Drugs 'n' youths

Early age drug use. It’s reported that for 12 to 17 year olds, those much older show a higher rate of drug use. In a 2002 survey, as many as 41% of twelfth graders used drugs while for eighth graders this rate was only 17.7%. The study also concludes that the earlier in life a teenager uses drugs, the more likely they are to develop a drug problem. In the same survey most students admitted that drugs were sold and consumed openly within school property.
Lifetime Use: A 2003 Monitoring the Future(MTF) study found that 51.1% of twelfth grade students who use illicit drugs are likely to develop a lifetime drug use habit. For tenth graders this ratio is 41.4% and for eighth grade students, it is 22.8%. The study further shows that the top 3 drugs used are alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana/hashish.
Academic difficulties: As reported on the web site of the National Conference on Drug Abuse Prevention Research, children who use illicit drugs will often have difficulties in school leading to academic problems. Illicit drug use causes antisocial behaviors which may lead to isolation by the child’s peers. This may, in turn lead feelings of loneliness, non-acceptance which can lead to poor academic performance and failure.
Illicit drug use often leads to risky behaviors that expose our youth to health and other risks. Unplanned pregnancies, HIV, cancer and rape are the most serious of these potential problems.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation research, as reported by the study, as many as one-third of sexually active teenagers report that drugs had an influence in their decision to have sex.
Alcohol use raises the risk of cirrhoses and liver cancer.
According to the Hepatitis Association, consuming more than 4 to 5 glasses of wine daily elevates the risk of a person developing liver cancer.
The easiest way to spread HIV is by sharing equipment such as syringes with people who use drugs. Sharing equipment also spreads other diseases such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
Side effects on health: Related to diseases are the various side effects that often accompany illegal drug use. The most common are irritability, insomnia, convulsions, tremors, organ and muscle damage, increased blood pressure and heart rate, impaired memory, depression and anxiety. For a detailed list of other side effects, see the “Consequences of Use” section of the Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse Fact Sheet.
Suicide: Drug use also increases the risk of suicide. Results from the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse indicate that the 29.4% of youth who used alcohol or illicit drugs in the past year had a suicide rate three times higher than those that did not.
Crime: Drug users are most likely to commit crimes than nonusers. The 1997 National Household Survey on drug abuse shows that those who are illicit drug users are 16 times more likely to be arrested for larceny and theft, 14 times more likely to be arrested for drunkenness, driving while intoxicated and 9 times more likely to be arrested for committing assault. The survey also reports that amongst inmates, examples of the crimes that show a high correlation to drug use include murder, sexual assault, robbery, burglary and motor vehicle theft.
Additional cost to US schools is $41 billion: Elementary and secondary schools need to equip themselves with special programs needed to help fight the war on drugs. They include alcohol and drug related programs, drug testing facilities, special employee training to help deal with students found to be on drugs, and special education training for those who need to help special education students found to be on drugs.
Social Costs of Illicit Drugs