Adolescent Rehab Louisiana - Drug Abuse Treatment Centers Louisiana

The Dangers of Methamphetamine and Teens

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One of the most frightening drugs teenagers can be exposed to is methamphetamine, commonly known as meth. Some parents’ exposure to this may be limited to the television show Breaking Bad, and its storyline of a chemistry teacher turned meth dealer. But the drug is extremely dangerous, and teenagers and young adults are part of its reach.

According to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, around 667,000 people (ages 12 and older) were meth users. That includes about 9,000 people between the ages of 12 and 17, and 65,000 between ages 18 and 25.

Here’s a look at the dangers of meth.

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Mixing Alcohol and Marijuana

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When teenagers go to a party — the parents-aren’t-home kind of party — two of the more likely substances they can encounter are alcohol and marijuana.

Teen drinking and toking are nothing new, of course. And despite the mixed signals sent in the United States by the increasing legalization of marijuana, it still has its dangers, just as alcohol does. So naturally, combining the two — sometimes known as getting “cross faded” — can be dangerous as well.

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Why Teenagers Start to Use Alcohol and Drugs

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When parents discover that their child has been experimenting with drugs or alcohol, they may find themselves asking why he or she has gone down this dangerous road.

It’s a complex question, and there’s not a simple answer. But it can be a common issue, as shown by this statistic by the National Institute on Drug Abuse: “By the time they are seniors, almost 70 percent of high school students will have tried alcohol, half will have taken an illegal drug, nearly 40 percent will have smoked a cigarette, and more than 20 percent will have used a prescription drug for a nonmedical purpose.”

Here’s a look at a few potential reasons why teens turn to drugs and alcohol.

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Abuse of Prescription Drugs

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There are countless fears that parents experience in raising their children, and that only increases when the teenage years begin. Alcohol and drug use are a major cause for this anxiety. Yet, parents may not realize what’s already in their medicine cabinet can be as dangerous for teens as illegal substances.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that prescription and over-the-counter drugs are the most commonly misused substances for ages 14 and older (after alcohol and marijuana). Misuse of prescription drugs is highest for ages 18 to 25.

“Although most people take prescription medications responsibly, an estimated 54 million people (more than 20 percent of those aged 12 and older) have used such medications for nonmedical reasons at least once in their lifetime,” the NIDA reports.

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The Rise of Marijuana Use in Teenagers

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Marijuana use is on the rise among high school students, according to the 2017 Monitoring the Future report. While that may be alarming for parents, it’s a confusing time for teenagers in regards to the drug. The perception of marijuana is changing, thanks to several states legalizing the drug for adults.

As the national perception shifts, parents may face additional difficulties in getting teenagers to understand why marijuana use can be dangerous for them. What young people see as something that is increasingly legal for adults can have long-term effects on their brains. As Matthew J. Smith, a research assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, told CNN in a story by Randye Hoder: “Adolescence is a sensitive time for brain development. If a teen introduces the abuse of marijuana at that point in their life, it could have consequences for their ability to problem solve, for their memory and for critical thinking in general.”

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