Know the Facts

Why are drugs and alcohol used?

The simple answer is that drugs (including alcohol) alter perceptions of reality in ways that often feel pleasant. Drug and alcohol use may temporarily satisfy emotional or social needs for some troubled teens. Many teens view drugs like a Swiss Army Knife, a tool with many functions. Relaxation, pleasure, socialization, avoidance of emotional pain, a way to forget about problems, satisfy curiosity, avoid alienation, find excitement, feel like part of the crowd, go to sleep, wake up, cope with failure, relieve boredom, and / or to simply infuriate their parents. Some people, as we noted above, seem to be biologically or genetically programmed for addictive difficulties.

Did you know?

The average age for kids to begin experimenting with illegal substances is 13 (NSDUH, 2006).
Teens age 12-17 rank drugs as their #1 concern, while only 17% of parents see drugs as a concern in their kids’ lives (CASA, 2008).
73% of students listed stress (not peer pressure!) as their #1 reason for using drugs (Partnership for a Drug-Free America • Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, 2008).
Drug use triples between 6th and 8th grade (DASIS, 2006).
One in five teens will abuse prescription drugs (Partnership for a Drug-Free America, 2008).
By the end of 8^th grade, 19% of kids have tried an illicit drug, 38% have tried alcohol (NIDA, 2007).
80 Percent of High School students and 44 Percent of Middle School students see drugs used, kept, sold, and classmates drunk or high on school grounds (CASA, 2007).
More than two-thirds of 17-year olds can get marijuana in a day or less. Half of 16- and 17-year olds say that among teens their age, smoking marijuana is more common than smoking cigarettes (13th Annual National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse, 2008).

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