Statistical Facts on Teen Substance Abuse

Teens are exposed to a plethora of problems. To cope, many turn to substance abuse. Parents and caregivers can familiarize themselves with statistical trends on teen substance abuse to curb their teen's path toward a drug problem and to understand the reasons why teen substance abuse occurs.

Marijuana

• According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the use of marijuana by teens has leveled off: 10.9 percent of eighth graders, 23.9 percent of 10th graders and 32.4 percent of 12th graders admitted to having used the drug in a 2008 survey, down from previous survey years. However, it is still an area of concern because it is considered to be a "gateway" drug (i.e., it leads to the abuse of other substances). It is also a concern because of the apparent correlation between the drug and legal problems. According to the Teen Drug Abuse website, 66 percent of underage males who were arrested tested positive for the use of this substance.

Stimulants

• Stimulants are a class of drugs that include substances such as cocaine. They are dangerous because, as the name implies, they stimulate the nervous system, which can lead to heart problems. According to NIDA, overall, the use of stimulants is down.

Alcohol

• Like stimulant use, alcohol use has dropped, according to NIDA. However, more than half of teens use alcohol by the 10th grade, and according to the Teen Drug Abuse website, alcohol kills more than 6.5 times more teens than all other substances put together. This may be due to the number of alcohol related automobile crashes--the Teen Alcohol Abuse Statistics website reported that nearly half (45 percent) of the automobile related deaths for teens are alcohol related.

Medications

• According to NIDA, the use of medications by teens to get high has risen, with Vicodin use being particularly notable. This may be because prescription and over-the-counter drugs are easier and cheaper for teens to get, as well as because these drugs are described as being medicinal.

Considerations

• Thirty-one percent of teens claimed they drink when alone, with 25 percent drinking when bored, according to the Statistics on Teens website. In addition, according to the Teen Alcohol Abuse Statistics website, 34 percent of whites, 30 percent of Hispanics, and 11 percent of African-American teens reported binge drinking. The Statistics on Teens website also reported that 80 percent of those who smoke start before age 18. These statistics reveal that there may be deficiencies in strong, positive social networks for teens; that ethnicity may be related to the ability to resist pressure to abuse substances; and that drug abuse may start very early.