People in all Modern Societies Use Drugs | IELTS Essay Sample

People in all modern societies use drugs, but today’s youth are experimenting with both legal and illegal drugs, and at an increasingly early age. Some sociologists claim that parents and other members of society often set a bad example.
Discuss the causes and some effects of widespread drug use by young people in modern day society. Make any recommendations you feel are necessary to help fight youth drug abuse.

• You should write at least 250 words.
• You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Band 9 essay sample

Drug addiction is an alarming threat to all societies. Unlike in the past, now even teenagers are becoming addicted to drugs. According to some social scientists, substance abuse is a result of peer pressure and parental negligence. When parents fail to become a role model for their children or when they fail to give adequate attention to their children, the latter are more likely to get into bad company and develop harmful habits like drug abuse.

It is an undeniable fact that the conduct and character of parents has a direct impact on their children. If parents do drugs, their children will invariably adopt that habit from an early childhood. Parental negligence is another factor that encourages adolescents to experiment with drugs. If they do not get enough love or attention at home, they will try to find it elsewhere. Neglected children often make friends with the wrong people and develop various bad habits. Substance abuse is just one of them. Peer pressure is another factor that encourages young people to consume drugs. Humans by nature are influenced by the character of their friends. So children who are in bad company are likely to adopt the same bad habits.

Substance abuse has disastrous consequences for young people. They become irritable, confused and violent. They cannot focus on their studies. Since withdrawal symptoms are too hard to endure, teenagers who have once experimented with drugs cannot break that habit even if they are aware of the harmful consequences. It is a vicious cycle. Once they get in, there is no way they can get out.

In order to curb this menace, the government should come up with stringent laws. Anyone selling drugs to teenagers should be confined to prison for a long time. In addition, the government should launch awareness campaigns to make children realize the consequence of doing drugs. Both parents and teachers should monitor children for any change in their conduct. If they suspect that something is wrong, they should investigate it further.

To conclude, drug addiction has several harmful consequences for young people. In order to save themselves from falling into trap, teenagers must first educate themselves about the dangers of doing drugs. Parents can also help by being a good role model for their children.