According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), nearly 21 million Americans ages 12 and older had a substance use problem in 2015, and among those with a substance use disorder, three out of four people (or about 15.7 million) had a substance use disorder related to alcohol! Each year, approximately 5,000 youth under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking.
Good news: Smoking and drinking among teenagers fell to new lows in 2015. Just 9.6 percent of adolescents, ages 12 to 17, reported using alcohol in 2015, down from 17.6 percent in 2002, according to the data. Far fewer adolescents smoke every day: about 20 percent in 2015, down from 32 percent in 2002.
However, prescription drug use and abuse are still high in the United States. The survey found that about 119 million Americans 12 and older, or about 44 percent of that population, used prescription psychotherapeutic drugs in the past year. Of those, the vast majority — about 98 million — used pain relievers.
In summary: TALK to your kids about the dangers of Alcohol and Drugs. It is never too early to repeat the message.