Summer Drug Abuse Statistics

SAMHSA (The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) recently released two studies pertaining to substance abuse. The first report shows that adolescents ages 12 – 17 are much more likely to begin using drugs and alcohol during the summer months. The second specifies that the rate of increase in drug-related ED (emergency department) visits lowered from a yearly average rate of 18.2% between 2005 – 2008, to 6.1% between 2009 and 2010. 

Statistics from the first study show that, on an average June or July day, over 11,000 youths between the ages of 12 and 17 choose to experiment with alcohol for the first time – the only comparable month being December. The daily average number throughout the rest of the year typically ranges somewhere between 5,000 – 8,000.

June and July also takes the cake for first time cigarette use, with an average of 5,000 adolescents per day; a pattern, which retains similar patterns in regard to cigar and smokeless tobacco use.

When it comes to marijuana, the study shows that more than 4,500 adolescents begin using each day throughout the same two-month period, as opposed to the 3,000 – 4,000 youths tallied during non-summer months.

The reasoning is quite simple: More free time + diminished supervision = increased likelihood for exposure and experimentation with illicit substances. Parents are thus encouraged to embrace every available opportunity to discuss the dangers and consequences of substance abuse with their children, alongside means and methods to avoid it. The more informed your child is, the more likely they will be to make the right decision.

If you are struggling to address a teenage drug or alcohol abuse issue, Above It All treatment center is the place to call! With a team of seasoned substance abuse specialists available to answer your questions and concerns, you can count on Above It All to have your teen sober, healthy and on the fast track to success in no time. Call today!