Early De-Addiction of Drugs in Teens may Not Affect Life Quality

Future life success of teens doesn’t get affected with drug use when stopped early-on as per a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Addiction Research & Theory. The study tracked more than 2,350 children in Australia over 16 years to shed new light on the consequences of teen drug-taking. Moreover, the study also demonstrated the importance of stopping drug use in early adulthood so that adult health and wellbeing are not compromised.

“Adolescent behaviour problems predict drug use at 21 years, and drug use and life success at 30 years. But teenage drug use or disorders don’t appear to predict life success in adulthood among those who’ve ceased taking drugs before the age of 30. What seems to best predict low life success outcomes is the persistence (over a longer course of time) of cannabis and amphetamine use. Our findings linking problem behaviour and school problems in adolescence with drug use and life success represent an opportunity for policymakers to alter the young person’s life trajectory,” says Professor Jake Najman from the University of Queensland, Australia.

The proportion at age 21 who reported problematic drugs was 19% for cannabis, a very small proportion (0.7%) for amphetamines, and 3% for those using both drugs. Of these, the issues persisted at age 30 for more than a third (36%) taking cannabis and 60% of those on cannabis and amphetamines.

The study affirms that further interventions are needed to prevent the persistence of drug use into adulthood which is strongly linked to lower life success.

Source-Medindia