Over 40% of youth who begin drinking before age 15 will become dependent on alcohol.¹ At current rates, 18% or approximately 72,000 Dallas-area students will become alcohol-dependent adults.
The
Costs
Chemical dependency treatment per person: $2,941
Crime costs per person prior to treatment: $8,611
“Early drug use often leads to other forms of unhealthy, unproductive behavior. Illegal drugs are associated with premature sexual activity (with attendant risks of unwanted pregnancy and exposure to sexually-transmitted diseases like HIV / AIDS), delinquency, and involvement in the criminal justice system.”²
In
the News
Alcohol continues
to be the mostly widely used substance among Texas students in grades
7–12. Tobacco
is the second most widely used substance, but its use is showing significant
decreases. Marijuana
continues to rank third. Use of the club-drug Ecstasy
has increased dramatically. Overall, substance use by teens has decreased
19% in the last 10 years, driven by reduction in tobacco and alcohol
use.³
GDCADA
Web Reports
Binge
Drinking on the Rise
Candy
Flavored Cigarettes Gain Popularity
Girls
More Prone to Alcohol &Other Drug Use
Inhalant
Abuse: The Invisible Threat
Parents
Warned About 24-Proof Gelatin
Prescription
Drug Abuse
Growing Among Youths
-
Make A Difference
-
While many parents say they talk to their children about drugs, research shows that many fewer teens recall any of those talks. A single conversation is not enough. In other words, you have to say it over and over. Let them know about the dangers of drugs and that you disapprove of their use.
How to talk to your kids about drugs
Is your child using drugs? How to find out.
Encourage your schools and school districts to include drug prevention programs in their curricula. Volunteer to help with school prevention programs.
Resources
National
Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaigns
Me.
My Anti-Drug.
(targets youth)
Parents.
The Anti-Drug.
(targets parents)
State & National Organizations
Partnership
for a Drug-Free America
Alcohol
Screening
Test
¹ National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism
² Office of National Drug Control Policy, National Criminal Justice Reference Service, 1997
³ 2002 Texas School Survey – Texas Commission on Alcohol & Drug Abuse, October 2002
