A recent report on teen drug use and overdose rates concludes that the U.S. should change its drug strategy to focus on prevention rather than intervening once a teen has developed a serious drug problem, according to HealthDay.
The study, “Reducing Teen Substance Misuse: What Really Works” by Trust for America’s Health, shows that young adults ages 19 to 25 are particularly at risk for a fatal overdose and reports that nationwide, the drug overdose death rate has more than doubled in the past 10 years among people aged 12 to 25.
These overdose deaths are largely due to the nation’s epidemic of prescription drug abuse and a subsequent rise in heroin use: many young people who are addicted to prescription drugs wind up switching to heroin because it is cheaper and easier to access, the report said.
These findings support our position at Parent CRAFT: that waiting until a teen or young adult hits “rock bottom” is too late, and that parents should and can intervene much earlier to change substance use behaviors before they get to the abuse and addiction stages. Parent CRAFT is an interactive online skills training program proven to be more successful than traditional “tough love” methods of dealing with family members struggling with substance abuse.
You can read the full Trust for America’s Health report here
