Drug and alcohol abuse is a problem among teens, but just how common is smoking, drinking and drug use in US high schools? A 2011 study found that nearly half of all high school students currently smoke, drink or use other drugs. Of that whopping 50 percent a third meet the medical criteria for addiction.
Susan Foster, vice president and director of policy research and analysis at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, says adolescent substance use is, “the number one public health problem any way you look at it.”
Foster, who is the report’s lead researcher, found that while the use of cigarettes, marijuana and prescription drugs among teens has declined in recent years, those numbers may be stalling. Smokeless tobacco use has been growing since 2003, and drugs like bath salts and synthetic marijuana are just beginning to grow in popularity among this age group.
The most comprehensive look at teen substance use to date, the 400-page CASA report is based partly on nationally representative online surveys of 1,000 high school students, 1,000 parents of high school students and 500 school personnel, including teachers, principals, counselors and coaches.
The report emphasizes that “teen substance use is a preventable public health problem and addiction is a treatable disease.” However, although 1.6 million U.S. high school students meet the clinical criteria for an alcohol or drug use disorder, only about 100,000 have received treatment in the past year.
If you or someone you love needs addiction treatment, call The Canyon at the toll-free number on our homepage. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.
