Teen drug and alcohol abuse may be a bigger problem than anyone could have thought. It is generally an accepted fact that teens will experiment, more likely than not, before they leave high school. A new report has determined that nearly half of all American high school students smoke, drink alcohol, or use illicit drugs; one in four who started using these substances before they turn 18 may become addicts. The new report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University in New York City, concluded that one-quarter of people in the U.S. who start using drugs or alcohol before age 18 meet the criteria for drug or alcohol addiction, compared with one of 25 Americans who started using drugs or alcohol when they were 21 or older.
According to information cited in the new report:
- Ten million or 75% of high school students have tried tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, or cocaine; and one in five of them meet the medical criteria for addiction.
- Of the 6.1 million or 46% of high school students who currently use addictive substances, one in three is addicted to these substances.
- The most common drug of choice among high school students in the U.S. is alcohol, followed by cigarettes and marijuana.
The data collected is based on surveys of:
- 1,000 high school students
- 1,000 parents of high school students
- 500 school officers
- expert interviews
- focus groups
- a literature review of 2,000 scientific articles and an analysis of seven data sets
“I was surprised at the prevalence of substance use disorders among young people,” says study author Susan E. Foster, CASA’s vice president and director of policy research and analysis. The new study opens a window of opportunity for providers and parents to intervene and prevent addiction, she says.
“Do everything you can to get young people through their teen years without using drugs or alcohol,” she says. “Every year they don’t use drugs or alcohol reduces their risk of negative consequences, such as addiction.”
Source:
MedicalNewsToday
