While teens are using less heroin, they are using other opiates in increasing numbers. Especially alarming is teens' abuse of opiate painkillers such as OxyContin and Vicodin. While these drugs are medically beneficial when used as prescribed for the treatment of pain, too many teens use them for their euphoria-producing effects, often mixing them with other drugs and placing themselves at even greater risk of physical harm, addiction and various problems at school and home.
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...
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 their parents, they often act out in rebellious ...
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 t...
Alcohol and drugs have mind- and mood-altering effects. In teenagers, drugs and alcohol are particularly harmful due to their effects on the developing nervous system. In addition to their negative health effects, drugs and a...
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 and experimentation can quickly escalate ...
Most--about seven percent--were current users of marijuana, whereas about three percent abused prescription drugs. Alcohol is another common drug abused by adolescents.
Teenage drug abuse affects not only adolescents but als...
According to Family First Aid, 30 percent of 12th graders have used marijuana, 66 percent of 12th graders have used alcohol and on average 2,500 teens are abusing a prescription drug daily. The effects of teenage drug use can b...
If a relationship doesn’t have all these traits, it might be abusive or have the potential to become abusive. It is important to learn how to recognize warning signs and take preventive actions.
Some might just want to see what it's like to use a drug. Many teens who go from trying or using drugs to abusing drugs have other mental health issues such as depression or they might have a family history of abuse or become p...
Although this is a significant relief for many parents, the cause for teen drug use remains perplexing to many families. One of the most difficult realities is the transition from recreational use to addiction, which is life-c...
Since many drug abusers first began experimenting with drugs during adolescence, preventing teenage drug abuse at this stage is crucial to solving the nation's drug abuse problem.
Thousands also used inhalants, heroin and cocaine. Many parents are shocked to learn of their teen's dangerous drug exploits. While nothing can definitively predict the risk of drug abuse in teenagers, certain factors can make ...
It also appears in several combination cough and cold medications with antihistamines and acetaminophen.
Recent incidences of abuse with fatalities among youth have brought some notoriety to this previously relatively unknown ...
Dextromethorphan is most commonly found as a component of cough syrup, especially those with "DM" at the end of their names. It can also be found in some tablets and lozenges. Consequently, the most common route of administrati...
These and a thousand other everyday household products are abused by kids to get a quick high. Most kids think these products are harmless, but they are not.
The reality is that hundreds of children each year die from inhala...
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 ta...
