Drug abuse among the youth

Different cultures all over the world have been using drugs since the dawn of civilisation, however, the problem is that now people start to use them at an increasingly younger age. This essay will discuss two instrumental causes of the trend, namely, media and the higher accessibility to the black market and suggest solutions for them through smarter restrictions and better informational security. Media is one of the most effective ways of propaganda, not least in the case of drugs. Unfortunately, scenes displaying drug use by adults can be seductive for the youth since they usually try to immitate the latter while growing up. Moreover, social media and the new private communication systems, which are extremely popular with teenagers, have granted them an easier access to the black market. Thus, after watching a documentary film about the possible possitive effects of drugs, a young man or woman can easily become interested in them and even try to obtain some by just searching on the internet. Stricter restrictions on media content and better security on in the webspace can be very effective in tackling the problem. In this way, the more vulnerable younger generation will not be exposed to the risk of drug abuse. For example, media restrictions can be imposed through an obligatory age threshold login, while a stronger digital protection will make it harder for dealers to advertise and sell their products. Drug users are becoming younger and this is a problem that needs attention on a governmental level. This trend is fostered by the higher exposure of young people to the virtual content involving drug advertisement and trade. Nevertheless, technology can also be helpful in meeting the challenge by making media and the cyberspace better controlled and protected.