Teen Drug Overdose And Suicide - 2856 Words

The city of Plano, Texas, recently earned a spot at the top of Forbes‘s list of â€Å"safest places† to live in the United States. Its early efforts at chasing the top prize, however, were part of a cocktail of ignorance and poor judgment that had deadly consequences for Plano’s teenagers. Plano only earned its long-sought distinction after overcoming the fallout from highly publicized episodes of teen drug overdose and suicide in the 1980s and 90s. During the 1990s, scientists at the National Institute of Health detected a nationwide rise in heroin use (Biederman). The spike was seen not only in large, urban environments, where it was perhaps not unprecedented, but also in small towns and more affluent suburbs. Plano, an affluent, newer suburb twenty miles north of Dallas, was not immune. It witnessed heroin’s devastating impact firsthand in Plano’s children, particularly those in high school. Between 1996 and 1998, heroin overdoses were the cause o f 18 deaths in Plano’s young residents. But because Plano was one of the richest cities in Texas and was still recovering from the cultural backlash of cluster suicides in the 1980s, its civic and business leaders and to some extent the police tried to obfuscate the city’s heroin problem rather than confront it directly. It paid a high price for these tactics, and it took Plano decades to rebound from the fallout. The drug at the heart of the Plano teen overdoses was chiva, a Mexican produced black tar heroin that was cheap andShow MoreRelatedSleep1333 Words   |  6 Pagesmedicine which were use to heal the body. Not all people know the full background of narcotics. Narcotics have a huge impact in America society such as, addictions, crime, and death. Narcotics are a billion dollar underground industry of drug trafficking. Drugs journeyed from being a medical cure for many ailments to a highly dangerous and often abused substance today. Narcotics play a major role in many aspects of this country. The word narcotic, arrives from the Greek word for stupor, whichRead MoreEssay about Correlation Between Drug Use and Suicide717 Words   |  3 PagesCorrelation Between Drug Use and Suicide   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Americas on-going drug abuse epidemic continues into this millenium, and there are many social problems linked to drug use, including suicide. The disparity of daily life in suburbs or the inner cities are why many people have fallen into their reliance on drugs, including alcohol. Patros and Shamoo (1989) describe the abuse of drugs and alcohol as a slow form of suicide. But many drug abusers choose to end their life before drugs have time to claimRead MoreDrug Drugs And Its Effects On The United States1392 Words   |  6 Pages In the United States every year the percentage of deaths related to overdose increases drastically. Heroin is one of the top drugs in the United States used and cause of overdose. There are numerous types of heroin that is being sold on the streets because of different things however I’m talking about heroin in general. This drug has become a nationwide problem and is affecting many families and friendships who have loved addicted to or using heroin. Once addictions get too bad friends and familyRead MoreEssay about Teen Suicide916 Words   |  4 Pagesthose daily hassles, serious problems can develop within the teen that can ultimately lead to resulting effects including depression or even suicide. Suicide in teens is one of the most traumatic and problematic issues that we face today in not only adults but many adolescents as well. Today suicide is one of the top causes for death in teenagers, out shadowed only by homicides and accidents. Some of the top â€Å"accidents† include drug overdoses, single-car accidents, self-inflicted gunshot wounds, fallsRead MoreTeen Suicide Essay1320 Words   |  6 PagesEnglish Language Arts 09 November 2017 Teen/Adult Suicides Suicides in the United States have increased in the last year has increased by 9%. The Problems With Suicide/ Percent of Deaths With Suicide In 1980 nearly 27,000 people took their own lives, making suicide the 10th most common cause of death. 57 percent of the cases of suicide in the United States involved firearms. In 2015 Suicide had been marked the second leading cause of death from ages 10-24. Suicide has been a major health problem in theRead MoreTeen Suicide Essay881 Words   |  4 PagesTeen Suicide Suicide is a growing problem in American culture. Sadly, teens are affected the most. Teen suicide is increasing rapidly. â€Å"About 5,000 teens in the United States kill themselves each year† (Peacock, 4). Suicide among teens is a serious and devastating crisis. More teens are taking their lives today than ever before. Teen suicide does not affect one specific type of teen; it affects any type of teen. There are a variety of reasons teens resort to committing suicide. Many people are workingRead MoreAntidepressants for Teens: To Be or Not To Be? Essay1546 Words   |  7 PagesEven though antidepressants serve as a temporary relief for teens with depression, they should not be considered an effective treatment to cure depression due to the side effects, risk of addiction, and increase thoughts of suicide. â€Å"Teen depression is a serious condition that affects emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Issues such as peer pressure, academic expectations, and changing bodies can br ing a lot of ups and downs for teens† (Mayo Clinic). Depression does not discriminate; no matter whatRead MoreCyberbullying Is When A Person Or Group Of People Harass Another Individual916 Words   |  4 PagesTherefore, substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, or illegal drugs can be available to a teen who has had enough of the bullying and wants to find a means of escape from all of the hate. Alcohol can lead to alcohol poisoning or if a teen is being bullied because they became pregnant it can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome. Also, if a teen gets into any type of drugs such as prescription or illegal street drugs it can lead to an overdose. The teen can have the effects of either hospitalization orRead MoreYouth Drug Use And Addiction1677 Words   |  7 PagesYouth Drug Use and Addiction Youth in the United States face challenges every day, some more than others. These challenges can be difficult to navigate and can leave these young people finding alternative ways to cope with the stress that accompanies these challenges. According to CBS News reports a recent survey indicates approximately two million teens between the ages of 12 and 17 currently need treatment for a substance abuse problem, but only about 150,000 get the help they need. This highRead MoreClinical Depression: The Hopelessness Diaease1146 Words   |  5 Pagesaffects, and these could lead to teen suicide. However, sometimes the sadness or loneliness persists, or gets worse, despite all attempts to snap out of it. Tears or anger come easily and the simplest tasks seem difficult. Such feelings can be signs of clinical depression, which is the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder among teens and adults. If left untreated, it can lead to serious behavioral, emotional, and physical problems, and sometimes even suicide. A persistently sad mood Feeling