A recent report released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) provided a startling look at the drug and alcohol activities of American adolescents on an average day. The report found that on an average day: 508,000 adolescents, ages 12-17, drink alcohol; 641,000 use illicit drugs; and more than 1 million smoked cigarettes. This substance abuse trend is alarming. (Medical News Today)
SAMHSA conducted and analyzed a national survey for the study, “A Day in the Life of American Adolescents: Substance Use Facts Update,” which presented a bleak look at the daily toll that substance abuse has on America’s youth. The efforts are a part of a larger initiative, “designed to create an integrated data strategy that provides key public health information on a wide range of behavioral health issues.”
The report found that on any given day, 563,000 adolescents used marijuana, nearly 37,000 used inhalants, 24,000 used hallucinogens, 16,000 used cocaine, and 2, 800 used heroin.
Many addiction specialists see the report as a wake up call to the extreme extent that America’s youth is engaging in risky and illegal behavior. The young age of exposure to drugs and alcohol leave these adolescents more vulnerable and at-risk of developing severe addictions.
Some of facts of the study included first-time drug and alcohol use for adolescents on an average day, and found: approximately 7,500 adolescents drank alcohol for the first time; approximately 4,360 adolescents used an illicit drug for the first time; around 3,900 adolescents smoked cigarettes for the first time; nearly 3,700 adolescents used marijuana for the first time; and approximately 2,500 adolescents abused pain relievers for the first time.
The study also looked at substance abuse treatment and treatment admission patterns among those under the age of 18, and found: more than 76,000 in outpatient treatment; more than 9,000 in non-hospital residential treatment; and more than 700 in hospital inpatient treatment. There were about a quarter of a million drug-related emergency hospital visits among this age group, of which 170,000 visits involved the use of illicit drugs, alcohol or abuse of prescription drugs.
The researches hope that the report will lead to better preventative strategies and more effective ways of promoting emotional health among American adolescents.
Wow, the statistics then was alarming. Today, they are even worse. More and more American adolescents are at risk for addiction. Parents and communities need more drug alcohol abuse prevention education to save the lives of today’s youth!