Drug Facts

In 2006, an estimated 20.4 million Americans aged 12 or older were current (past month) illicit drug users,
 

Marijuana was the most commonly used illicit drug (14.8 million past month users)

An estimated 5.2 million persons were current nonmedical users of prescription pain relievers in 2006

In 2006, 9.8 percent of youths aged 12 to 17 were current illicit drug users

Slightly more than half of Americans aged 12 or older reported being current drinkers of alcohol

There are more deaths, illnesses, and disabilities each year from drug and alcohol abuse than from any other preventable health condition.

Drug and alcohol use can result in family violence.  Addiction problems factor in the placement of more than 75 percent of children in foster care.

Public safety is greatly affected by drug and alcohol problems, in terms of increased crime, motor vehicle accidents, and violence.

Children raised in homes where there is drug and alcohol abuse have a higher risk of using drugs in the future.

 Sources:

Office of Applied Studies

ONDCP

Drug and Alcohol Addiction

The Teen Brain

Signs and Symptoms of Substance Abuse:

People who interact with adolescents in there home community need to be aware of changes in an adolescent's behavior and appearance that may signal substance abuse.

By recognizing the early warning signs and symptoms of substance abuse and intervening with treatment, an adolescent will have a much better chance of recovering.

The following behavior changes, when persistent for several days, may indicate drug or alcohol use and will need further screening by a professional:

--Sudden changes in personality without another known cause

--Sudden Loss of interest in hobbies, sports, or other activities

--Sudden decline in performance or attendance at school or work

--Changes in friends and reluctance to talk about new friends

--Deterioration of personal grooming habits

--Difficulty paying attention, forgetfulness

--Sudden aggressive behavior, irritability, nervousness, or giddiness

--Increased secretiveness, heightened sensitivity to inquiry

Adolescent Brain Development

By Sally Mandler, CSAP’s Central CAPT

Edited by Jack C. Wilson, MBA, CPP

The brain of the adolescent is unique and differs from that of younger individuals and adults in numerous regions, including those that are critical with respect to alcohol and other drugs. Particular sets of brain circuits are involved in the development of addictions and these are the same ones that are rapidly undergoing change during adolescence. A predisposition for alcohol use may be in part biologically determined by age-specific neural alterations that continue into late adolescence.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has shown that the teen brain is a work in progress. Until recently, most scientists believed that the major “wiring” of the brain was completed as early as age three and that the brain was fully mature by the age of 10 or 12. New findings show that the parts of the brain responsible for functions such as self control, judgment, emotions and organization undergo the greatest changes between puberty and adulthood. Both organizational and functional changes occur in the frontal lobe during adolescence. Frontal lobe gray matter reaches its peak at around age 11 or 12 and then decreases throughout adolescence. Researchers believe that the decrease in gray matter reflects two separate processes that result in fewer, but more efficient use of remaining brain cells.

The brain has heightened plasticity during adolescence. This is a double edged sword—it provides a unique opportunity to guide brain development in healthy ways, but it also appears to increase vulnerability to disruptive effects of both acute and chronic substance use. Dr. Jay Giedd of NIMH reports that “brain maturation does not stop at age 10, but continues into the teen years and even into the 20s… Kids who ‘exercise’ their brains by learning to order their thoughts, understand abstract concepts and control their impulses are laying the neural foundations that will serve them for the rest of their lives.”[1]

Adolescents react differently to the initial effects of alcohol. Additionally, research on 15- and 16-year-olds showed cognitive impairments in teen alcohol abusers, compared to their non-abusing peers, even weeks after they stop drinking. This suggests that the abuse of alcohol by teens may have long-term negative effects on the make up of their brains. This research also may provide an explanation for why adolescents often fail to heed adults’ warnings about risks. Simply put, they may not be able to understand and accept arguments that seem logical and decisive to adults.

The Adolescent Brain and Substance Abuse

§       The adolescent brain is a brain in transition.

§       Frontal lobe gray matter reaches its peak around the age of 11 or 12 and then decreases throughout adolescence.

§       The brain has heightened plasticity during adolescence.

§       The sets of brain circuits rapidly undergoing change during adolescence are the same ones involved in the development of addictions.

§       The parts of the brain responsible for functions such as self control, judgment, and emotions undergo the greatest changes between puberty and adulthood.

§       The majority of serious health problems involving the control of behavior and emotions occur during adolescence.

§       Mortality and morbidity increase by 300 percent during adolescence.

§       Adolescents react differently than adults to the initial effects of alcohol.

The following links are additional resources on adolescent brain development:

§       http://www.nida.nih.gov/Curriculum/HSCurriculum. html

§       http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/teenbrain.cfm

§       http://www.teens.drugabuse.gov/facts/facts_brain1.asp

Addiction as a Medical Disorder

Addiction is a chronic disease involving brain chemistry, which over time makes it difficult for a person with an addictive disorder to stop using drugs or alcohol despite his/her wish to do so.  Lapses in the prescribed treatment therapy also can interfere with a person's ability to stop using drugs or alcohol.  Addiction treatment is as effective as treatments for other chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension.  Recovery from addiction is dependent on the availability of treatment and may require multiple courses of treatment, as with other relapsing conditions.

Substance Abuse and Adolescents:

Over 1 million adolescents, age 12-17, meet the diagnostic criteria for dependence on illicit drugs and over 900 thousand of them are dependent on alcohol.

More than half (55 percent) of our Nation's 12th graders have tried illicit drugs, and more than one-forth (29 percent) of them have tried more potent drugs like cocaine, inhalants, and heroin.

Youth age 16-17 have the second highest rate (16.4 percent) of current illicit drug use in the U.S.  The highest rate (19.9 percent) is found among young adults age 18-20.

Although the legal drinking age in the U.S. is 21, over 10 million youth age 12-20 drink alcohol; half of them engage in binge drinking, and over 2 million are heavy drinkers

One-forth of youth age 10-17 say their friends "huff" (inhale the fumes of household products).  More than one-third (34 percent) of youth age 13-15 were exposed to peers using inhalants.

Consequences of Adolescent Substance Abuse:

Adolescents face unique risks associated with substance abuse.  The use of substances may compromise an adolescents mental and emotional development by interfering with how they approach and experience interactions.  In addition, adolescents are at serious risk for a number of direct and indirect consequences, including the following:

Traffic Accidents - Nearly half (45 percent) of all deaths from traffic accidents are related to the consumption of alcohol.  Almost 20 percent (2.5 million) of drivers age 16-20  drive under the influence of alcohol.

School Related Problems - Adolescent substance abuse results in declining grades, excessive absences from school, and possibly dropping out of school.  Cognitive and behavioral problems interfere with their academic performance.

Risky Sexual Practices - Adolescents who use marijuana at least once a week are six times more likely than non-users to have sex, initiate sex at a younger age, and have multiple sex partners, increasing their risks of unplanned pregnancies and contracting Sexually transmitted diseases, like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C.

Delinquent Behavior - Adolescents who use marijuana weekly are six times more likely than non-users to run away from home and five times more likely to steel from people, and four times more likely to start physical confrontations.

Juvenile Crime - Adolescents age 12-16 who smoke marijuana are over 20 percent more likely to sell marijuana, 25 percent more likely to carry a handgun, and 10 percent more likely to join a gang than non-users.

Developmental Problems - Substance abuse can impair psychological and social development, including the sense of self-identity and self-worth, emotional and intellectual growth, establishment of a career, and development of worthy personal relationships.

Physical and Mental Consequences - Smoking marijuana can have negative effects on the mind and body.  It can impair the short-term memory and comprehension, alter the sense of time, and reduce the ability to perform tasks that require concentration and coordination, such as driving a car.  Long-term effects of using marijuana include increased risk of lung cancer and other chronic lung disorders, head and neck cancer, sterility in men, and infertility in women.

Future Use Disorders - The earlier the age an adolescent first drinks alcohol, the more likely they are to develop an alcohol disorder.  A 13-year-old is four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than someone who starts drinking at age 20.