Physical+and+Mental+Side+Effects

= How does drugs and alcohol effect a students ability to succeed in school? = = Hallie Reardon =


 * NEWSPAPER ARTICLE**

PARKER-POPE, TARA., (2011). Marijuana Use in High School. //The New York Times.// Retrieved from []


 * SUMMARY:** This article Marijuana Use In High School by Tara Parker Pope states that 40 percent of high school students have tried marijuana. The ratio of drug use between girls is higher than the ratio of usage and guys. Students in high school whose grades were a B to a C or lower were most likely to use drugs and those students who participate in extra curricular activities are proven to less likely be part of the drug crowd. Studies showed that Caucasian girls were at the highest risk for marijuana use along with African American boys. Many other activities can associate with the use of drugs, such as abusing alcohol, fighting, smoking cigarettes and more. Some students who come from single parent homes are also more likely to use marijuana than those who come from a household with both parents.


 * OPINION:** When it comes to this article, I do believe that children who come from single parent homes are more likely to take part in drugs and alcohol then those whom don't. Also, students who are part of a school sport or extracurricular activities usually do not have enough time to take part in drugs. Their life consists of school, practice, homework, etc. They have no time to smoke marijuana or binge drink. Honestly, I was surprised that 40% of high school students have tried marijuana. Overall, I believe this information to be reasonable.


 * ERIC SUMMARY ARTICLE**

Clark, Heddy Kovach; Ringwalt, Chris L.; Shamblen R.; Hanley, Sean M., Project SUCCESS' Effects on Substance Use-Related Attitudes and Behaviors: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Alternative High Schools. //Journal of Drug Education, v41 n1 p17-44 2011.// Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/detail?accno=EJ922688.


 * SUMMARY:**According to the ERIC article, there are many mental health illnesses that can come from the use of alcohol and drugs. Teens who engage in drinking can eventually have subclinal symptoms of alcohol dependence. Those teens are more likely to be depressed and also most likely to be antisocial. Drinking at this young age also can be associated with thoughts of suicide. Teens who use marijuana may experience hallucinations, schizophrenia and paranoia. Studies show that girls who use marijuana are more capable to suffer from anxiety and those who use marijuana daily are four times more likely for anxiety. One statistic that I found interesting was that adolescents who drink a additional drink per day are 1.5 times more likely to have breast disease two years later. Marijuana has many affects on the brain. It affects balance, coordination, reaction time and posture. This can interrupt the ability to drive, to learn, or anything that has to do with everyday life.


 * OPINION:** Learning from this article the affects drugs can have on a person should scare people from taking them. I learned many side effects that I never knew could happen before. This article stresses the negative effects drugs and alcohol can have on anybody, especially students whose brains are still developing. Most adolescents do not think about the long term affects, they only think about the present.


 * OPINION ARTICLE**

STEINBERG, PAUL., (2007). The Hangover that Lasts. //The New York Times. Opinion.// Retrieved from []


 * SUMMARY:** The opinion article The Hangover that Lasts by Paul Steinberg shows a experiment done to show the difference in actions of those who binge drink and those who don’t. Binge drinking has a lot of effects on the brain, for example the hippocampus. A lab test was done by a Doctor at the University Of North Carolina Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies. Rats were separated into two groups, those who have binged drank, and those who are sober. The two groups were put into a tub of water and had to swim until they found a platform, which they could stand on. However, once the platform was moved to another location in the tub, those rats that have drunken were confused, and continued to look for the platform at its old location. The sober rats instantly found the new location of the platform. Alcohol eats away the nerve cells and shrinks the development of the connections between the brain cells and becomes part of the neuron cell death. One part of the adolescent brain that is mostly effected would be the orbitofrontal cortex as well as cortical damage which leads to bad decision making.


 * OPINION:** I enjoyed reading this article and I also found it very interesting. I found it interesting how they used the rats as test samples and how they can relate the results from the rats to humans. I found the way they conducted the experiment to be interesting. They used a tub of water and had the rats find a platform, then the second round they put the platform in a other location that the rats were not aware of.


 * JOURNAL ARTICLE**

Henry, Kimberly L.. Academic Achievement and Adolescent Drug Use: An Examination of Reciprocal Effects and Correlated Growth Trajectories. //Journal of School Health; Jan2010, Vol. 80 Issue 1, p38-43, 6p,////1 Diagram, 1 Chart.// Retrieved from [|http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=b66dcb81-c18d-47b4-a0fb-1575fd614391%40sessionmgr111&vid=1&hid=113&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=47051045]


 * SUMMARY:** Academic Achievement and Adolescent Drug Use: An Examination of Reciprocal Effects and Correlated Growth Trajectories did a study to examine the relationship between academic achievement and drug use. In order to do this study, they surveyed 103 males and 98 female students from three different high schools. This went on for 3 years, with a total of 4 surveys. Academic achievement and drug use were extremely correlated. Without a doubt, both of these factors had an effect on one another. Those students, who showed their grades worsening, also showed a increase in drug use. Those students who succeeded in school showed that they were less likely to be involved in the use of drugs.


 * OPINION:** When reading this article, I was not surprised when they said that those students whose grades are low, associate themselves with drugs. Alcohol has many harmful effects to the brain, especially to adolescents since their brain is still growing. Once students start drinking, they get in the habit and thats all they start to care about. Their main priority is being with their friends and doing drugs and drinking tremendously, school work is not a priority. The more they drink, the less they care about their grades, their education or even attending school.


 * JOURNAL ARTICLE**

Cox, Regan G., Academic Performance and Substance Use: Findings From a State Survey of Public High School Students. //Journal of School Health; Mar2007, Vol. 77 Issue 3, p109-115.// Retrieved from [|http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=b9d2331e-cd2d-4f88-8d8c-47cc4f1f0611%40sessionmgr115&vid=1&hid=113&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=23894273]


 * SUMMARY:** Academic Performance and substance Use: Findings From a State Survey of Public High School Students investigated how students who have low academic grades are most likely to take drugs, drink, etc. This study which was taken in Mississippi, was done to compare those to succeed in school and those who do not. The Mississippi Department of Education studied students who were enrolled in grades 9-12 and whom attended public school. This study was taken in 2003, and only 34 out of the 45 schools asked to participate, participated. 1488 students took a questionnaire, which determined that males, non-Hispanic blacks, smokers, binge drinkers and marijuana users were the ones who had low academic performances. This study showed that the students in Mississippi take great advantage of cigarettes, alcohol, drugs. Mississippi is trying to approach these students and encourage them to join the students who have high academic performance.


 * OPINION:** What I liked about this article was that Mississippi school system is trying to help their students and encourage them to do good in school and forget about drinking, etc. Usually most schools would punish their students and not want to help them. Instead, they support them and give them the option to redeem themselves. Hopefully, the students take advantage and get their grades up so they can succeed!