From the Monitoring the Future Study Report: The University of Michigan 2012

 In % of all 8 th graders tried cigarettes.  In 2012 only 16% of 8 th graders had done so.  400,000 Americans per year are estimated to die prematurely as a direct result of their smoking cigarettes.  Alcohol use among teens has dropped to historically low levels.  In 2012, 3.6 percent of 8th graders, 14.5 percent of 10th graders, and 28.1 percent of 12th graders reported getting drunk in the past month; Significant declines include 5-year drops in daily alcohol use by 8th, 10th and 12th graders (0.3 percent, 1.0 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively, in 2012).  In 2012, 23.7 percent of high-school seniors reported binge drinking (defined as 5 or more drinks in a row in the past 2 weeks)—a drop of one-quarter since the late 1990s.  Marijuana use by adolescents declined from the late 1990s until the mid-to-late 2000s, but has been on the increase since then  6.5 percent of 12th graders now use marijuana every day, compared to 5.1 percent in the 2007.

This study found Cigarettes Alcohol Illicit Drugs Grades: Years %-4.9% 21% %-17% 31%- 11% 39%-28% 50%-42% 7.3%-7.7% 11%-19% 15%-25%

 In the Past year the number of high school seniors report to have used the following psychoactive chemicals in the past 30 days:  Marijuana36.4%  Synthetic Cannabinoids11.3%  Hallucinogens4.8%  Salvia4.4%  MDMA 3.8  Cocaine2.7%

 Latest reports indicate that 14% of male and 8% of female high school seniors abused synthetic marijuana in the past 30 days  In 2010 there were 11,406 ER visits associated with synthetic marijuana (75% were adolescents & young adults up to age 29)  In 2012, 11.3% of high school seniors reported using synthetic marijuana in the past 30 days

 Stimulants- 7.6%  Vicodin- 7.5%  Tranquilizers- 5.3%  Oxycontin- 4.3%  Cocaine- 2.7%  Crack- 1.2%  Heroine-.6% * MOST TEENS WHO ABUSE PRESCRIPTION DRUGS ARE GIVEN THEM FOR FREE BY A FRIEND OR RELATIVE!

Opioids 1991 – 76 Million 2010 – 210 Million Almost a 3 fold increase Stimulants 1991 – 4 Million 2010 – 46 Million Greater than 10 fold increase

Age Group CDC Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, 60(43):489, 2011 Deaths per 1000,00 people

 A 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), estimated 2.4 million Americans used prescription drugs nonmedically for the first time within the past year.  More than one-half were females and about a third were aged 12 to 17.  Abuse of prescription drugs is highest among young adults aged 18 to 25, with 5.9 percent reporting nonmedical use in the past month (NSDUH, 2010).  Among youth aged 12 to 17, 3% reported past-month nonmedical use of prescription medications.  Overall, more males than females abuse prescription drugs in all age groups except the youngest (aged 12 to 17 years); that is, females in this age group exceed males in the nonmedical use of all psychotherapeutics, including pain relievers, tranquilizers, and stimulants.

 Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs allow physicians and pharmacists to track prescriptions and help identify patients who are "doctor shopping.“  Be aware, Stay informed!

 The National Institute Of Drug Abuse  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration  National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  National Prevention Information Network (NPIN)  The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention  National Clearinghouse of Drug and Alcohol Information  NJ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services  NJ 211 Partnership  United for Prevention in Passaic County