JastaPlace Drug Rehab

While the use of certain drugs used by high school students seems to be steadily declining, it is disheartening to think that they are simply replaced by other drugs. What is even more disturbing is the ease in which students can obtain drugs and find places to use them without being detected. Small quiet towns no longer mean drug-free. Bright, sunny days in the courtyard of a busy high school can be the drop point for a number of drug purchases. Corridors seldom traveled by students or faculty turn into areas where students get their quick fix before heading off to their next class.

The Facts about Drug Usage Among Teens

Marijuana and alcohol remain high on the list of drugs used by high school students, however the incidence of their use is dropping. While the younger students seem to be abstaining, their older counterparts have not seen a change in usage. Alcohol and cocaine has seen a decline among 8th graders, however once again the 10th and 12th graders did not notice an appreciable change.

Heroin and ecstasy are among those drugs that have seen a rise in use. One of the latest attempts to get a fix is actually legal and happens right under the nose of seemingly watchful parents. Prescription drugs, often painkillers prescribed to adult family members, are being used for recreational purposes.

Teen Drug Dealers and Peer Pressure

Selling drugs among teens is just as alluring as using the drugs themselves. In today’s materialistic world kids are taught that money is everything. They perceive drug dealing as a means of obtaining quick cash for little labor. Kids are also more likely to buy drugs from their peers then they are from the stereotypical drug dealer. They also falsely believe if their friends are selling and using that there must be no harm in using it themselves. Teens often end up selling drugs to support their own habit and it is here that the downward spiral of drug addiction begins.

Teens usually begin using drugs and alcohol as a part of peer pressure or simple curiosity, but the elements that keep bringing them back do not differ greatly from adults. Stress is stress regardless of whether it comes in the form of bills to pay and a family to feed, or a term paper to write and a class to pass. High school students that use drugs often report that they need a means of escape and using drugs is the quickest path to that destination. Teens that have troubles at home have a higher tendency to experiment with drugs and inevitably find themselves hooked.

Drugs know no boundaries. They show up in big cities and small towns alike. They have no interest in the divisions of class or the socio-economic structure of things. They do not stick strictly with the cool kids and they do not care about body shape, facial blemishes or one’s place in the high school hierarchy. Drugs are simply there, and they are available in a startlingly high number of new and old methods to any kid who wants to try them. This problem is not new and it is not going away overnight. Parents and educators need to open the lines of communication with high school students and make sure they are a constant and positive influence in their lives.