Life's Complicated Enough

Did you know that most teens don't use drugs? In fact, NIDA's latest survey that measures drug use and attitudes about drug use among high school teens shows a long-term decline in cigarette smoking, alcohol, marijuana and some other drugs. However, we are seeing a high rate of prescription drug abuse among teens. Last year, nearly one in ten high school seniors reported nonmedical use of Vicodin and one in twenty reported abusing Oxycontin, both potentially addictive opioid painkillers. Just because it's prescribed by a doctor doesn't mean it's not dangerous, and people should only use these drugs the way the doctor recommends. The biggest problem of drug use with teens is that there is no way to know who will become addicted. If you take the risk and try drugs, your life could become very complicated.

For more information on drug use trends in high school, go to http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/HSYouthtrends.html