subject: Long Term Damage to Teenagers Using Hallucinogens - Teenagers Drug Abuse by:Adam Rise [print this page] LSD, psilocybin and PCP are popular hallucinogens being consumed by teens. The availability of these drugs thrive in places considered as "metropolitan" areas. Hallucinogens may also be bought by teens at raves or dance clubs. The Internet may also serve as a great venue for teens that want to purchase hallucinogenic drugs. They can easily place their order and the drugs will be delivered, or shall we say smuggled, a few days or weeks after.
The effects of drugs on the body are not limited only to the brain, but also to the rest of the body. The immune system is weakened and increases the probability of succumbing to disease. There is also long term damage to the brain after the initial high has faded, often lasting up to four weeks in the user.
The aforementioned effects on the brain will linger long after the drug has been taken, and a few examples of what could happen is an increased likelihood of accidents because of impaired judgment and perception. Because the brain's pleasure center is also opened for long periods during the high period, repeated use of the drug causes depletion of the brain's pleasure chemicals, and leads to anxiety, and foremost among the effects, depression.
Reduced intellectual ability, motor skills and coordination, and social abilities are also part of the long-term effects of drugs. This is why drug addicts are more likely to be absent from work, and miss out on their social well being, as well as being withdrawn into themselves. In other words, they may be there physically, but not quite mentally.
Given the extent of the damage dealt to these persons, it's no wonder that these drugs are a danger to your children, and may affect the course of their lives as well. What should be done for the children's sake is education on the negative effects of these drugs, not only the short-term down periods but also the long-term effects on users. Another thing that should be shown is how these drugs' negative effects largely offset the short-term pleasure derived from their use.
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Keep your child away from drugs, and steer him or her in a more positive direction. Drugs ruin lives.
