Well its good and bad news for teenagers in America. The good news is that fewer teens are having babies and preterm birth rates are going down, along with death rates as a result of injury. There are also fewer teens participating in binge drinking.
All of this comes from an annual report, “American’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2011” released from the “Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics”.
I wish I could leave it at that but there is also some bad news. More teens are living in conditions of poverty and homes where at least one parent has been out of work for a year. Economic hard times are affecting the children. But perhaps the most disturbing news is that more teens in 8th grade are using drugs. Drug use is getting to the younger teens.
I can’t help but wonder if there is a correlation between the home environment and the increased use of drugs. If families are struggling during these difficult economic times, could it be that teens are turning to illegal drugs to medicate themselves?
After all, when a family is struggling financially it affects so many areas. It may affect their ability to receive adequate healthcare and to eat healthy meals. It may also affect the relationships in the family. Stress from a lack of work and struggling financially can make for tension and strife in any family.
I don’t know for sure why the increase in drug use but it saddens me that it has reached middle school. If something isn’t done, it is likely to reach into lower grades.
I also can’t understand how children this young could even have the opportunity to take drugs. I realize we can’t be with our children 24/7 but having an awareness of where our children are, who they are hanging out with and if there is adult supervision should be a given.
We need to do our part to make sure our teens are not engaging in harmful, illegal activities.
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