Adolescent Substance Abuse Articles
Teenagers find anti-drug messages effective
By Staff Writer
According to the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future study, exposure to drug prevention messages has decreased. However, teenagers still find these methods to be effective.
The institution’s study is the largest survey on teen drug abuse. It tracked over 46,000 students in the 8th, 10th and 12th grades.
Of the 8th grade demographic, 54 percent could recall seeing drug prevention messages from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy’s National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. Today, 18 percent of 8th graders reported daily exposure to drug prevention methods.
Similar drops were seen in the other two grades surveyed. The 10th grade went from 50 percent in 2003 to 17 percent in 2010, and the 12th grade saw a decline from 32 to 10 percent. According to the researchers behind the study, these rates were the lowest the team has seen since they began tracking students nearly two decades ago.
Despite the low levels of recollection, the amount of teenagers who found the drug-prevention messages effective has remained relatively stable between 2003 and 2010.
The team behind the study believes that if today’s teenagers are not exposed to these messages, they may come to view drugs as being less dangerous. If a teenager has developed a drug addiction, they may want to seek substance abuse help.
