Risky behaviors

of adolescents
What is Adolescents?
-It is a transitional stage of physical and
psychological development that
generally occurs during the period from
puberty to adulthood. Adolescence is
usually associated with the teenegae
years, but its physical, psychological or
cultural expressions may begin earlier
and end later.
 Majority of the youth mature successfully through adolescence without
apparent long term problems. All adolescents should be considerd at
risk due to the prevalence of risk behaviors. Risk taking is a normal part
of adolescent development it is defined as participation in potentially
healt comprising activities with little understanding of, or in spite of an
understanding of, the possible negative consequences.

 Adolecents experiment with new behaviors as they explore their

emerging identity and independence. During adolescence, young people
begin to explore alternative behaviors including smoking, drinking
alcohol, drug use, sexual intimacy, and violence. The department of
health, in its adolescent and Youth Health Policy (2002), has identified
the following health risks: substance use, premarital sex, early abortion,
HIV/AIDS, violence, accidents, malnutrition, and mental health.
TROUBLE SIGNS among TEENS:
 sexual promiscuity;
 regular use of drugs and alcohol;
 repeated violation of the law or school regulations ;
 running away more than once in three months;
 skipping school more than once in three months;
 aggressive outburst/impulsiveness;
 dark drawings or writings;
 deterioration of hygiene;
 oppositional behavior;
 refusal to work/non-compliance;
 chronic lateness;
 falling asleep in class;
 changes in physical appearance; and
 excessive daydreaming.
Harmful practices
Culture and tradition play a significant
role in shaping the way young people
and adolescents behave and lead their
lives. However, young people have
become victims of some harmful
traditional practices, which affect their
human and reproductive rights. These
practices differ from place to place but
primarily affect women.
Marijuana
1. Marijuana (also know as Cannabis,
Grass, Joint, Splif, Hashish, Pot,
Weed). One of the most common drug
of the world. Marijuana is a plant grown
and used worldwide. Canabis refer s to
a group of plants with psychoactive
properties, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis
indica, and Cannabis ruperalis.
Cannabis usually consume for its
relaxing and calming effects. In some
states, it is also precribed to help with a
range of medical conditions, including
chronic pain, glaucoma, and poor
appetite. Countries that have legalized
recreational of use of cannabis are
Canada, Georgia, Malta, Mexico, South
Africa, and Uruguay, plus 19 states, 2
territories, and the district of Columbia
in the united states and the Capital
Territory in Australia.
Effects of Marijuana:
 Potential adverse effects of using marijuana
include impairment of long term memory, gum
disease, increased risk of cancer of the mouth,
jaw, tongue, and lung; and impairment of
immune system. Some studies suggested that
long term of using marijuana may decreased
testosterone levels, decreased sperm counts,
and increased sperm abnormalities in male
users. Heavy marijuana use during pregnancy
may cause impaired fetal gworth and
development.
Mairungi
2. Mairungi (also know as Khat, Qat, and
Mirraa). Is a plant that containts
stimulats similar to amphetamines and
traditionally chewed the leaves and stem
by people in East African countries as a
recreational drug to elevate mood (as a
euporiant). As a medicine, Khaf leaf is
used for is used for diabetes, muscle
strength, to lower the need for the food
and sleep, and to imcrease aggression,
but there is no good scientific evidence
to support these uses. Chewing Mairungi
can help someone feel more awake,
confident, and energetic and can also
reduce hunger. In fact, many students
use it when “cramming” for exams.
 The World Health Organization(WHO) lists
Khat as a drug that creates “dependence” in
people, meaning it produces a continuing
desire to keep using it. It is banned in countries
like the US and Canada. However, it is legal in
some European countires. Khat is used by
many people from East Africa and Yemen.

 Effects: Negative effects include sleeplessness,

anxiety, aggressive behavior, and hallucinations.
Some men are unable to get an erection after they
have been chewing.
Alcohol
3. Alcohol is the most common drug
and used worldwide. Because it is
legal, often kept in home and comes
extremely cheap local brews, alcohol is
extremely easy to find and consume.
At first, alcohol causes relaxation and
people feel less self-conscious. After
more alcohol, and individual gets
drunk; reaction time slows down and
thingking straight becomes difficult.
(this is why people who are drinking
are often involved in car accidents).
Effects of Alcohol:
 Further drinking can cause slurred speech and
aggressive behavior that can lead to fights, rape,
or other kind of violence. People who consume too
much alcohol can end to vomiting, becoming
unconsciousness, or even dying. Becauseboth
young men and women often lose their inhibitions
when drinking, a girl might have unsafe sex with
someone she does know and a boy might decide
to force someone to have sex.
 Remember:when people drink, their ability to
make healthy and safe decesions is impaired.
Cigarettes
4. Cigarettes (tobaccos, cigars).
Many young people start smoking
tobacco for different reasons
including: influence of friend,
seductive advertisements, and
older role models like sibling’s or
celebrities, to mention a few.
Young people ‘cool’ thing to do,
but they become addicted to one
most addictive and dangerous
substances, Nicotine, which is an
active ingredient in tobacco.
Effects of Cigarettes:
 According to WHO (2002), tobacco is the second
major cause of death in the world. Nicotine,
which is found in tobacco products including
cigarettes, is highly addictive. The tar in
cigarettes increases a smoker’s risk of cancer,
emphysema, and bronci disorders. Inhaling
smoke passively causes lung cancer in adults
and greatly increases the risk of respiratory
illness in children.
Cocaine
5. Cocaine( also know as Crack, Coke,
C, Charlie, Nose candy, toot, Bazooka,
Big, C, Cake, Lady, Stardust, Coco,
Flake, Mister coffee). It is a stimulants
drug obtained from the leaves of two
Coca species to South America,
Erythroxylum coca and Erythroxylum
novogranatense. The drug may be
snorted, heated until sublimated and
then inhaled, kr dissolved and injected
into vein. As cocaine also has numbing
and blood vessel constriction properties,
it is occasionally use during surgery on
the throat or inside of the nose to control
pain, bleeding, and vocal cord spasm.
Effects of Cocaine
 Cocaine stimulates the reward pathway in the brain. Mental
effects may include an intense feeling of happiness, sexual
arousal, loss of contact with reality, or agitation. Physical
effects may include a fast heart rate, sweating, and dilated
pupils. High doses can result in high body temperature.
Effecst begin within seconds to minutes of use and last
between five and ninety minutes. Excessive doses my lead
to convulsions, seizures, strokes, cerebral hemorrhage or
heart failure. Long term effects of using cocaine/cracks
including destroying nose tissues, reportorial problems, and
weight lose.
Heroine
6. Heroine (also known as Hammer,
Horse, H, Junk, Nod, Smack, Skag,
White, Beige, White lady, White stuff,
Joy powder boy, Hairy, Harry, and Joy
powder). It is a drug that obtained from
morphine and comes from the opium
poppy plant. Heroine is a drug that
slows down the user’s body and mind.
It is very strong painkiller and can be
one of dangerous things to mix with
other drug. Heroine usually comes in a
rock or powdered form, which is
generally white or pink/beige in color
and could also come in dark
grey/medium brown. Heroin can be
injected, snorted, smoke, or inhaled.
Effects of Heroine
 When ejected, heroine provides an extremely powerful
rush and a high that usually last for between four to six
hours. The effects of heroine include a feeling of well
being, relief from pain, physical and psychological
dependence, something nausea and vomiting,
sleepiness, loss of balance, loss of concentration, and
lose of appetite. An overdose can result in death. One of
the most dangerous effects of injecting heroine is the
increased possibility of contracting AIDS. A lot of the
time, people who inject heroine use each other’s
needles, and this is the main source of infections.
Studies have also shown that people who are “high” on
drugs tend to have unprotected sex. This too, puts the
person at risk of getting HIV.
Amphetamines
7. Amphetamines (also know as Speed, Ice,
Browns, Footballs, Hearts, Oranges, Wake
ups, Black beauties, Crystal meth, Crack
meth, Cat, Jeff amp, Dexies, Rippers,
Bennies, Browns, Greenies, Pep pills).
Amphetamines are stimulants that affects a
person system by speeding up the activity of
the brain and givind energy. Ice is a strong
type of amphetamines and is very similar to
Crack. Amphetamines are man made drugs
and relatively easy to make. Usually, they
are white or light brown powder and can also
come the form of pill. “Ice” usually comes as
colourless crystals or as a colourless liquid
when used for injecting. It can swallowed,
snorted, injected, or smoked.
Effects of Amphetamines
 Amphetamines can cause an increase in
heart beat, faster breathing, increase
blood pressure and body temperature,
sweating, make the person more
confident and alert, give him/her extra
energy, reduce appetite, make it difficult
to sleep, and might make the abuser talk
more.
Ecstacy
8. Ecstacy (also know as Adam,
Essence, MDM, MDMA, XTC, Eve,
MDE, MDEA). Like amphetamines,
ecstacy is also a synthetic (or man
made) drug. Ecstacy is usually a small,
coloured tablet. These pills can come in
many different colours. Some ecstacy
tablets have picture on them, such as
doves, rabbits, or champagne bottles.
The colour or the “brand” of the tablet is
usually unrelated to the effects of the
drug. Ecstacy tablets are usually
swallowed.
Effects of Ecstacy
A person using ecstacy will probably feel happy,
warm, loving and more energetic. He/she would
feel emotionally close to others, and might say
or do things that he/she would not. Nausea and
vomiting, rise in blood pressure and heart rate,
possibly even death due to overheating of the
body, and dehydration or loss of water are some
effects of ecstasy. There is mounting evidence
that prolonged ecstasy use can lead to brain
and liver damaged.
Inhalants and solvents
9. Inhalants and solvents are chemicals
that can be inhaled, such as glue,
gasoline, aerosol sprays, lighter fluid, etc.
These are not drugs as such and are, in
fact, legally available form a large number
of shops. However, they are abused
widely by the poorer section of society,
particularly street youth. Inhalants can
look like almost anything (glue, paint
thinner, gasoline, lighter fuel, cleaning
fluids, etc). They usually comes in tubes
or battles. Often, the chemical is placed in
the bottom of a cup or container and then,
placed over the nose and mouth.
Effects of Inhalants and Solvent
 Inhalants may give the user a “high” for every
brief period of time. They make him/her feel numb
for a short period of time, dizzy, confused, and
drowsy. They can also cause headaches,
nausea, fainting, accelerated hearthbeat,
disorientation and hallucinations. They can
damage the lungs, kidney, and liver in the long
term. They can also cause suffocation,
convulsions, and comas.
Tips to Avoid Drugs:
 You do not need to take
drugs to be liked by other
people.
 You do not need to take
drugs to feel brave or
courageous.
 You do not need drugs to
cope with sorrow and
disappointments.
 You have, inside you, the
strength and inner
resources to deal with anh
situation and any problem.
“Whatever problem you are facing, there
are people available and willing to help
you”.

“You can talk to a friend, a teacher, a

parent, or trusted person at your church
or mosque”.