There are several ways to interpret the result of this national survey on substance abuse by youth.  One explanation of the shift from marijuana use to prescription drug abuse is that prescription drugs are easier to get – in fact most users are getting them right from home!

Studies have shown that the biggest influence on kids and their drug use is their parents.  What kind of responsibility is a parent demonstrating when they leave Oxycontin, Xanax, Vicodin, Percocet or any other opiate available for the taking?

Simple measures to lock this stuff up now, will prevent the need for drug rehab later.  This is about the easiest drug prevention measure ever.

“Fewer adolescents are telling federal researchers that they use marijuana, but the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reported that most indicators of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use remain relatively unchanged from 2005.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) unveiled the survey results on Sept. 6, with federal officials touting a 25-percent reported decline in marijuana use among male youths between 2002 and 2006 but fretting over the 2.2 million new nonmedical users of prescription drugs, including narcotic painkillers. Most users of prescription drugs for recreational reasons reported getting the drugs free from friends or family members.”

http://www.jointogether.org/news/features/2007/reported-teen-marijuana-use.html