Drug Problems Among Teenagers

By Brandon Walker

Table of Contents Illicit Teen Drug Use:

Slides 3-4 Statistics on Teenage Drug Use:

Slides 5-7 Teenage Marijuana Use:

Slides 8-10 Teenagers and Alcohol:

Slides 11-13 Sources for Teens to Get Help with

Addiction : Slide 14

Illicit Teen Drug Use as of 2003

8th Graders 10th Graders 12th Graders0

10

20

30

40

50

60

30.3

44.9

52.8

Percent of

Past Month Illicit Drug Use among Persons

Aged 12 or Older: 2010 (in millions)

Heroin

Inhalants

Hallucinogens

Cocaine

Psychotherapeutics

Marijuana

Illicit Drugs

0 5 10 15 20 25

0.2

0.7

1.2

1.5

7

17.4

22.6

Statistics on Teenage Drug Use Underage drinking costs the United States more

than $58 billion every year.

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.

Statistics on Teenage Drug Use (cont.)

Alcohol kills 6 ½ times more teenagers than all other illicit drugs combined.

20 percent of 8th graders report that they have tried marijuana.

More than 60 percent of teens said that drugs were sold, used, or kept at their school.

First Drug Used that Initiated Illicit Drug Use Age 12 or Older:2010 (percent)

61.817.3

9

4.63

2.5 1.90.10.1

Drugs

MarijuanaPain RelieversInhalentsTranquilizersHallucinogensStimulantsSedativesCocaineHeroin

Teenage Marijuana Use Most frequently used illegal drug in

the U.S. Curiosity and a desire to fit in are

major reasons for teen abuse. Anxiety, anger, depression, boredom,

and so forth are also factors. Family members who also use

marijuana play a strong role in use.

Teen Marijuana Use (cont.) On the average, about 6,500 young

people try marijuana for the first time every single day.

In 2009, 12.6% of people who were dependent on illicit drug or abused them first tried marijuana when they were 14 or younger.

Past Month Marijuana Use Among Teenagers (percent of)

1995 2000 2005 20100

5

10

15

20

25

8th Graders10th Graders12th Graders

Teenagers and Alcohol Over 4.5 million teenagers between age

14 and 17 are problem drinkers. Nearly one of three teens reports riding

with an adolescent driver who was drunk.

Nearly half of all teens who commit suicide are intoxicated at the time.

In 2002, U.S. alcoholism statistics reported that 2.6 million binge drinkers were between the ages of 12 and 17.

Teenagers and Alcohol (cont.) Teens who abuse alcohol are more likely

to have unsafe sex than those who do not.

Each year in the United States, roughly 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking. This includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle accidents.

Regular, Binge, and Heavy Alcohol Use Ages 12 to 20 by Gender in 2010 (percentage)

Regular Binge Heavy Alcohol Use0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Fe-male

24.1

14

3.5

28.3

19.8

6.7

Sources for Teens to Get Help with Addiction

www.drugfree.org Counseling Rehabilitation Centers Alcoholics Anonymous Wilderness Treatment Programs Boot Camp Rehab

References www.nida.nih.gov

www.troubledteens.com

www.samhsa.gov

www.teendrugabuse.us

www.gci.org