According to recent research and survey of teen drug abuse trends, young US drug abusers are “over” prescription drugs but still hold fast to marijuana—a drug that continues to be one of the most commonly abused in the world. Also newly discovered is the decline in binge drinking that is apparently taking place amongst youth. If this is true, that American kids choose marijuana over prescription drugs, are we safe?
And does the addiction stop with marijuana or is it just a gateway into prescriptions and other drugs for teens?
Is Youth Prescription Drug Abuse A Thing Of The Past
The US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) oversaw and released findings from a recent study claiming to have discovered that youth obsession with pharmaceutical abuse will soon be a thing of the past
According to the numbers, prescription drug abuse amongst young people between the ages of 18 and 25 dropped 14% in 2011. The average American would never know this, especially with all the media hype surrounding the dangers of abusing pills like Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, Adderall and Valium. This amounts to 1.7 million young Americans abusing prescription medications. This was down from the previous number of 2 million. While this is an improvement, most experts agree that we can hardly call this a projection of the future. We are definitely not in the clear on this issue yet.
Further, the pharmaceutical abuse trends amongst youth aged 12-17 and 26+ remained the same, indicating that only certain demographics have responded to anti-drug efforts.
Marijuana Is Not A Safe Alternative
Sadly, there is a great deal of misconception that surrounds the concept of marijuana. It is derived from a leafy green plant (called the cannabis sativa plant), and this opens the door to many opinions about its “natural, safe and dependency-free qualities.”
Marijuana itself actually contains over 400 toxic chemicals, including tetrahydrocannabinol—marijuana’s primary psychoactive ingredient. Countless scientific studies have proven that marijuana is an addictive drug and becomes habit-forming even after just one use. Further, its adverse mental effects have been demonstrated through time as well:
-Memory loss
-Trouble with learning
-Loss of motivation
-Impairment of motor skills and coordination
-Depression
-Anxiety
It is so commonly misunderstood that marijuana is a “safe” drug, that many of today’s American kids choose marijuana over prescription drugs. If the natural trait of a substance determined its safety, then tobacco, cocaine and even heroin would be (by this yardstick) considered safe. Of course, this is not the case at all. This planet can and does produce dangerous substances on a daily basis—being “green” does not make marijuana a harmless product.
But this is not the only problem with marijuana. Studies have shown that it is a gateway drug. Those who try marijuana and use it on a regular basis are much more at risk for using drugs like prescriptions, heroin, synthetic drugs and other illicit substances.
Preventing Future Epidemics
It appears that, like most anything, the popularity of substances has an ebb and flow. Cocaine and methamphetamine, for example, have consistently been declining over the past several years while prescription drugs, synthetic substances and heroin are on the rise.
We are extremely fortunate to have access to such vital statistics and trends. With these in our possession, we can plan and properly allocate resources towards anti-drug campaigns that target relevant issues.
Narconon has promoted for years the use of drug education and prevention. We have talked to hundreds of thousands of kids in schools, community groups and even adults in workplace settings. This has prevented kids from taking drugs in the first place.
For more information on Narconon drug prevention or how to stop teen marijuana use contact us today and make sure to follow Narconon on Twitter.
Source: http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1112700719/marijuana-prescription-drugs-teens-samhsa-092512/