A Closer Look into Drug and Alcohol Use in Teenagers

Alcohol and drug use with youth in the United States is an issue that requires ongoing diligence. 

A nationwide survey with teenage participants revealed they were introduced to drugs and alcohol at an earlier age than health care professionals once thought.

The median age was 14.

These discoveries, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, A JAMA Network Publication, also uncovered the following in the survey:

·         Onset of alcohol use without dependency was at 14

·         Also at 14, a dependency on drug abuse was indicated

·         Drug abuse at 15 without a dependency

While types of alcohol consumption vary, there appears to be a trend of drug use. According to healthcare professionals, the following drugs are the most common among teens.

The selection includes:

Marijuana

Today, marijuana is more potent leading to stronger addictions and the possibility of advancing to stronger drugs.

Ecstasy

Cheap prices continue to bring this stimulant drug to the forefront.

Prescription Drugs

All a teen needs to do is visit their parents’ or grandparents’ medicine cabinet to retrieve these drugs.  Numbers indicate that 20 percent of teenagers have used prescription drugs to get high. A troubling trend is “Pharming Parties.” Teens bring their own supply for swapping and sampling.

Inhalants

Household items and chemicals may seem harmless to teenagers, but the truth of the matter is that these types of inhalants are both dangerous and prevalent among the teen crowd.

Crystal Meth, Cocaine and Heroin

While crystal meth remains the cheapest in this group to buy, cocaine and heroin is still a huge concern among healthcare professionals. All are extremely addictive in nature causing a downward spiral in teens at an early onset.

Studies have also revealed that there is a correlation between the initial start of drug and alcohol abuse and adulthood substance abuse.

In the survey mentioned earlier, Joel Swendsen, Ph.D., of the University of Bordeaux, France conveyed the following, “Because the early onset of substance use is a significant predictor of substance use behavior and disorders in a lifespan, the public health implications of the current findings are far reaching.”

The survey also showed these other important findings:

·         More than 80 percent of participants in this study were introduced to and had the opportunity to use drugs in their teens

·         More than 77 percent of those in their late teenage years consumed alcohol

·         Among teens, around 47 percent were drinking 12 or more alcoholic beverages annually - 15 percent of this group fell into a susceptible category for adulthood abuse

For the most part, teenagers don’t connect drugs with harm. They see the act as short-term and are unable to fully grasp the long-term effects. The younger kids are the more risk of “trying” there is.

With teenagers being introduced to drugs and alcohol so early on in their lives, parents and legal guardians must do their due diligence in watching over their kids. In addition to educating pre teens and teens, locating community-based programs which highlight drug and alcohol awareness is a great adjunct.  Keeping teens safe is a community effort.