After a decade of decreasing drug use in US teens, marijuana, and ecstasy use is reported to be increasing.

For drug-prevention advocates, this reversal in trend is surprising. These advocates of drug prevention feel that high-profile media campaigns and parental involvement encouraged to restrict all types of teen drug use between 1998 and 2008. In 2008, use of alcohol and marijuana reduced by 30 percent among ninth and 12th graders from the previous year and methamphetamine abuse was reduced to 60 percent.

This data were published by the Partnership for a Drug Free America and the MetLife Foundation and revealed that teen usage turned back last year for the first time from 1998.

Among the findings reported about teens between the ninth and 12th grades:

• Yearly and monthly marijuana use raised to 38 and 25 percent, respectively.
• Thirteen percent of teens accept they tried ecstasy previous year, a 30 percent raise from 2008.
• Seventy-five percent of teenagers express they have friends who get high at parties, a 9 percent raise from 2008.

Reasons cited for the dramatic reversal are reduction in federal funding for drug-prevention programs in schools and the media, the public questioning about the legalization of marijuana.

Inhalants like glues, nail polish remover, spray paints, and cleaning fluids, present an increasing risk among teens, the use of which increases more in eighth grade. A report made by the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recorded from 2006 to 2008, 7 percent of 12-year-olds huffed inhalants. In current years, reports say that teen abuse drugs particularly prescription medicines, as they are easily available.

More susceptible attitudes in teens toward drug use can be repelled using education campaigns in schools and through the media.

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The hallways of DSS were filled with many different posters, inspiring students to attend and take part in the events and presentations related to substance abuse prevention.

One of the presentations consisted of a video, named ‘The Ripple Effect’, which emphasized elaborate stories and interviews of people and families who have been directly influenced by either taking bad decisions themselves when they are intoxicated, or due to another person’s decisions, resulting both events ending tragically.

Hypnotist Robert Maxwell inspired the students by hypnotizing student volunteers, cheering up the mood of the crucial topic in the process.

The substance abuse prevention week, which is an yearly event at DSS is intended to teach students about the dangers of making the wrong judgment, so that they can see when they themselves, and also those around them, are at risk of addiction, and how they can avoid it. This helps the students not to risk their own lives and also the lives of others by taking the wrong decisions.

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Suggested reading:
Affects of drug abuse on children
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• The abusing prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC) medications have increased
• One in five teens approximately 4.5 million teens reported abusing prescription medications to get high
• Nearly one-third of teens, nearly 31 percent believed that there is “nothing wrong” with using Rx medicines without a prescription once in a while
• More than half of teens did not agree strongly that using cough medicines to get high is risky

Troubling facts:

• Parents are unable to understand the behavior of intentionally abusing medications
• Parents are not discussing the risks involved in abuse of prescription and non-prescription drugs with their children, especially the cough syrups
• Internet accessibility and loose e-commerce enforcement makes easier to get high

These all facts clearly state that the present and future of the teens look gloomy with increase in drug abuse.

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• Parents should first have to think about themselves and avoid drug or alcohol abuse because children generally start abusing drugs by seeing them
• Parents need to build the child’s motivation to avoid drugs. It could be possible by talking about the realities of getting caught, how it will affect their activities and how they could get kicked off the team or lose their competitive edge
• Teach them that drugs addiction is not appropriate and they should walk away from a person who uses drugs or alcohol
• Parents should keep talking continually to reinforce this message
• Stress the danger of drugs and do not accept any excuses for drug addiction

With all these preventive measures parents can keep their children away from drugs.

Related Links:
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Suggested reading:
Affects of drug abuse on children
Role Of Physician In Prevention Of Drug Abuse
Know about the Tobacco Abuse in America
Impact of Marijuana Abuse on Health
Rave Parties-Teenagers Way to Hell
Know About Different Types of Drug Testing