Drug use among teenagers in America has become
a national nightmare. The 1996 PRIDE (Parents' Resource Institute for Drug
Education) survey estimates that 1 in 4 high school seniors use an illicit
drug once a month; 1 in 5 use weekly; 1 in 10 use daily. Drug use
among teenagers is at it's highest level in 9 years! Drug use is responsible
for a high number of school dropouts, teen pregnancies, sexually transmitted
diseases, crime, suicide and death by drug overdoses. In Plano, Texas, over a
dozen teenagers have died from drug overdose. Because today's drugs are far
more potent than they were in the past, teenagers can become addicted more
quickly and overdose more easily.
While parents may say, "I trust my child wouldn't
lie to me about taking drugs," the reality is, drug abusing teenagers lie.
How can you tell if your child is taking drugs?
"A Parent's Guide to Prevention" published by the US Department of Education
says:
"Young people use drugs for many reasons that have to do with how they
feel about themselves, how they get along with others, and how they live.
No one factor determines who will use drugs and who will not, but here
are some things to watch for:
Low grades or poor school performance
Aggressive, rebellious behavior
Excessive influence by peers
Lack of parental support and guidance
Behavior problems at an early age
Being alert to the sign of alcohol and other drug use requires a keen eye."
Drug Use Statistics and Legal Liabilities of
Parents
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60% of youngsters who use marijuana
before age 15 go on to use cocaine.
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Between 1992-1995 marijuana usage among
12-17 year olds doubled.
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Columbia University has found that kids
who smoke marijuana are 85 times more likely to use cocaine than their
non-marijuana smoking peers.
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Average age for kids to begin experimenting
with illegal substances is 13.
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The potency of
marijuana THC levels today is 15-20 times stronger than marijuana in the
1970's.
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On average, kids found by their parents
to be using drugs, have been using for two years prior to discovery.
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Most medical insurance policies have
a clause that allows them to not pay a medical claim "if there is an illegal
substance in the system, or an illegal act is being performed at the time
of the loss." Parents can be held legally responsible for those bills.
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Several states are enacting Parental
Responsibility Laws in which the parent is held responsible for the behavior
of the child.
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If a child brings any amount of a controlled
substance into their parent's home or auto, the parent could have that
home or auto seized by the federal government, regardless of having no
knowledge of their child's behavior.
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Average cost of drug rehabilitation
is $20,000-$30,000 a month, with few medical insurers paying anything on
such a claim.
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In 1995, 19.9% of 8th-graders have used
marijuana. 34.1% of 10th-graders have used marijuana. 41.7% of 12th-graders
have used marijuana (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 5/96).
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In 1996, 4.4 percent of high school
seniors had used crystal methamphetamine at least once in their lives,
an increase from 2.7 percent in 1990. Data shows that 2.8 percent of seniors
had used crystal methamphetamine in 1996, more than twice the 1.3 percent
reported in 1990 (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 9/97).
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Adolescents who smoke pot are 85 times
more likely to use cocaine than their non-pot smoking peers. 60% of youngsters
who use marijuana before they turn 15 go on to use cocaine (American Council
for Drug Education, 1997).
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One in five American teenagers have
used inhalants to get high (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1996).
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The percentage of 12-to-17-year-olds
who have ever tried heroin has more than doubled and just as many eighth-graders
as 12th-graders have tried heroin. There were 141,000 new heroin users
in 1995, and there has been an increasing trend in new heroin use
since 1992. Estimates of use for other age groups also increased, particularly
among youths age 12 to 17: the incidence of first-time heroin use among
this age group increased fourfold from the 1980s to 1995 (National Household
Survey on Drug Abuse, 1996).
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In 1996, 6.5 percent of 10th-graders
had tried cocaine at least once, up from 5.0 percent in 1995. The percentage
of 8th-graders who had ever tried cocaine rose significantly from 2.3 percent
in 1991 to 4.5 percent in 1996 (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1/96).
