Adolescent drug experimentation and use in the United States is common, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Signs of adolescent drug abuse include loss of interest in hobbies and activities; abandoning old friends in exchange for new ones; mood swings and periods of depression; strange behavior and a dramatic change in school grades and quality of work, according to the Merck Online Medical Library.
Types
Adolescents use and abuse both legal and illegal drugs. The Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry lists the most frequently abused drugs as "alcohol, prescribed medications, inhalants," a category that includes "fumes from glues, aerosols, and solvents, as well as "over-the-counter cough, cold, sleep and diet medications." The greatest abuse, according to the academy, involves the use of designer drugs that include Ecstasy; marijuana; stimulants that include speed, cocaine and crack; PCP, LSD, heroin and opiates.
Time Frame
Adolescent drug and alcohol use begins in middle school. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 2008 noted that the average use of alcohol begins prior to age 12 and drug use, marijuana in particular, at the age of 14 years old. By the time the adolescent reaches high school, "the use of marijuana and alcohol in high school has become common," according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Considerations
The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion reports in 2009 that nearly a quarter of all high school students "reported episodic heavy or binge drinking." The center notes that 10 percent of high school students admit to driving under the influence of alcohol in the last month, while approximately 30 percent of the students report driving in a car when the driver is under the influence within the last 30 days.
Misconceptions
The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention's website Healthy Youth! Alcohol & Drug Use explains that illegal drug use among high school students declined over the past decade, but the use of over-the-counter drugs and prescription drugs, including stimulants, pain relievers, depressants and stimulants, increased during that same time period.
Students frequently believe that prescription drugs are safer than illegal drugs, according to the center. The fact that medications are inexpensive adds to the misinterpretation that the drugs are ineffective or do not lead to addition or risk of death.
Expert Insight
Merck drug manufacturer states that adolescent drug use, even occasional use, "can put adolescents at risk of significant harm. The company lists "overdose, motor vehicle collisions, violent behaviors, and consequences of sexual contact" as dangers of drug use during adolescents. Parent modeling in the use of "alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs," according to the drug manufacturer, is a "powerful influence" on the adolescent and impact the degree and significance of experimentation and use of illegal drugs.
References
- National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention: Healthy Youth! Alcohol & Drug Use
- American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry: Teens: Alcohol and Other Drugs
- Merck: Drug and Substance Use and Abuse
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Marijuana: Facts for Teens
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: InfoFacts: High School and Youth Trends
