“One of the dilemmas facing parents, teachers, and schools is how to convince teenagers that this is a real problem without resorting to scare tactics. We know from the past that this methodology for changing behavior and reducing risk behavior isn’t effective and probably never has been” (Philip 159).

Philip, R. (2006). This is your brain on…Understanding and curbing adolescent substance abuse. In Engaging ‘tweens and teens: A brain-compatible approach to reaching middle and high school students (pp. 157-174). California: Corwin Press.

I completely agree with this statement and think that scare tactics do not accomplish anything in preventing adolescents from trying illegal substances. Students will undoubtedly be very swayed by peer pressure and will oftentimes decide to engage with substance abuse because of these social interactions. As I move forward with my teaching, I want to think of better ways to discuss these issues with students.

Something that has been troubling me for the past few years has been the striking increase in the number of college students using Adderall to study for class and tests. I feel like the academic pressures in our society have risen so much that many students feel that they need to resort to measures like using Adderall to meet these rigorous demands. In my opinion, more efforts need to be made by the administration of different schools to curb this trend.