Drugs and Substance Abuse Among Teenagers
As bad as we don’t want to hear the truth facing our teenagers, your son or daughter will be exposed at one point in their life to drugs, alcohol, and now prescription drugs. Recent studies have shown a decrease in drug use but an increased use of prescription drugs and that it’s on the rise in the teenage population.
Troubled Teens Solution will help you with your struggling teens by informing you of the pitfalls of drug abuse and signs of addictions.
In 2006 an estimated 8.3% of the U.S. population age 12 or older were current users of illicit drugs, according to data from the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). In the past five years illicit drug use declined 16% among adolescents (ages 12 to 17). In 2006 the proportion of adolescents who acknowledged past-month drug use was 9.8%, which is a significant drop from the 2002 rate of 11.6%. Specifically, current marijuana use by adolescents has declined significantly over the past five years, from 8.2% in 2002 to 6.7% in 2006.
Overall rates of illicit drug use are higher among young adults (ages 18 to 25) than in any other age group: 22.2% for those ages 18 to 20 and 18.3% for those ages 21 to 25. The 2006 NSDUH data highlight the growing abuse of prescription drugs among young adults, which increased 19% between 2002 (5.4%) and 2006 (6.4%). The increase was largely attributable to use of pain relievers, but use of tranquilizers also increased significantly between 2002 and 2006.
As parents, you should be familiar with your teen and your son or daughter’s behaviors. If you begin to notice changes in your teen’s mood swings towards yourself or towards their friends, as if they seem agitated or sad and depressed, there might be a problem that your teenager is facing. Try to be more attentive to their friends and the individuals they are hanging out with; and also pay attention to their extracurricular activities, including at school and at home.
If you begin to notice behavior changes and/or defiance in your teenager, try to communicate openly with them and reemphasize the boundaries that you have already established for them. A teenager without boundaries and rules is more likely to participate in drugs and alcohol. So being involved as parents with your teen is of the utmost importance.