One of the biggest reasons for our youth drinking at such a young age is the influence of their parents. As the children grow up and see their parents drink, possibly in excess, on a regular basis, they might get the impression there is no problem with it. The youth might not realize their parents possibly did not start drinking until they were older. Another reason for teenage alcohol use is peer pressure. If the young people have the perception that their friends drink alcohol, they will initiate the use of alcohol during the school year. This perception is usually inaccurate causing them to start drinking under a false assumption. Teenagers who have friends that drink alcohol are nine times more likely to drink alcohol than those with friends that do not drink.
Tobacco is another drug that is readily available. The National Institute on Drug Abuse and the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research conducted a survey called Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use in 2005. In their survey they asked children in the eighth grade about tobacco use. More than 12% of the students admitted having their first cigarette during their sixth or seventh grade. About 10% of the students admitted using as early as fifth grade. Smokeless tobacco had its highest rate of initiation between the seventh and tenth grades.
The YBRS had determined the current trend of tobacco use, cigarettes or smokeless, by high school students is 23%. In 2002, just over 27% of high school students smoked cigarettes. The lower percentage is mainly due to the decline in those who smoke, the users of smokeless tobacco stayed the same. It is believed that the decrease in using is due to the reduction in tobacco advertising due to new laws.
The cities where the students live could play a factor in tobacco use. The students who are least likely to use tobacco live in large cities. Those who live in cities that are smaller are more likely to use tobacco. And those living in the rural communities are even more likely to use tobacco. The farther you get away from the large cities, the higher the prevalence of smoking. Part of the reasoning for this is the level of income and education of rural residents.
The use of marijuana and inhalants are usually introduced to students early in life also. Illicit drugs besides marijuana and inhalants usually start sometime between ninth and eleventh grades, with crack and cocaine starting between the eleventh and twelfth grades.
Of the seniors that admitted using inhalants, over 60% of them had used the drug by the end of the ninth grade. In a study that started in 1991 and ran through 2005 children in the eighth grade had the highest prevalence, tenth graders were second, and twelfth graders were third.
Marijuana is also one of the first drugs tried by high school students. Of the twelfth graders who admitted to using, 54% said they began using marijuana by the end of the ninth grade. Comparing the marijuana users to the inhalant users, the results are just the opposite. Twelfth graders had the highest prevalence, tenth graders were second, and eight graders were third.
Our youth are so vulnerable to drugs and due to peer pressure or the influence of their parents seem to fall into the grasp of drugs easily. It is natural for them to think that my friend is doing it and they don’t seem to be affected, so I might as well try it also. The best deterrents to drug abuse are parental involvement in their children’s lives along with good drug awareness programs in school, church, and the neighborhood.
References
Alcohol, Tobacco, Illicit Drugs, and Youth. (2008). Alcohol, Tobacco, and Illicit Drugs, (2007th ed., pp. 67-85). Detroit: Thomson Gale. Retrieved April 29, 2008, from Gale Virtual Reference Library via Gale:
http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS
