Social drugs are rising in teen use rates
Drug use among teens is again rising according to recent research by the 2009 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study released this month by Partnership for a Drug-Free America, and the MetLife Foundation.
The report indicated a spike in the use of the so called "social drugs", alcohol, ecstasy, and marijuana, by teens in grades 9 -12.
The survey was conducted by Roper Public Affairs and quizzed 3,200 students finding, "a growing belief in the benefits and acceptability of drug use and drinking."
According to Join Together, "The percentage of teens agreeing that "being high feels good" increased from 45 percent in 2008 to 51 percent in 2009, and those who said "friends usually get high at parties" increased from 69 percent to 75 percent. Thirty percent of students surveyed strongly agreed that they "don't want to hang around drug users," down from 35 percent in 2008."
This is troubling information, especially in light of the prescription opiate drug use problem teens have as well, many dying from overdoses. Compounding this problem is teens, and others mixing these opiates with benzodiazepines like Xanax, or Valiums. It's like playing chemical Russian roulette.
This present study found, "...past-month alcohol use was up 11 percent, and past-year use of marijuana was up 19 percent. Ecstasy was up 67 percent among students surveyed.
There was some encouraging news with the PATS data marking, "...a reverse in the remarkable, sustained declines in several drugs of abuse among teens: methamphetamine (meth) was down by over 60 percent and past month alcohol and marijuana use had decreased a full 30 percent over the past decade from 1998-2008," the report stated.
"The resurgence in teen drug and alcohol use comes at a time when pro-drug cues in popular culture – in film, television and online – abound, and when funding for federal prevention programs has been declining for several years. This places an even greater burden on parents. Among the parents surveyed for the PATS study, 20 percent say their child (ages 10-19) has already used drugs or alcohol beyond an “experimental” level. Among parents of teens ages 14-19, that percentage jumps to 31 percent, nearly one third," the report warned.
This report underlines the importance of parents getting involved in their children's drug education. Studies have shown that kids in grades 7-12 who learn from their parents about the dangers of drugs are up to 50 percent less likely to ever use these substances. That is why parents should have frequent, ongoing talks with their children about risky behaviors.
If schools, and the media can't get the job done, then it is up to parents to take the lead in informing your children of the dangers of drug abuse, and other risky behaviors. There are many excellent sites you can visit online for assistance, including mine. Also, Partnership for a Drug-Free America is a great resource.
For parents: Preventing Drug Use Among Children and Adolescents
If you or a loved one needs help with any type of drug problem, contact these sites depending on where you live. SEMCA (Wayne County residents), CARE (Macomb County residents), PACE (Oakland County residents), Drug Free Detroit (City of Detroit residents). For those residing outside the State of Michigan, contact SAMHSA for assistance.
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Comments
Thank you. This topic always needs attention. As the mom of three teens, you can never over-inform them about drugs. Keep the conversation doors open, don't "judge" them or their friends, just listen so you can help them get clean or avoid drugs.
Thanks Michael for this most informative column. The survey data you present is even more disturbing when one considers the impacts of likely response bias (under-reporting of inappropriate behaviors) and the fact that ecstasy is basically a sanitized name for meth - in my experience almost synonomous with death! Alarm bells should be going off at schools all over the nation, and not just to signify time to change classes. I can only hope that early interdictins by police and teachers will dispell irresonsible teenage belief's of their invincibility before more addictive behaviors ravage our society..
Interesting piece...I am another examiner and with respect to the kids I work with, Ive not used my name.
I find it interesting that this is the case, as I work closely with high school athletes. I have also worked with college athletes and while there was quite a bit of drug use with the college players, I find that year after year, fewer kids are openly involved in recreational drug use. Im aware that there are players who drink and some who smoke pot, and for the most part these kids are pretty open about it. However, I hear more negative comments by my players directed towards kids they know do heavier drugs and how stupid it is. It seems like the kids I work with are more educated to the dangers of heavier drugs but are also more likely to drink or smoke pot.
re: "ecstasy is basically a sanitized name for meth - in my experience almost synonomous with death!"
Hyperbole.
Taking ecstasy is no more dangerous than riding a horse, according to a Journal of Psychopharmacology article by Professor David Nutt - the UK Government's top drug adviser in 2009. Heresy! Off with his head! Of course, if you've been tossing people in prison for the stuff for decades, I don't expect you'd want to hear any of that. You'll cherry pick some factoids more to your liking.
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