Prescription drugs and marijuana are the most common drugs abused by high school students. The perceived risk of marijuana has gone done, partially due to the knowledge that some states are approving the legal use of medical marijuana and also the movement of legalizing the use of recreational marijuana for adults in some states. When the perceived risk of a drug goes down, the use of that drug increases. Teens think that marijuana must not be that dangerous if there are states where it is legal. An interesting fact is that alcohol use and smoking is decreasing in teens. More teens smoke marijuana then smoke regular cigarettes.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, Marijuana is the most popular drug with 36.4 % of 12th graders using it. Prescription Drugs are used more commonly now then street drugs, with Adderal and Vicodin topping the list with 5-7 % of teens using them, while the use of all forms of cocaine and inhalants have actually gone down.
What can parents do to be aware of what their teens are doing? Teens will hide their drugs in everyday objects, so be on the lookout for unusual behavior. They might hide pills in a highlighter or mascara tube, or an empty cd sleeve or baseball cap. Keep an eye out for straws that are cut short or bent spoons, tinfoil and baggies in their room. Keep current on the slang and code words, for example, 420 is a code for drug use, referring to April 20th, national marijuana day. Rummy bears are gummy bears soaked in alcohol, ingesting numerous pills at a party is known as “skittling” and “Robo Tripping” means ingesting a large amount of alcohol.
Being involved in your teens life, and watching for signs of drug abuse, are very important to keep your teen safe. Always have an open dialogue and talk to your teen about his/her life, friends, after school activities. Remind them of their goals in life and how going down the wrong path can alter their life forever. And remind them that you are always there if they need to talk.