ISC>APPLICATIONS OF BIOLOGY>6. ADOLESCENT ISSUES
The scope- Adolescent issues (alcoholism and drugs – reasons for addiction and its effects on health); |
|
ADOLESCENT ISSUES
Every adolescent boy or girl is prone to exposures that ultimately are retained as perceptions in their minds to form their behavioural patterns.
These perceptions are mainly due to failure in understanding the anatomical, morphological and psychological changes expected during adolescence. Such perceptions can be anything in the range of studies, sex, society, married life, career, religion, politics, or any relevant subject. The problems of adolescence can be grouped as-
|
|
Morphological / Developmental Problems
- over growth of hair or undergrowth of hair
- over weight and underweight
- skin colour problems
- Facial deformities, pimples, etc.
- Limb deformities
- Abnormal growth of genitals and breasts.
- Ignorance about many basic facts leads to psychological problems like
- Misconceptions about sexual feelings, sex related issues.
- Misconceptions about child birth, reproduction.
- Misconceptions about coitus, menstrual cycles.
- Fear about sex and sexual issues.
- Guilt feeling about sex related issues.
- Inferiority / Superiority complex about skin colour, beauty, mental ability and IQ.
- Inexplicable perceptions about dress and fashion codes.
- Wrong and unrealistic ideologies about friendship and courtship.
- Perceptional or communicational or preconceived complications about their teachers and parents.
- Attraction towards opposite sex.
- Unrealistic and illogical curiosity about sex and sex related issues.
- Exceptional vulnerability to suicide psychology.
- Anticipated unemployment and insecurity due to unemployment.
- Unwarranted and inexplicable hatredness towards brother / sisters, friends.
- Intense closeness with brothers / sisters, friends.
- Unpredictable and volatile relationships with friends.
- Unrealistic social perceptions about violence, love, sex as influenced by media.
- Unusually vulnerable and volatile relations with relatives.
- Fear / imagination about married life, life partners.
- Tensions of attending the classes, examinations and tests.
- Low IQ feeling.
- Fear about failure in examination.
- Fear about low score.
- Fear and concern about a future career.
- Misconceptions about teachers.
DRUGS AND DRUG ADDICTION
Drug is a substance other than food which when ingested alters the body function for the benefit of the person.
Drugs can be classified into three categories- Therapeutic drugs- Drugs that are used for treating or curing a disease. Antibiotics, therapeutics antacids etc are therapeutic drugs. Supplementary drugs- Substances like vitamins and hormones that are essential for normal health. Psychoactive or additive drugs- Substances that modify the biological, psychological or social behaviour of a person by altering the activity of the nervous system are called psychoactive drugs. These can be in the form of stimulants that excite the brain or depressants thjat slow down the activity of brain. Some drugs also act as sedatives whereas some others can be hallucinogenic. |
|
Addiction- the physical and mental dependence on a substance is called addiction. Dependence can be in smoking, alcohol or drugs. Addiction causes a state when body requires continuous presence of a substance. A person who becomes dependent on drugs is called an addict.
EFFECTS OF DRUG ADDICTION
The excessive use of such drugs not only produces addiction or dependence but has multifarious effects on his physical and mental abilities.
- The regular use of drugs slows down reflexes and causes confusion. That is why drug addicts are more prone to accidents.
- An overdose of some of these drugs may be fatal.
- These drugs affect liver and digestive tract and cause general weakness and anaemia.
- LSD can even cause chromosomal abnormalilties in the cell nucleus and may result in the birth of abnormal children. As for example, use of thalidomide (a tranquilliser) causes flipper-shaped limbs in the foetus.
- Person using these drugs loses interest in future.
REASONS FOR DRUG ADDICTION
There are several social, economical and other reasons which may force a person to become addicted to drugs or to alcohol.
- Association with Drug Addicts: Most persons start the use of drugs as a result of association with those persons who already take drugs regularly.
- Curiosity: Often the use of drug is started just out of curiosity to know their feel. Constant description by friends of the good feeling by drug consumption creates a temptation and breaks the barrier in the youngsters.
- Family History: If the elder persons in the family take drugs, their children also get on to that habit.
- Excitement and Adventure: The feeling of excitement and adventure enjoyed by the use of drugs often makes young people take to drugs.
- To overcome Frustations & Depressions: Certain persons take drugs to get temporary solace or relief from their personal problems and depression to forget oneself for the time being.
- Drug Addiction in school children or collegiates is more often to get rid of feeling of insecurity and loneliness. Such children often do not get full affection and appreciation.
- Looking for Different World: Certain people presume that drugs open a new world of perception and nearness to God.
- Desire to do More Work: Stimulants increase efficiency and subside hunger. These are taken by persons who want to do more work day and night.
- Relief from Pain: Some people take drugs to get rid of pain.
ALCOHOL
Alcohol is the common term for ethyl alcohol. It's a depressant of the central nervous system and is one of the most widely used (and abused) drugs in the society.
Alcohol can be produced by fermentation of fruits, vegetables or grains by yeasts which converts the carbohydrates (sugars) of these plants to ethyl alcohol. Alcohol has an immediate effect on the body when ingested. It alters a person’s personality and affects their physical coordination. The more alcohol consumed, the greater the effect. Intake of alcohol can cause different effects in different people.Generally 20% of the alcohol ingested is absorbed into the blood through the stomach, whilst the other 80% is absorbed in the small intestine. However, when the stomach is full the passageway between the two organs narrows, trapping the alcohol in the stomach where it is absorbed more slowly. |
|
REASONS FOR ADDICTION
- Consumption of alcohol in social gatherings or as part of rituals.
- to relive social or physical discomforts.
- to get over inferiority complexes or personality problems.
- desire for excitment or for new experience.
- to escape from disappointments or failures.
- to have a feeling of independence.
- to increase appetite.
EFFECTS OF ADDICTION
EFFECTS ON INDIVIDUAL-
Short term effects-
Short term effects-
- Interferes with the communication between nerve cells, thus affects the functioning of the nervous system.
- Due to affect on the cerebral cortex, it causes problems in speech, hearing, vision and smell. As an immediate effect it removes inhibition making a person very talkative.
- Due to effect on the cerebellum, there is no coordination of muscular movement, thus leading to loss in body balance.
- There is a decrease in the release of the ADH hormone thus causing excess urination.
- Irritation in the stomach and intestinal lining that can also cause vomiting.
- Causes ‘fatty liver syndrome’ leading to liver cirrhosis.
- Gastritis in the stomach
- Continuous changes in the blood pressure can lead to heart diseases.
- Alcoholics are malnourished thus have weak immune systems with less resistance to infections.
SOCIAL IMPACT
- Basic family needs are not fulfilled as the alcoholics spend most of their income on alcohol.
- Induces corrupt practices
- Leads to increase in road accidents due to drunken driving.
- Accidents at work place like factories due to lack in concentration.
SMOKING
Cigarette smoke contains more than 4000 chemicals. Out of these, many could have various toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. The content and concentration of chemical ingredients can vary widely from one brand or type of cigarette to the next.
Almost 69 of those chemicals are known to cause cancer. Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen cyanides and ammonia are all present in cigarette smoke. Tobacco smoke is composed of-
|
COMPONENTS OF SMOKE AND EFFECTS OF SMOKING
|
Three main components of cigarette smoke that effects human health are-
|
LONG TERM EFFECTS OF SMOKING-
Other effects-
- Lung cancer- Presence of carcinogenic chemicals cause lung cancer.
- Bronchitis- chemicals inactivate the cilia causing failure to remove the phelgm and thus reducing the gaseous exchange capacity.
- Emphysema- bronchitis leads to breakdown of the alveolar wall reducing the surface area for gaseous exchange.
- Heart diseases- Nicotine constricts the blood vessels and increases the heart beat rate leading to cardiovascular diseases.
- Causes gastritic and duodenal ulcers.
- Carbon monoxide present in tobacco smoke binds with hemoglobin reducing the oxygen carrying capacity.
Other effects-
- Effects economy as the smoker spends money on cigarettes.
- Mars the personality as smoking causes staining of teeth and nails.
CHAPTER QUESTIONS
1. Discuss four problems related to adolescents.
2. What do you mean by alcoholism? How does a person become an alcoholic?
3. Discuss the reasons for drug addiction.
4. What are the effects of alcohol on the body? Discuss the short term and the long term effects.
5. What are addictive drugs? Discuss its types.
6. Give the effects of caffeine and cocaine.
7. Discuss the reasons of drug addiction in adolescents.
2. What do you mean by alcoholism? How does a person become an alcoholic?
3. Discuss the reasons for drug addiction.
4. What are the effects of alcohol on the body? Discuss the short term and the long term effects.
5. What are addictive drugs? Discuss its types.
6. Give the effects of caffeine and cocaine.
7. Discuss the reasons of drug addiction in adolescents.