Youth and Drug Abuse

Despite all the efforts to warn teens and children about the dangers of drug use, an alarming percentage of American youth are still using a variety of drugs, according to stats from recent national surveys funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Institute On Drug Abuse (NIDA).

An estimated 19.9 million Americans 12 or older admitted to being current users of an illicit drug, representing 8 percent of the population. Of those illicit substances, marijuana has the dubious distinction of being the most popular, with 14.4 million current users in the U.S. Of the many prescription drugs used for non-medical purposes, Vicodin is the most commonly abused by adolescents. Stats show that 15.4 percent of high school seniors admitted abusing prescription medications. While teens may insist “everyone’s doing it,” this early experimentation can easily lead to addiction. The majority of recovering drug addicts of all ages admit to drug and alcohol use in their teen or even pre-teen years.

Teen Drug Addiction Help

If someone you love has developed a drug problem, call The Canyon at our toll-free number, 877.714.1319. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.