A new study of alcohol and drug use by teenagers found that African-American teens were less likely to be abusing drugs and alcohol than non-Hispanic whites. The group with the highest rates of abuse and addiction was Native American.
Read more about White Teens Have Double the Rates of Drug Addiction as African-Americans
The use of alcohol by young adults is a measure that is carefully watched by experts in substance abuse treatment, as well as those who work to provide education and intervention programs for the public. Those in the early years of adulthood are transitioning from college and career development into their first full-time jobs and marriage and family.
According to a recent article on the Fox News website, illicit drug abuse among adolescents is taking a toll. The problem is not only caused by economic and social hardship but it is among those with wealth and opportunity who are abusing heroin, snorting Adderall, taking prescription painkillers and even sniffing household aerosol products or cleaning supplies.
Read more about Should High School Athletes Be Drug Tested Before Participating in Sports?
In what are sometimes described as "safe party houses," parents of teenagers are letting their teens and their children’s friends experiment with alcohol, believing that this is the approach that can help teach kids to consume alcohol responsibly.
Read more about Parents Who Allow Teens to Drink Sending Wrong Message, Says Study
A new study has found that Aboriginal youth not living on reservations in Canada use tobacco, alcohol, and drugs significantly more than non-Aboriginal youth, and have more health risks. Most Aboriginals in Canada live off-reserve, and those age 15 and older are more likely than non-Aboriginals to have chronic health conditions, to drink heavily, and to use tobacco and marijuana.
Read more about Aboriginal Youth Living Off-Reserve More Likely to Smoke, Use Drugs and Alcohol
Two new studies involving laboratory animals indicate that adolescence is a crucial time to develop drug addictions, because adults react differently to drugs than youngsters.
Teens will often go to great lengths to escape their current environment, both physically and mentally. One substance that is often introduced to assist in the mental escape is stimulant drugs. A new KOTATV report shows that these drugs, which are often prescribed legally, tend to be abused by teens.
Read more about Teens Prefer Prescription Stimulants to Get High, Stay Awake, and Lose Weight
Parents with teens in high school are generally focused on making sure their child is performing properly in class and meeting expectations in order to graduate and move forward with future plans. For parents of students of Stanwood High School outside of Seattle, the bigger battle is against an addiction to heroin.
Read more about Teen Heroin Addiction Growing Rapidly in Seattle
Most national reports on teenage drug use are based on data gathered from either self-reports or confidential reports conducted on high school students. Even though the latest studies on at-risk youth from urban areas have indicated a rise in substance abuse, teenagers still may not be admitting to the whole truth. A new study by researchers at the Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has found that teens grossly underreport their actual drug use in confidential self-reports, even when they are aware that they will undergo a subsequent drug test.
Read more about Most Teenagers Deny Their Drug Use, Even When Undergoing Drug Testing
Popularity in school is often established in the first days of kindergarten. Children quickly recognize which of their peers have tennis shoes with the most current licensed character or whose mom brings the fanciest cupcakes for the child’s birthday. As the school years go by, however, there are more complicated factors that go into which children retain their popularity with the group.