for a range of potential confounding factors. Adolescents who mainly consume alcohol are also at elevated risk of school non-completion" (Kelly et al., 2015, p. 627). Students that consumed drugs or alcohol were often late to class, did not turn in assignments on time, and would cut class or be excessively absent.

Substance and alcohol abuse may cause addiction in children. This can lead to dependency and desire to engage in such behaviors regardless of what happens around them. The study noted the lack of desire to participate in activities not related to alcohol and drugs. Drugs and alcohol can have a profound effect on a youth's relationship with school and achieving academic success. Without proper guidance, many students experiencing substance or alcohol abuse drop out of school altogether and avoid reengaging academically in the future.

Another effect from substance and alcohol abuse is the development of mental health problems. "Substance abuse is a strong risk factor for suicidal thoughts and behaviors among American high school students, with the strength of this relationship dramatically increasing with particular illicit drugs and a higher number of substances" (Wong, Zhou, Goebert, & Hishinuma, 2013, p. 1611). The authors of the 2013 study noted the higher risk of suicide among youth that experimented with a variety of drugs. Suicide ideation and depression was especially prevalent among youth stuck in cycles of addiction.

Addiction is a powerful potential effect of substance abuse that can lead youth to commit crimes and engage in risky behavior. Youth with substance abuse problems often cannot cope with the problems that arise from such behavior. When they cannot cope, they are left with feelings of despair, anger, and helplessness. These feelings may develop into long-term depression, anxiety disorder, and suicidal thoughts.

Mental health and behavioral problems are an important effect to recognize when it comes to substance abuse. While the study did not mention mental health problems specifically with alcohol abuse, the similarities in effects exist as alcohol can become an addictive behavior like drug use. Apart from mental health and behavioral problems, risk-taking behaviors can also be a consequence of engaging in drug and/or alcohol use. The study noted certain actions that led to depression and suicide ideation among adolescent drug users was fighting, stealing, and failing to form positive relationships with others.

Forming positive relationships is at the core of emotional development. Another possible effect from substance and/or alcohol abuse is sexual promiscuity. Those engaged in substance and/or alcohol abuse may participate in sexual encounters earlier than the average (Newcomb, Birkett, Corliss, & Mustanski, 2014, p. 304). Alcohol lowers inhibitions and allows youth to feel comfortable engaging in sexual behaviors versus no alcohol consumption. Substance abuse often leads to limited awareness and can place youth in situations where they are more likely to engage in sex or participate in sexual behaviors.

Alcohol and/or substance abuse may also lead to higher levels of sexual aggression. Youth may see sex as another means of escape that coupled with alcohol and/or drugs leads to a feeling of complete escape from the youth's problems. These effects however, are short-lived and can lead to increased occurrence of these behaviors. The study also noted increase drug use among bi-sexual youth (Newcomb, Birkett, Corliss, & Mustanski, 2014, p. 304). Being homosexual or bisexual in a society that may not condone it can lead to a higher level of susceptibility to drug and/or alcohol abuse.

Risky behavior does not always translate to sexual promiscuity. A possible effect of substance or alcohol use is bullying behavior. "Findings support the need for continued research into risky behaviors, such as substance use, that are correlated with bullying behavior and may contribute to an increase in negative outcomes" (Radliff, Wheaton, Robinson, & Morris, 2012, p. 569). Students bullied may lead to substance use, however, this study shows it can also cause bullying behavior in some youth. Substance use as noted by the authors, can cause higher levels of aggression which can lead to violent and hostile outbursts. Youth engaged in substance use may use drugs as a coping mechanism for mental health problems, leading to expression through bullying to deal with potential withdrawals or residual feelings.

Bullying is also shown to provide youth with another means of gaining the control and power they may be lacking because of substance use. The article notes lowered compassion and empathy among drug users. Bullies exhibit lowered compassion and empathy towards their victims seeing correlation and effect of substance use and bullying. Youth may not understand the effects of substance use and may not consider the mental health problems that arise that can lead to bullying behaviors.

Another study focused on dating violence as an effect of substance and/or alcohol abuse. The study examined females in terms of dating victimization and dating aggression. Females using cocaine or sedatives experienced more instances of dating victimization. Alcohol use caused the opposite effect, showing dating aggression among females. "...showed that among females, cocaine use and sedative/opiate use were associated with severe dating victimization and alcohol use was associated with severe dating aggression" (Epstein-Ngo et al., 2013, p. 194).

Dating victimization is part of the general effect of sexual promiscuity seen in youth with substance abuse issues. The study examined the various ways in which adolescent females were victimized noting sedatives provided a high risk of being in a sexually comprised situation. The opposite effect of alcohol was explained through higher overall rates of aggression with alcohol consumption. While alcohol consumption can lead to loss of inhibitions, the authors note it can also lead to violent and aggressive behavior.

Overall, there are many consequences to taking drugs and/or alcohol. From sexual promiscuity to poor academic performance, drugs and alcohol appear to generate strong negative reactions in youth. It is important to understand the effects of substance and/or alcohol abuse to see what can be done to help youth actively engaged in such behaviors. Without proper understanding, intervention actions will not be able to fully help and treat those suffering from substance and alcohol addiction.

The next section covers how substance and alcohol abuse affects youth at home. Specially, how parental substance and alcohol abuse has an impact on the decisions and behaviors of youth. This section will highlight such effects.

High School youth living in a home where alcohol and substance abuse is present

Parent history of addiction can lead to an increased risk for children to partake in substance and alcohol abuse as shown in this 2012 study, "The fMRI results show heightened activation in the brain motivational-reward system and reduced activation of the inhibitory control system in high-risk compared to low-risk children" (Ivanov et al., 2012, p. 128). There is a potential genetic component to it as the authors state prior substance and/or alcohol abuse can lead to more dependency among offspring. The study examines from a biological perspective how this dependency can arise. The lowered inhibition control in children's brains with parents that have a history of alcohol and/or substance use shows it can be a trait passed down to offspring that can be hardwired and difficult to control once the child engages in such behavior.

Add to that the potential early awareness of drugs and alcohol due to seeing it in the home from parental use, this can lead to earlier than expected substance and/or alcohol abuse. This then leads to the notion that parents exposing their children to drugs and alcohol early on along with passing on a potentially genetic predisposition, can lead to early use of drugs and alcohol and early states of addiction. This is a potentially cyclical occurrence than can further reinforce genetic predisposition if the children of parents involved in substance and/or alcohol abuse have children themselves. This is especially true when mothers engage in substance and or alcohol use while pregnant.

One 2013 study notes the increase risk of development of a drug disorder with children exposed to drug use in the wombs of women with substance abuse problems. The study also noted during adolescence youth developing substance use disorders when the mother uses drugs at home. "Exposure to maternal drug use disorders during adolescent years increased risk for the development of a drug use disorder in a sample of females with/without ADHD. Exposure to parental SUD during adolescence specifically increases the risk of SUD development in offspring" (Yule, Wilens, Martelon, Simon, & Biederman, 2013, p. 460). From drug use prior to giving birth and after, each shows a higher risk of SUD development in offspring.

Parents must be aware of the effects their actions have when it concerns their children. Engaging in substance use while pregnant can have a severe and negative impact on the health of the child not just from a physical standpoint, but from a mental one as the infant's brain can be affected by substance use. Even if the mother does not engage in substance abuse while pregnant, but after, the children may see the behaviors and decide to participate in substance use, mimicking their parents. Children often copy what they see and may see the drug use of their parents as an acceptable behavior.

The next article sought to understand why youth with parental alcohol use disorders were more prone to addiction than those without parental alcohol use disorders. The results demonstrated like the previous biology-related study, certain areas in the brain were more active in the children with a history of parental alcohol abuse versus those without.

Results indicate that adolescents at risk for future onset of substance use disorders show elevated responsivity of brain regions implicated in reward, extending results from 2 smaller prior studies that found that individuals with versus without parental alcohol use disorders showed greater reward region response to anticipated monetary reward and pictures of alcohol (Stice & Yokum, 2014, p. 805).

Higher than normal brain activity in the reward region explains the increased likelihood for participation in the same behaviors seen in their parents. The children of parents with alcohol and/or substance abuse disorders derive more pleasure neurologically from alcohol and/or drugs than someone with parents that do not engage in substance and/or alcohol abuse.

More research should be dedicated to potential ways of analyzing brain development in children with a genetic predisposition to alcohol and/or drug dependency. As previous studies noted the differences in behavior in relation to drug or alcohol abuse, it may be worth examining potential neurological/biological differences in the brains of children with a genetic predisposition. Genetic predisposition is not the only means of identifying higher risk of drug and/or alcohol dependency in youth. Another study examined early exposure to substance and alcohol use.

A Swedish study found children exposed to substance and alcohol use early on behaved poorly in school, experimented with drugs and alcohol at an earlier age, and experienced behavioral/mental health problems at an earlier age. (Gauffin, Vinnerljung, Fridell, Hesse, & Hjern, 2013, p. 1441). The previous section showed the effects of early use of drugs and alcohol in youth. This study showed the potential cause of early substance and alcohol use in youth. Parents exposing their children to these habits can lead to children feeling a desire to perform the same actions leading to a potential spiral into addiction and dependency.

Exposure to drug and alcohol use in the home can also lead to earlier periods of drug and alcohol use in youth due to the availability of such substances. "Childhood adversities were also associated with illicit drug opportunity, drug use and drug abuse/dependence with significant ORs for individual adversities. Having more adversities was associated with greater incremental odds of substance involvement, particularly drug use given the opportunity" (Benjet, Borges, Medina-Mora, & Mendez, 2013, p. 85). If children see drugs and alcohol in their homes and decide to try it, they may like what they feel afterward and decide to continually engage in such behavior. The authors explained that simply seeing drugs and alcohol in the home can prompt youth to engage in such behaviors, even if the child does not directly witness addicting behaviors from parents.

The study explains several reasons for such outcomes, not just availability. For instance, parents engaged in substance and alcohol use are more likely to neglect their children" (Benjet, Borges, Medina-Mora, & Mendez, 2013, p. 85). When children feel neglected by their parents they may experience mental health problems. While substance and alcohol abuse can lead to development of mental health problems, the same can be said of mental health problems leading to substance and alcohol use. Youth feeling anxious or depressed from lack of parental involvement may find escape and relief from drugs and alcohol, especially if they are easy to access in the home.

In conclusion, youth experience many problems from using drugs and alcohol. They may engage in violent and aggressive behaviors like bullying. They may experience mental health problems like depression and suicide ideation. They may even engage in sexual activities early on because of exposure to drugs and alcohol.

Parental substance and alcohol abuse can have a detrimental impact on children. They may desire to engage in substance and alcohol use due to having a genetic condition or availability of drugs and alcohol in the home. They may feel they need to escape their problems brought on by parental neglect. Whatever the case may be, experiencing substance and alcohol use in the home has been proven to have detrimental effects for youth.