Teens: Drug Abuse , Drug Addiction Are Number One Concern

Teens lead complicated lives. Peer pressures, relationships, grades, all contribute to teen angst.

However, when asked  “What is the most important problem facing people your age—that is, the thing which concerns you the most?” most teens responded that drugs were their number one concern.

“Parents need to be aware that drugs and drug abuse are a matter of great concern among teens,” comments Mary Rieser of Atlanta Recovery Center Drug Rehab. “There is a great difference in what parents preceive as a problem their child may face and what their child actually faces.”

When parent respondents were asked “And from the point of view of teenagers like your own, what do you think he or she would say is the most important problem someone their age faces?”  their response were in the majority social pressures and relationships.

Parents of teenagers overestimate how important social pressuresare for teenagers, according to data from a national telephone survey conducted earlier this year. Forty-two percent of parents of teenagers reported that social pressures and relationships, such as fitting in, peer pressure, and sexual issues, were the top concern of teenagers, compared to only 22% of teens.

In contrast, parents underestimated the importance of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in the lives of teenagers. More than one-fourth (28%) of teens reported that drugs are the number one problem facing people their age, compared to only 17% of parents. These findings are similarto those found by the same survey two years ago.

“Talk to your children about drugs and drug addiction,” comments Ms. Rieser. “With open communication they will feel safe and have someone to approach if they feel pressured to use drugs. Educate your children on drug abuse and drug addiction. They need your help."

*Source: Center for Substance Abuse Research, University of Maryland.

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