Substance Abuse

Substance Abuse (Link 1 2 & 3)

• What risks are associated with substance abuse?
Substance abuse often results in physical & mental  health damage, ruined relationships, increased illegal activity, slowed progression in school, work, & other activities, and communities and neighborhoods are endangered.

• What does Figure 1 graph show?
For link 1 it shows that the primary substances abused for older adolescents (15-17 years) are marijuana, alcohol, and stimulants/other drugs. In link 2 it showed that about 40% of adolescents perceived great risk from binging on alcohol and low alcohol binging rates.

• Were these results surprising to you? Why or why not?
I think it surprised me a little to know that so many teens thought that binging alcohol brought great risk, because so many teens take part of substance abuse.

• Why do you think males are more likely to abuse marijuana than females? (Link 2)
Because less percentage of men adolescents perceive great risk from taking marijuana than girls.

• At what age would you think most teens are likely to have their first illegal substance use?
In link 1 it said that over half of teens first took drugs when they were 14 or younger and didn't really do substance abuse until they were 15 or older.

• What does Figure 3 say?
On link 1 it says the ages at which teens first took drugs, with 14 years-old being the highest and age 17 the lowest. But it also says that some kids 9 years or younger was when they first took drugs.

• Are you surprised by this? Why or why not?
I was a little surprised that even 12 year-olds were affected by the pressure or surrounded by other drug abusers so much that they took it themselves. I was even more surprised to see that for some of them their first drug usage was when they were kids. It surprised me because I didn't think that kids would consider taking drugs; that they were too innocent to think about it.

BMR

BMR— Basal Metabolic Rate:

• Define BMR.

An estimate on how much calories you burn per day with just normal everyday activity without accounting additional exercise or the amount of calorie intake you had that day. 

• What is your estimated BMR?

1551.9

• What does this information mean to you?

It just tells me my current calorie burn with regular everyday life and I can use it to my advantage for my health. 

• What does BMR not take into account?

It doesn't account additional exercise, your calorie intake currently, or the specific composition of your body. 

• How can you use this information?

It means that when I eat I can eat as many as 1550 calories if I want to maintain my weight, or eat less calories to lose weight. Or I could do additional exercise and still eat 1550 calories or more, depending on the extra exercise I do.