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Teens are far more likely to believe many drugs are safe because: they aren’t old enough to have seen the damage drugs can do; they haven’t perceived any dangers on seeing others use them; they don’t equate drug abuse with risky behavior, such as driving under the influence, or having unprotected sex (which can lead to pregnancy or the contraction of STDs like HIV); they are led by people they know and trust into a false sense of security around drugs despite the dangerous culture that surrounds many of them.
Of course "Legal" drugs, such as cigarettes and alcohol, present their own manifest dangers. Their widespread availability and highly addictive qualities, coupled with a teen’s desire to try new things, feel more ‘adult’, or fit in and surrender to peer pressure, all contribute to their added dangers to teens.
Additionally, teens who suffer from low self-esteem or from psychological issues such as depression, of teens with family members who have a history of drug abuse, are at an even greater risk for using a variety of drugs.
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