PEOPLE WHO ABUSE chemicals are influenced by both external and internal factors. The influence of a person's friends, family, or society is a common external factor that leads to chemical dependency. Coping with an emotional need or problem, on the other hand, is an internal factor that leads people to use chemicals.

Curiosity

One such internal factor is curiosity. Curiosity is often the reason that teenagers, in particular, abuse chemicals. Since the teen years are a time in which young people are trying to ascertain who they are, teenagers are apt to experiment with new things in an effort to discover more about themselves. Experimenting with chemical substances is frequently part of this process.

In most cases, when teenagers experiment with chemicals they do so under the assumption that the chemicals will have no...