Center for Substance Abuse Research

Twelfth graders’ perceived risk of harm from regular marijuana use has declined in recent years, according to data from the national Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey.

Older youth perceive less risk in marijuana use, according to an analysis of combined data from the 2007 and 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The opposite was true of LSD, cocaine, or heroin use, with perceived risk increasing with age (see figure below). The authors suggest that “understanding the different patterns of risk perceptions that emerge during adolescent development may help to better target health communication messages and increase the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs.”

The earlier a person begins drinking alcohol, the more likely they are to have ever used other drugs illicitly, according to an analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey (NLAES). Approximately one-half of persons who began drinking at age 14 or younger had also used other drugs illicitly in their lifetime, compared to around one-tenth of those who began drinking at age 20 or older.

The majority of websites selling controlled prescription drugs still do not require a prescription, according to a recent study from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA). The study identified 159 internet sites selling such drugs during a one-week period in 2008, down from 187 the previous year.

Young drinkers ages 12 to 14 are more likely to get alcohol in their own home than other underage drinkers, according to a recent analysis of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Nearly three-fourths (73%) of teens in grades 7 to 12 believe that “kids use drugs to deal with the pressures and stress of school,”according data from the 20th annual Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS). Other reasons cited by more than half of teens surveyed were to help them feel better about themselves (65%), to look cool (65%), to deal with problems at home (55%), and to improve athletic performance (54%).