Statistics on Teen Substance Abuse

Teen substance abuse continues to be a significant problem in US. While they may find new substances to abuse from time to time, teens still use drugs and alcohol as an escape from the typical issues plaguing America’s youth. Perhaps by taking an honest look at the numbers, we can all get some insight into the depth of the problem and how we can best address it.

By the Numbers

There is no shortage of statistical data related to teen substance abuse. What seems to be most relevant is looking at recent trends and setting aside what happened in the past. Let’s look at two current trends that affect teens and young adults.

In recent years, prescription drugs have become the rage. We’re talking about the abuse of important painkiller and anti-anxiety meds like Oxycontin, Percocet, Xanax, and Vicodin. Each of these medications provides the user with a high that amounts to relaxation and an escape from reality. According to February 2016 report released by the Centers for Disease Control, 6% of all teens, age 12-17, and 12% of all young adults 18-25 abused non-prescribed prescription medications in 2014. The effect of this was the loss of 1,700 young lives to overdose.

In a University of Michigan, Ann Arbor study completed for the year ended 2016, 33% of all twelfth graders had used alcohol within the 30-day period prior to the study. That’s one-third of all high school seniors breaking the law and drinking. This isn’t new information, but it indicates very little progress has been made towards battling teen substance abuse.

Dealing With Teen Substance Abuse

Neither parents, schools or local governments seem to be doing enough to combat the problems related to teen substance abuse. In increasing numbers, kids find themselves with very little supervision and not much to do other than using their smart phones and gaming systems. Communication between teens and adults seems to have broken down.

If teens won’t listen to directives from responsible adults, there’s only one alternative. We have to do more in the way of education. Teens need to know the truth about how drugs and alcohol threaten their future, not to mention their health and lives. They need to see it first hand.

Treatment For Teen Addiction Issues

Beaches Recovery is a full-service rehab center devoted to treating both adults and teens. We use an individualized approach to treatment which gives us the ability to specifically address the treatment needs of teens. Here’s just a partial list of our programs:

• Residential drug rehab
• Family counseling
• Intensive outpatient program
• Student addiction treatment
• Aftercare programs

If you or your teen need help with an addiction, there’s no time like the present to address these issues. The most important step you can take is to pick up the phone and contact one of our professional counselors at our Jacksonville-based Beaches Recovery facility. The battle for sobriety has to start today. Call 866.605.0532 for top-notch teen drug rehab.