Youth and Current Drug Trends

Gone are the days of my youth, when Dad would have a “highball” to relax after a particularly frustrating day. Not that AA isn’t seating new recruits by the boatload, but the modern drugs like Crack – Ecstasy – Crank (methamphetamine) are so much more crude, violent and anti-social, than the recreational drugs of the Hippie movement. Sure kids are probably still sparking up a joint of marijuana, or drinking alcohol, but add to that, the newer versions of street drugs and you are stirring a recipe for disaster.

I looked up some “stats” on school aged teens and the numbers are stunning. Figures from anonymous polls of High School aged kids show that there is a definite rise in the abuse of OTC and Rx drugs – coupled with a flat out denial in the belief that these substances are dangerous or addictive when used occasionally for “getting high”.

New Rx and OTC favorites are Vicodin – OxyContin; stimulants like Ritalin, Adderall and cough syrups. The rate of abuse was “on par” with the abuse of street drugs like ecstasy, crack/cocaine and heroin.

I also noted that: One in five (20%) teens have tried prescription medication to get high and one in 10 (10%) of teens report abusing cough medicine to get high.

Parents, and a strong anti-drug message in the home is still found to be the best safeguard for protecting young people from using drugs to get high. Teens who learn about the dangers of drugs at home are 50% less prone to use drugs. Ninety percent of parents say they have talked to their teens about the dangers of drug abuse, but less than 33% of the teens said they learned much about the dangers of drugs from their parents. Hmmm…we’re missing something here?

Finally, data suggests that inhalants and methamphetamine abuse are two drugs that are a cause for concern and monitoring. (A) Teen use of inhalants has increased over the past three years, and (B) teens trying, or using meth regularly has steadily increased for the same tree year time span.

Mom and Dad! Talk to your kids about the dangers of using drugs!