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Teen Drug Use Statistics

March 15, 2020 by
The good news is illegal drug use among teenagers is declining.   The  bad news is that the abuse of prescription drugs, especially pain relievers is increasing according to a Teen Drug Abuse Intervention Website.

l=”nofollow” href=”http://www.teendrugabuse.us/index.html”>here to read more information from their website regarding teen drug abuse.

Many teenagers believe that prescription drugs are safe, but the truth is they are highly addictive and can cause severe side effects just like illegal drugs.
The following are some statistics regarding teenage drug and alcohol abuse from a Teen Drug Abuse Intervention Website
  • Underage drinking costs the United States more than $58 billion every year.
  • 40 percent of those who started drinking at age 13 or younger developed alcohol dependence later in life.  Ten percent of teens who began drinking after the age of 17 developed dependence.
  • Ten percent of teens report that they have attended a rave, and ecstasy and other drugs were available at more than two-thirds of these raves.
  • Teens that drink are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than teens who never consume alcohol.
  • 63 percent of the youth who drink alcohol say that they initially got the alcohol from their own or their friend’s homes.
  • Alcohol kills 6 ½ times more teenagers than all other illicit drugs combined.
  • Teenagers whose parents talk to them on a regular basis about the dangers of drug use are 42 percent less likely to use drugs than those whose parents don’t.
  • More than 60 percent of teens said that drugs were sold, used, or kept at their school.
  • 20 percent of 8th graders report that they have tried marijuana.
  • 28 percent of teens know a classmate or friend who has used ecstasy (Teen Substance Abuse).
    Teenagers that are arrested often test positive for recent drug use. The National Institute of Justices Arrestee and Drug Monitoring System (ADAM) drug testing program found that 66 percent of underage males arrested tested positive for marijuana.
Parents and families face one of the most difficult battles in today’s society – that of raising drug free children. Communication is one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal in keeping our kids off drugs. Yet for some reason, it is the most feared, and is seldom used.
The fact is that we as parents, must set the tone and standards, for what is normal for society.  People must talk to their children on a regular basis about the dangers of drugs, and be active participants in their lives.  Hopefully, it will start a trend to change the face of drug addiction across the nation.
By: Pete Strom, South Carolina Criminal Defense Attorney
Filed Under: SC Drug Crimes Blog Tagged With: , , , ,