Peer Influence and Adolescent Substance Abuse: a promising side?

Summary The reasons as to why individuals engage in substance abuse remain varied and in most instances multiple. Drug‐taking adults commonly refer to childhood and adolescence as the time when they first tried drugs. Preventing substance abuse among the young has constantly proved to be a trying task. Although drug education is still in abundant use, it proved to be of very little effect, but there are certain areas that hold some promise. This paper examines the influence of peer group on initiating and maintaining drug‐taking behaviour among the young and looks at the possibility of a positive use of such influence.