Facts About Teen Drug Use That May Shock You

Drug addiction often begins in a person’s youth. While teens have been known to experiment with tobacco and alcohol for decades, drug abuse has also become prevalent within high schools across the country.

What Kids Are Using

An estimated 68 percent of high school seniors have tried alcohol and 21 percent surveyed had binge drank within the prior 30 days. More than 80 percent say it would be easy to get marijuana, but legal drugs also pose a problem. Teens are using Adderall, opioid painkillers and even cough medicine to get high.

Why They Do It

Naturally, teenagers don’t begin using drugs with the idea of addiction in mind. Sometimes they use it to fit in or to relax with friends. Other times, they begin using drugs such as Adderall to remain focused and able to complete homework as well as hold down after-school jobs and participate in extracurricular activities.

The Scary Truth

Half of high school seniors don’t believe it’s dangerous to try crack or cocaine a couple of times and 40 percent feel the same way about heroin, despite the epidemic that is sweeping the country. Despite these beliefs, more teens die from prescription drug overdoses than from heroin and cocaine.
The sooner drug addiction recovery begins, the sooner a teenager can begin to live a healthier and longer life. Brighton Recovery Center provides mental health counseling and a 24-hour inpatient treatment program to help addicts get clean.