Teen drug and alcohol use is a huge problem in our country. One and a half out of every ten 8th-graders have tried marijuana and/or cigarettes in the United States. Three out of every ten 8th-graders have tried drinking alcohol. It is no secret that teen alcohol and drug abuse have become a huge issue in America. Teenagers are actively abusing marijuana, alcohol, and tobacco as early as middle school. By eighth grade, 15% of young adults have used marijuana, 15.5% have smoked cigarettes, and almost 30% have tried drinking alcohol at least once.
Almost 13% of 16 and 17 year-olds abuse marijuana. 4% use prescription drugs in a nonmedical fashion and 1.6% misuse hallucinogens. Alcohol abuse among university students is rampant. Almost 600,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 suffer alcohol-related injuries each year (and there are 1,825 alcohol-related fatalities). Almost 700,000 alcohol-related assaults take place on college campuses yearly.
Teens who abuse substances experience a wide array of problems. Sunflower Wellness Retreat can help your teen beat their addiction and get back on track with their life. Read on to learn facts about teen drug and alcohol abuse. Learn about the negative effects that drugs and alcohol have on your children.
Academic Consequences
Drugs and alcohol chemically change the brain, especially the brains of young teenagers. This leaves them unable to concentrate and impairs their learning abilities. About 25% of university students report negative academic consequences due to excessive drinking. This includes missed classes, struggling to keep up, failed exams, poor reviews on papers, and lower grades overall. Seek alcohol abuse treatment if any of these issues become pertinent in your teen.
Sexual Assault and Date Rapes
On university campuses, alcohol and drug use are large factors for an increasing rate of date rapes. Victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape among university students were more than 97,000. 75% of men and 55% of women reported knowing someone who experienced the trauma of date rape on campus.
Unsafe Sex
Over 400,000 students reported having unprotected sex after consuming alcohol. Alcohol is more likely to be involved in these situations.
Injuries
Excessive alcohol drinking can significantly damage a teenager’s health and development. Alcohol kills more teenagers each year than any other drug. About 1,825 university students between 18 to 24 years of age die from alcohol-related injuries, like car accidents. Alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of death in the US.
Driving Accidents
Teenagers are more likely to drink and drive than any other age group. As a result, they get into more accidents and cause more deaths on America’s roads. Roughly 23% of teens admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol, prescription drugs, or marijuana at some point in their lives. Drunk or drugged driving is the cause of a high percentage of teen deaths.
Emergency Room Visits
In 2010 alone, there were 189,000 emergency room visits by young adults less than 21 years of age who suffered from alcohol-related injuries. There were over 66,500 teen emergency room visits relating to the non-medical use of prescription substances, as well.
Sunflower Wellness Retreat Can Help
There are a lot of reasons why teenagers turn to alcohol and drugs. Many teens do not realize the consequences of their actions when they use substances. They do not understand the permanent damage that using drugs (even once) may cause. For this reason, it is very important for parents to talk to their children about drug and alcohol abuse. Educating your teen and preparing them for the consequences of alcohol abuse may help them make better choices in their life. Contact Sunflower Wellness Retreat at 855.730.8825 for information and help on how to help your teen overcome alcohol abuse.
Source: Recovery Experts
