Do others who’re doing drugs surround your high school student? How early does it start? Teen drug abuse statistics offer some answers. That said, they don’t tell the whole story.
Current Teen Drug Abuse Information
The government tracks teen drug abuse statistics. In particular, the National Institute on Drug Abuse offers information. This teen drug abuse information is the result of surveys. Hundreds of schools participate.
Teen drug abuse statistics suggest that substance use – overall – is going down. That said, middle schoolers are developing more permissive attitudes toward vaping. As you know, this is one delivery option for marijuana or hashish. To put it in perspective, 7% of 10th graders said they vaped marijuana; this represents a 62.7% increase.
What the Statistics Don’t Tell You
The results of the government’s teen drug abuse statistics relied on honest answers of a student sample. It’s impossible to tell if the sample is representative of today’s teens. Most importantly, there’s no way to discern if participants answered honestly. Therefore, these figures have built-in dark numbers.
Secondly, talking about teen drug abuse in percentages isn’t the same as living it. Boise addiction treatment programs routinely work with families who face devastation because of drugs. Some thought their teens were in a phase they’d outgrow. Others just learned that they’re dealing with a soon-to-be young adult who has a chemical dependency.
There’s Hope Beyond the Numbers
Do you need teen drug rehab Meridian Idaho can count on? It doesn’t matter that statistics suggest alcohol abuse is down. If your teen’s drinking to excess, you need help. Facilities that work with teens and young adults are your best option.
They offer care protocols that work with your family to affect change. Examples include:
- Intensive outpatient treatment that lets the teen live at home and go to school while receiving treatment
- Behavioral counseling that empowers the adolescent to make significant changes in dysfunctional patterns
- Dual diagnosis treatment for youngsters with underlying depression or anxiety that triggers substance abuse
- Group therapy as a tool for developing healthy boundaries and coping skills
- Family therapy, which ensures that you support your teen throughout the recovery and beyond
Don’t make the mistake of putting an adolescent in a recovery center that caters to adults. The teen’s needs are so different from what therapists can offer there. Rather, work with an adolescent treatment center that focuses on helping teens. If you catch it early enough, an intervention might do the trick.
The goal of the care approach isn’t to overwhelm the teen. In contrast, they must feel comfortable with the setup and understand clearly what you’re trying to achieve. Therapists at the facility speak the teen’s language. They’ll put them in the driver’s seat of recovery.
Find out more information on how to deal with teen drug abuse today. There’s no judgment – only good-quality help and genuine compassion. Therapists at Zelus Recovery want to assist you. Call 208.518.0797 to schedule an appointment.