According to a nation wide survey reported by the non-profit partnership for a Drug Free America released in March 1997, in recent years the number of 12 to 17 year old children using marijuana has doubled.
A recent UN survey of global narcotics production found that drug use is up in the past decade to more than 200 million people. Illegal production of heroin has tripled, and cultivation of coca for cocaine has doubled since 1985 (Boston Globe, June 9, 1998).
More than one million people are completely dependent on at least one type of illicit substance.
More than one million people swallow, smoke, or inject sedatives and mood changing drugs such as tranquilizers, barbiturates, etc. every day into their bodies.
Prescription medicine abuse including Ritalin abuse is widespread nationally and specially among teenage girls in Boston ( Health and Addictions Research Inc., Boston, Report, June 1998 ).
In 1996, 39.8% of 10th grade students tried marijuana at least once as compared to 23.4% had experienced with marijuana in 1991. The corresponding figures for 8th grade students were 23.1% in 1996 and 10.2% in 1991. This means that the use of drugs is increasing among students (A survey conducted by the Institute of Social Research at the University of Michigan).
About 26% of America's 12th grade students, 23% of the tenth grade students, and 13% of eight grade students have used an illicit drug the last month (National Institute on drug Abuse, 1997, Monitoring the Future Study, Secondary Students).
There is a 22% decrease in the number of high school seniors who believe marijuana use is a harmful in the past three years.
Marijuana use starts at a much younger age. The average age of first use of marijuana is 13.5 years.
About 9.5 million Americans between ages 12-20 had at least one drink last month, of these 4.4 million had consumed five or more drinks in a row (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1996 Survey).
82% of high school seniors have used alcohol, 65% have smoked cigarettes, 50% have experimented with marijuana, and 9% have tried cocaine (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1997 Monitoring the Future Study, Secondary School Students).
More than 15% of work force uses drugs which costs their companies more than $100 billion in terms of productivity, accidents, absenteeism, and higher health-care costs.
First use of alcohol begins as early as at the age of 13 years, marijuana around the age of 14 years (National Institute on Drug Abuse, Drug Use Among Racial/Ethnic Minorities, 1995).
About 34% of America's 12th grade students, 22% of 10th grade students, and 8% of eight grade students have drunk during the last month (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1997, Monitoring the Future Study, Secondary Students).
38% of college students have drunk alcohol more than five times in a row during the last two weeks (National Institute on Drugs Abuse, 1996, Monitoring the Future Study, College Students and Young Adults).
Among the college students, rates of students drinking five drinks in a row were highest among Caucasians, 43.3% for males and 24.4% for females; among Asians the rates were 32% for males and 20% for females; and among African-Americans 4.8% for males and 5.4% for females (State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, March, 1993).
A clear relationship exists between alcohol use and grade-point average among college students (Student Health Program Wellness Center, Southern Illinois University, July, 1992).
Children see drinking people everywhere - at home, at social celebrations, at restaurants, etc. and become curious about alcohol and its effect on body. Parents who are clear about not wanting their children to use illicit drugs may find it harder to be tough about alcohol. Many parents may view alcohol as a less dangerous substance than other drugs.
4.6 million teens have a drinking problem.
4% of high school seniors drink alcohol every day.
Alcohol-related accidents are the leading cause of death among young people 15 to 24 years of age.
About half of all youthful deaths in drowning, fires, suicide, and homicides are alcohol related.
Young people who use alcohol at an early age are more likely to use alcohol heavily and to have alcohol-related problems; they are also more likely to abuse other drugs and to get into trouble with the law.
Young people whose body weight is lower than adults reach a higher blood alcohol concentration level than adults and show greater effects for longer periods of time.
Smokers are 10 times as likely as nonsmokers to develop lung cancer and 3 times as likely to die at early ages from heart attack.
Nicotine, the active ingredient in tobacco, is as addictive as heroin, and fewer than 20% of smokers are able to quit the first time they try.
12% of boys and 1% of girls have chewed tobacco or used snuff. Smokeless tobacco is just as addictive and harmful as tobacco that is smoked.
18% of high school seniors are daily smokers; 11% smoke 10 or more cigarettes per day.
70% of all children try cigarettes, 40% of them before they have reached high school.
Cigarettes contain more than 4, 000 harmful substances, several of which cause cancer.
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