Why Youth Take Drugs in the Book Juvenile Justice

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Drug use and Delinquency
At a young age, most people make their worst decisions based on ignorance and the desire to live now without considering tomorrow. Ironically, youths engage in drug use and delinquency without considering the long-term consequences on their lives and health (Siegel and Welsh 277). In Chapter 10 of the book Juvenile Justice, the authors paint a horror picture of the commonly abused drugs, why youths take them, and control strategies.
One reason youths take drugs, as outlined in the textbook, is social disorganization. Social imbalances such as racial discrimination, poverty, and poor self-esteem drive hopelessness among the youths, which makes them engage in drug use (278). Another reason is peer pressure, which is common among the youth. At this age, most youths have a poor sense of identity and are easily swayed by their friends’ decisions and behavior. Therefore, if one youth takes drugs, their friends will li...