Drug Abuse & Drinking

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Drug Abuse & Drinking:

  • While you’re a teen (and even in your early 20’s), you’re still growing and developing, and drug abuse during these years in particular can have a lasting impact. The brain is much more vulnerable to addiction during these years. 90% of Americans with a substance abuse problem started smoking, drinking, or using other drugs before age 18.
  • When it comes to drug use, individual reactions and experiences vary, so it’s important to understand the usual risks and effects, both short- and long-term. Knowledge can be the key to making your own best decisions. [1]
  • Alcohol and drug use across the nation is a problem among all age groups, including teens, adolescents, and young adults. Teens, like adults, use a wide range of illegal drugs and prescription medications including tranquilizers, Xanax, Adderall, LSD, marijuana, alcohol, and other drugs recreationally. Unfortunately, many teens who engage in teenage and young adult substance use will go on to develop a substance use disorder.
  • General Teen Drug Use Statistics in the U.S.—
    • 1 in 8 teens report abusing an illicit drug in the past year.
    • 86% of teens know someone who drinks, smokes, or abuses drugs during school.
    • 50% of teens report misusing drugs at least one time.
    • 62% of teens have abused alcohol by their senior year in high school.
    • In 2019, there were 4,777 overdose deaths among teenagers (1,459 females & 3,315 males).
    • 2.08 million teens reported drug use in the last month.
    • 8.7% of teens in eighth grade report using illicit drugs in the last month.
    • 21.3% of eighth-graders have tried an illegal drug at least once.
    • 46.6% of all teens report that by grade 12 they have used illegal drugs.
    • 11.2% of all overdose deaths were individuals between 15 and 24 years of age.
    • 2.7% of teens in grade 12 drink alcohol daily.
    • 407,000 youth between the ages of 12 and 17 meet the criteria for an alcohol use disorder.
  • Specific Drug Use Statistics for Youth 12 to 17 Years of Age in the U.S.
    • 788,000 teens aged 12 to 17 met the criteria for an illicit drug use disorder in the past year
    • 12.78% of teens aged 12 to 17 years report using marijuana in the last year.
    • 7.5% of teens have abused hallucinogens.
    • 7% of teens in grade 12 have abused tranquilizers.
    • Nearly 7% of youth in grade 12 report using marijuana daily. [2]
  • Additional Resources—