Troubled Teens Resources

If parents don’t think that their teens are using drugs and alcohol they might what to read up on the studies that have been done, and take a good hard look at the teen sitting across the dinner table from them tonight. Teen age drug abuse has unfortunately become a norm instead of an isolated phenomena.

“In a survey taken in 1995, two-thirds of all of the 12th grade students interviewed said that they felt that they had to choose whether or not to use drugs before they graduated from high school. In studies done in 1998 and 1999, 56 percent of 12 to 17 year old reported that marijuana was easy to get and 72 percent of this group reported that alcohol was very easy to obtain. By the time they are 17 years old, 56 percent of adolescents state that they know a drug dealer.

Among the substances abused are: alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, cocaine, opiates, “club drugs” (ecstasy, etc.). stimulants, hallucinogens, inhalants, prescription drugs, and steroids.

Drug and substance abuse among teenagers, is substantial. Among youth age 12 to 17, about 1.1 million meet the diagnostic criteria for dependence on drugs, and about 1 million are treated for alcohol dependency.”

(source)

KD