There is a constant fight to protect youth and teenagers from drug use. Many government agencies, religious groups, and community organizations are dedicating countless hours of their time trying to stem the tide of teen drug abuse. The reason for their diligence in this is because they understand that the vast majority of individuals who have a life of drug abuse started when they were teenagers.
If a teenager can either be prevented from taking drugs, or if a teenager can be helped to break the habit early on, the idea is that there will then be a good chance that he or she will live the rest of their life drug-free.
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Some Facts About Teen Drug Abuse
• When asked what he drug has the most detrimental effect on the health of young people many would mistakenly say drugs like cocaine or heroin. While it is true that these drugs do have devastating effects, statistically alcohol is the number one killer for people under 18. According to the statistics alcohol killed 6.5 times more teenagers than all of the other illegal drugs that are available combined. In a similar vein, the number one single cause of death for individuals who are between the ages of five and 33 are car accidents. Almost half of these fatal car accidents are connected to alcohol.
• In our society certain trends are more popular in one place or another. The same is true for illegal drug use. Crystal meth has become a drug of choice for many teenagers. Interestingly, there are a higher percentage of teenagers who live in rural or small town America who are addicted to crystal meth. Statistically these individuals when that are between the ages of 12 and 14 are more than 100% more likely to abuse crystal meth than their city dwelling counterparts.
• The positive effects of drug awareness program can be seen in the decline of the rates that illegal drugs are being used by teenagers. However, prescription drug abuse among teenagers is still on the rise. According to surveys more than 15% of high school students claim to have used prescription drugs for a nonmedical purpose over the last year. According to other statistics, in the year 2008, almost 2,000,000 youth between 12 and 17 years of age admitted to abusing prescription drugs.
The Bottom Line
While the above mentioned facts are sobering it is also encouraging to note that rehab programs have had a positive effect on the lives of millions of teenage drug addicts. Thanks to the help that they received they are now able to live productive lives. Through their example many teens are also helping others to do the same. Teenage drug rehab can help!
