This is the second in a series of blog entries dedicated to the current use of drugs and alcohol by our nation’s youth.
A recent national study addressed the drug and alcohol usage of our nation’s youth. It used 8th, 10th and 12th graders. The numbers clearly are disturbing. With what we know, increased alcohol and drug education, through mandatory alcohol classes and drug classes may be the cog that motivates the wheel of change. As reported in www.drugabuse.gov.
Most of us reading this blog are high school graduates. What percent of high school senior do you think have consumed alcohol in the past 30 days?
Do you think more than half? If so, you might be pleasantly surprised to find that number at only 42%. That still seems really high (pun intended). Speaking of which almost 25% of high school seniors admit to having used marijuana in the last month. That number seems really high. Is it just me or were there very few, compared to 25%, marijuana users in the 1980s?
Here’s some scary stuff – more 12 grader use illicit drugs (25%) than smoke cigarettes (17%). What is the anti-tobacco movement doing to curb teen smoking? Or do you think it is more that illicit drugs are so readily available why smoke cigarettes?
Are tobacco classes working? Would increased drug classes and alcohol classes help curb teen use here too? I welcome your opinion.