The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation lists substance abuse as the number one preventable health problem in the United States. Since many drug abusers first began experimenting with drugs during adolescence, preventing teenage drug abuse at this...
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 9.3 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 17 were current users of one or more illegal drugs in 2008. Most--about...
Having access to drugs puts teens at risk of substance abuse. Other factors that increase adolescent vulnerability to drug use include age, gender, poor judgment and the belief that drug use is an acceptable behavior. Early stages of contemplation...
There are certain indicators that put a teen at higher risk for drug abuse, though some teen drug abuse is unpredictable. Specific interventions may be necessary to prevent a teen from turning to drugs. Taking proactive steps to prevent drug abuse...
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), teen drug use has declined in the most recent trend report of 2007. Although this is a significant relief for many...
Drug use in adolescence continues to be a major health risk. Many individuals begin using drugs in high school, with smaller numbers of people beginning in junior high. Developmentally, adolescents are oriented toward risk taking, including...
Prescription drug abuse is on the rise with teens. Some teens abuse prescription medication at parties to feel high, some take them to deal with untreated mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression and some teens pop pills to concentrate...
According to the National Youth Network, 1.1 million young adults between the ages of 12 and 17 meet the clinical diagnostic criteria for drug dependence. Teenagers who are at risk for substance abuse may be depressed, have low self-esteem, feel...
Drug abuse is a prevalent problem, affecting millions of teens every year. Focus Adolescent Services reports that 1.2 million U.S. adolescents ages 12 to 17 smoked cigarettes, 63,100 drank alcohol and 586,000 experimented with marijuana on an...
The teenage years are a time of turbulent change in a person's life. Between the ages of 13 and 19, young people undergo many physical, emotional, psychological and social transformations. As teens struggle to establish identities independent from...
Alcohol and drug use in adolescence can lead to development delays in addition to creating a host of other problems for teenagers. According to the University of Minnesota, teenage alcohol and drug abuse is a major social ill that, when caught...
Drug abuse occurs when mind-altering drugs are used excessively or in an otherwise irresponsible manner. Teenage drug abuse can lead to health problems, addiction, legal troubles and problems at home, work and school. Learning to recognize the...
Teenagers abuse many forms of prescription drugs in an effort to get high, fit in, lose weight, increase academic performance and improve their athletic abilities. A study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in...
Teens are curious individuals who feel that they are invincible. Teenagers are constantly trying to become their own person and test the boundaries that authority figures have set in place for them. Sometimes, these types of behaviors lead to...
Substance abuse is a problem that affects every sector of the population, regardless of gender, culture, background, financial status or age. Children as young as 12, as well as the elderly, can abuse drugs. Adolescent drug use is especially...
Teens abuse drugs for many reasons, including peer pressure, depression and social issues. When a teenager is abusing drugs, it affects all areas of her life such as school, family and friends.
Teenagers abuse all sorts of drugs, including, but not limited to, alcohol, inhalants, cold and cough medicine, prescription drugs, marijuana, acid and cocaine. HelpGuide.org suggests a number of warning signs that can help identify teen drug...
Any family, regardless of income or makeup, can have a teen who abuses drugs. And when that teen abuses drugs or alcohol, the whole family feels it, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Dextromethorphan has been in use for a long time as a medication to ease distressful cough. It is sold over-the-counter as a single formulation in tablets, capsules, gel caps and syrups under various brand names. It also appears in several...
Drug abuse affects people physically, emotionally and legally. A drug abuser often puts aside her responsibilities and her own personal safety to use the drug. The Mayo Clinic notes that certain illegal drugs, such as hallucinogens, can cause...
Most adolescents will try drugs or alcohol at some point during their high school years. While for many teenagers the experience will never progress past occasional experimentation and use with friends, for others, it's the starting point for the...
The teenage years bring plenty of trials and tribulations, like pimples, harder school work, the whirlwind of the social scene and dating. There is also a dark side to the world of teen challenges. Students Against Drunk Driving reports that as of...
Teenage drug use is wide-ranging, and the popularity of specific drugs varies with each generations. According to the Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base, common reasons for this variance include perceived benefits of drug use, availability...
Drug abuse can occur with street drugs or prescription medications. Addiction happens when a person cannot control his need to keep taking the drug to maintain a certain "high" or euphoric feeling. Maintaining this feeling from prescribed...
If you think that your friend, child or family member has a drug addiction, you should get acquainted with the warning signs of abuse and dependence. If you realize that someone you care about does have a drug problem, you should seek the help of...
According to StopMedicineAbuse.org, one in 10 kids and teens ages 12 through 17 have abused cough syrup or medicine. They turn to over-the-counter cough medicine as way to get high. The primary ingredient, dextromethorphan, works at combating...
Recognizing the signs of possible suicidal behavior in teens can help you prevent tragedy from occurring in your family. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds and the sixth leading cause of death for 5- to...
The primary factors that seem to affect increased drug use generally among teens are perceived risk, perceived social approval and perceived availability, according to the Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base, or ASK. Other, more specific...
Teenage drinking is a serious issue that can lead to physical and emotional problems. Because their own curiosity and their friends' habits can easily sway teenagers, it is necessary to make them aware of the dangers involved with alcohol...
