WebMD Health News, June 29, 2011
"Nearly half of all American high school students smoke, drink alcohol, or use illicit drugs, according to a new report. And one in four who started using these substances before they turned 18 may become addicts.
One-quarter of people in the U.S. who began using drugs or alcohol before age 18 meet the criteria for drug or alcohol addiction, compared with one of 25 Americans who started using drugs or alcohol when they were 21 or older, according to the report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University in New York City.
'I was surprised at the prevalence of substance use disorders among young people,' says study author Susan E. Foster, CASA’s vice president and director of policy research and analysis. The new study opens a window of opportunity for providers and parents to intervene and prevent addiction, she says." Read More
These statistics are alarming. Parents do need to be intentional about educating their children in an effort to prevent them from drug and alcohol use that could eventually become an addiction.
ReplyDeleteUnderage drinking and drug abuse clearly leads to teen drug abuse. Parents who turn a blind eye to use or allow it in their home are setting their children up for a lifetime dependency.
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