Almost 10 years ago, Professor Suniya Luthar published a surprising study of teen drug use. He found that suburban teens abused drugs and alcohol in significantly higher amounts than did city youth. Among girls, 46 percent of the suburbanites admitted using an illicit drug at least once in the past year, compared to 26 percent of girls from homes in the inner city. Among boys, the rates were 59 percent of suburbanites compared to 33 percent of urbanites.
Professor Luthar found that some suburban teens had abnormally high levels of anxiety, which he blamed partly on pressure from parents and teachers. One in five suburban girls were clinically depressed, compared to only 5 percent of urban boys.
Fast-forward to 2008, when the Partnership for a Drug-Free America included a new category of answer in their annual drug tracking survey. Before 2008, teens could check these reasons to use drugs: "To feel cool," "To feel better about myself," and "To have fun." In 2008, a new answer was added, "To deal with school stress."
To the surprise of everyone but Professor Luthar, 73 percent answered, "To deal with school stress," making that the top answer. Only 7 percent of parents, however, believed that was a reason to use drugs.
Many experts believe that American teens are under too much pressure. Junior year in high school is particularly grueling as students scramble to impress colleges. One boy told the Boston Globe, "I've been tired the entire year." He and others described days going to basketball practice, Habitat for Humanity, SAT preparation classes, drama rehearsals, cello lessons, and then spending evenings writing college applications and doing four hours of homework. Many juniors get along on fewer than five hours of sleep a night.
The number of college applications keeps increasing, partly because the process is becoming increasingly computerized. In 2008, Harvard University rejected 91 percent of 23,000 applicants, a new record. The competition is beyond fierce, putting kids at risk for using stimulants in the day and sleeping pills at night, and drinking hard on the weekends. Many are so wound-up that they experiment with very powerful opiates, usually prescription painkillers such as OxyContin and Fentanyl.
There are increasing signs of a quiet revolution against such pressure on students. Many major universities no longer use SAT scores. Some high schools, such as Needham High School in Massachusetts, have instituted stress reduction committees, yoga classes, and relaxation training.
Many parents try to get their child to slow down, but he won't listen. This is often the case if the teen is in a school with high academic standards and classes full of future Harvard alums that take five AP classes and maintain 5.0 grade point averages.
One thing you can do is to stop comparing notes with other parents. When asked what colleges your child is applying to, be vague and say, "We're looking at a lot of alternatives." Have your son concentrate on one or two activities that he is passionate about, and drop the less interesting ones. Encourage your daughter to take a course for fun or as a way to explore a new interest or career.
Finally, learn the signs of drug and alcohol abuse. Research has shown that teens who abuse substances in high school carry those habits over into their college years.
Labels: drug use, schools, stress
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