Teens And Drugs - Facts

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Teens And Drugs - Facts

From Drug Free Teenagers.com

11-29-4

 

Drug use among teenagers in America has become a national

nightmare. The 1996 PRIDE (Parents' Resource Institute for Drug Education)

survey estimates that 1 in 4 high school seniors use an illicit drug once a

month; 1 in 5 use weekly; 1 in 10 use daily. Drug use among teenagers is at

it's highest level in 9 years! Drug use is responsible for a high number of

school dropouts, teen pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, crime,

suicide and death by drug overdoses. In Plano, Texas, over a dozen teenagers

have died from drug overdose. Because today's drugs are far more potent than

they were in the past, teenagers can become addicted more quickly and

overdose more easily.

 

While parents may say, " I trust my child wouldn't lie to me about

taking drugs, " the reality is, drug abusing teenagers lie.

 

How can you tell if your child is taking drugs? " A Parent's Guide

to Prevention " published by the US Department of Education says:

 

" Young people use drugs for many reasons that have to do with how

they feel about themselves, how they get along with others, and how they

live. No one factor determines who will use drugs and who will not, but here

are some things to watch for:

 

* Low grades or poor school performance

* Aggressive, rebellious behavior

* Excessive influence by peers

* Lack of parental support and guidance

* Behavior problems at an early age

 

Being alert to the sign of alcohol and other drug use requires a

keen eye. "

 

Drug Use Statistics and Legal Liabilities of Parents

 

* 60% of youngsters who use marijuana before age 15 go on to use c

ocaine.

 

* Between 1992-1995 marijuana usage among 12-17 year olds doubled.

 

* Columbia University has found that kids who smoke marijuana are

85 times more likely to use cocaine than their non-marijuana smoking peers.

 

* Average age for kids to begin experimenting with illegal

substances is 13.

 

* The potency of marijuana THC levels today is 15-20 times

stronger than marijuana in the 1970's.

 

* On average, kids found by their parents to be using drugs, have

been using for two years prior to discovery.

 

* Most medical insurance policies have a clause that allows them

to not pay a medical claim " if there is an illegal substance in the system,

or an illegal act is being performed at the time of the loss. " Parents can

be held legally responsible for those bills.

 

* Several states are enacting Parental Responsibility Laws in

which the parent is held responsible for the behavior of the child.

 

* If a child brings any amount of a controlled substance into

their parent's home or auto, the parent could have that home or auto seized

by the federal government, regardless of having no knowledge of their

child's behavior.

 

* Average cost of drug rehabilitation is $20,000-$30,000 a month,

with few medical insurers paying anything on such a claim.

 

* In 1995, 19.9% of 8th-graders have used marijuana. 34.1% of

10th-graders have used marijuana. 41.7% of 12th-graders have used marijuana

(National Institute on Drug Abuse, 5/96).

 

* In 1996, 4.4 percent of high school seniors had used crystal

methamphetamine at least once in their lives, an increase from 2.7 percent

in 1990. Data shows that 2.8 percent of seniors had used crystal

methamphetamine in 1996, more than twice the 1.3 percent reported in 1990

(National Institute on Drug Abuse, 9/97).

 

* Adolescents who smoke pot are 85 times more likely to use

cocaine than their non-pot smoking peers. 60% of youngsters who use

marijuana before they turn 15 go on to use cocaine (American Council for

Drug Education, 1997).

 

* One in five American teenagers have used inhalants to get high

(National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1996).

 

* The percentage of 12-to-17-year-olds who have ever tried heroin

has more than doubled and just as many eighth-graders as 12th-graders have

tried heroin. There were 141,000 new heroin users in 1995, and that there

has been an increasing trend in new heroin use since 1992. Estimates of use

for other age groups also increased, particularly among youths age 12 to 17:

the incidence of first-time heroin use among this age group increased

fourfold from the 1980s to 1995 (National Household Survey on Drug Abuse,

1996).

 

* In 1996, 6.5 percent of 10th-graders had tried cocaine at least

once, up from 5.0 percent in 1995. The percentage of 8th-graders who had

ever tried cocaine rose significantly from 2.3 percent in 1991 to 4.5

percent in 1996 (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1/96).

 

 

 

 

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