Teen Drug & Sex Testing

Teen Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Many challenges face our children as they grow up. They are constantly faced with difficult decisions not only about school and friends, but also pressures about alcohol, drugs, and sex. How can we as parents know if our children are making the right choices?

Quick Facts at a Glance

Alcohol and Drugs

• 28.3 % of children under 21 have used alcohol.
• 7.2 million underage youth (12-20 years) are binge drinkers.
• 75,000 alcohol-related deaths per year in the U.S.A.
• 41% of car crashes are alcohol-related.
• Drug use is linked to HIV.
• Alcohol and drugs have been linked to injury, physical fights, academic and occupational problems, and illegal actions.
• Long-term alcohol abuse is linked to live disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological damage, depression, anxiety, and antisocial behavior.

Signs Your Teen Might Be Drinking

• Your teen acquires a new group of friends.
• Negative changes in schoolwork or attendance.
• Secrecy about possessions or activities.
• Use of perfumes or sprays to cover-up chemical odor such as Marijuana.
• Use of code language.
• Borrows excessive money.
• In possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Possession of eye drops.
• New use of breath mints or mouthwash to cover up the smell of alcohol.
• Missing or overuse of prescription drugs.

Take the time to talk to your kids about the pressures of growing up. If you create a dialogue with your children or teens about the dangers or drug and alcohol abuse, they are much less likely to start using.

Teen Sex

As of January 2005, 50% of 9th-12th grade teenagers were having sexual intercourse. From this sexual intercourse, a third of these young women became pregnant at least once before age 20, and 820,000 contracted sexually transmitted diseases. With such startling statistics, it’s important to create a strong dialogue with your teens about safe sex and contraceptive use.

Drugs, Alcohol, and the Link to Teen Sex

Of the 33.9% of sexually active teenagers, 23.3 % of them had drunk alcohol or used drugs before choosing to have sex. This high number shows that there is a link between alcohol/drug use and impaired judgment. Impaired judgment can lead to poor choices such as lack of contraceptive use, driving, etc.

Teen Alcohol and Drug Abuse Statistics and Resources

Statistics
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: “Alcohol and Drug Use Statistics” http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/alcoholdrug/index.htm
S.A.D.D. “Underage Drinking Statistics and its Influence on Teen Sex” http://www.kff.org/youthhivstds/upload/U-S-Teen-Sexual-Activity-Fact-Sheet.pdf

Government Statistics about Alcohol Abuse
http://www.stopalcoholabuse.gov/Stats/
One-third of seventh-graders experiments with drinking alcohol before their 13th birthday, according to a new study published in Pediatrics. Early drinkers were nearly twice as likely to consider suicide, and at more than triple the risk of trying to kill themselves, than their non-drinking peers.

Resources
MedlinePlus: Effects of Marijuana and Links to Depression
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_61128.html
Marijuana study found slowed information processing, increase in depression and anxiety

NIDA for Teens: “The Science Behind Drug Abuse”
http://teens.drugabuse.gov/
An excellent resource for your teens about the short and long term effects of drugs, as well as a resource for parents and teachers.

Teen Drug and Sex Detection Resources
http://www.brickhouse-childsafety.com/drug-detection-test-kits.html