Alcohol could be the True Gateway Drug
For the past several generations, pot has been dubbed the “gateway drug” that lots of kids experiment with and later go on to begin using much more dangerous substances like crack or heroin. However new research from the University of Florida has found evidence that alcohol is more seemingly the gateway drug. Most children develop an alcohol dependency long before they ever develop a serious drug addiction. This particular study was conducted at a University of Florida alcohol detox center, and it found that more than seventy two % of the drug addicts surveyed had admitted to consuming alcohol as teens, while just 43 % mentioned they used pot as children. Check out https://www.thewatershed.com/resource/florida-alcohol-detoxification/ for more information on Florida alcohol detox.
The Study
Scientists at the University of Florida used a sample size of over fourteen thousand high school seniors from 10 dozen schools in the states in order to gather all the information they utilized. The study primarily concentrated on the high school seniors who reported using drugs like crack, crystal meth, heroin and also LSD. After that it took all those individuals and evaluated what the very first drug they ever used was. More often than not it was alcohol and not marijuana that the teenager had first used.
Alcohol as a Gateway
Perhaps, the main reason why alcohol often is the first drug used by kids, is simply because it is quite easy to get ahold of. The majority of children can simply take alcohol from their parents simply by grabbing it from the fridge or liquor cabinet. When that approach is not successful, teens can still obtain alcohol by simply asking an older sibling or neighbor to buy some for them. Children are very capable of finding alcohol if they put even a little work towards it. When children start drinking at an early age, they’re more likely to move on to more serious narcotics as adults, realizing alcohol doesn’t give them the same sensation it did initially, and seeking to broaden their horizons.
Addiction and Dependence
As teens begin to experiment with alcohol at a very early age, they can easily get addicted to the substance. Alcohol affects the brain in a way that if it is abused too much, the body will build up a addiction to it and the affected individual will feel sick and have trouble sleeping if they do not have alcohol. The withdrawals are especially serious if the habit is formed from a very early age. Children are very prone to addiction to alcohol and other drugs.
As the research completed by the University of Florida alcohol detox group illustrates, alcohol is likely a more harmful drug than pot. Marijuana has always been referred to as the true gateway drug, however most kids are experimenting with alcohol long before they ever touch marijuana. Alcohol addiction can destroy a child’s life and force them to use harder narcotics like crack, heroin, crystal meth or LSD once they develop into adults. More programs really should focus on preventing childhood dependence on alcohol instead of continuing a witch hunt for teens using cannabis. Check out https://www.thewatershed.com/admissions-2/alcoholism-is-a-disease/ for more information.
