11 Facts About Teens And Drug Use

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1. More teens die from prescription drugs than heroin/cocaine combined.^[Toro, Ross. "Prescription Drug Abuse Kills." LiveScience. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.livescience.com/17406-prescription-drug-abuse-infographic.html.]
2. In 2013, more high school seniors regularly used marijuana than cigarettes as 22.7% smoked pot in the last month, compared to 16.3% who smoked cigarettes.^[U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Sixty percent of 12th graders do not view regular marijuana use as harmful." U.S National Library of Medicine. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.nih.gov/news/health/dec2013/nida-18.htm.]
3. 60% of seniors don't see regular marijana use as harmful, but THC (the active ingredient in the drug that causes addiction) is nearly 5 times stronger than it was 20 years ago.^[Hellerman, Caleb. "Is super weed, super bad?." CNN. Accessed February 24, 2014, http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/09/health/weed-potency-levels/.]
4. 1/3 of teenagers who live in states with medical marijuana laws get their pot from other people's prescriptions.^[U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Sixty percent of 12th graders do not view regular marijuana use as harmful." U.S National Library of Medicine. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.nih.gov/news/health/dec2013/nida-18.htm.]
5. The United States represents 5% of the world's population and 75% of prescription drugs taken. 60% of teens who abuse prescription drugs get them free from friends and relatives.^[Vogt, Adrienne. "More Teens Smoke Marijuana Reject Synthetic Drugs like k2 and Spice." Bustle. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.bustle.com/articles/10975-more-teens-smoke-marijuana-reject-synthetic-drugs-like-k2-and-spice.]
6. Adderall use (often prescribed to treat ADHD) has increased among high school seniors from 5.4% in 2009 to 7.5% this year.^[Mozes, Alan. "More Teens Abusing Prescription Drugs." Consumer HealthDay. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://consumer.healthday.com/mental-health-information-25/addiction-news-6/more-teens-abusing-prescription-drugs-601969.html.]
7. 54% of high school seniors do not think regular steroid use is harmful, the lowest number since 1980, when the National Institute on Drug Abuse started asking about perception on steroids.^[U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Regular marijuana use by teens continues to be a concern." U.S National Library of Medicine. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.nih.gov/news/health/dec2012/nida-19.htm.]
8. By the 8th grade, 28% of adolescents have consumed alcohol, 15% have smoked cigarettes, and 16.5% have used marijuana.^[Martin, Sc.D., M.P.H., Laurie, and Alyssa Milot, B.A.. "ASSESSING SUBSTANCE USE AND ABUSE AMONG ADOLESCENTS: A GUIDE FOR OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME PROGRAM PRACTITIONERS ." Child Trends. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2007-08TeenSubstanceUse1.pdf.]
9. Teens who consistently learn about the risks of drugs from their parents are up to 50% less likely to use drugs than those who don't.^[Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration. "National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings." Results from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2012SummNatFindDetTables/NationalFindings/NSDUHresults2012.htm.]
10. 6.5% of high school seniors smoke pot daily, up from 5.1% five years ago. Meanwhile, less than 20% of 12th graders think occasional use is harmful, while less than 40% see regular use as harmful (lowest numbers since 1983).^[The U.S. Department of Education, The Drug Enforcement Administration. "Growing Up Drug Free: A Parent's Guide to Prevention." Justice.Gov. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.justice.gov/dea/pr/multimedia-library/publications/growing-up-drug-free.pdf.]
11. About 50% of high school seniors do not think it's harmful to try crack or cocaine once or twice and 40% believe it's not harmful to use heroin once or twice.^[U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Regular marijuana use by teens continues to be a concern." U.S National Library of Medicine. Accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.nih.gov/news/health/dec2012/nida-19.htm.]