Schools, Drug Use In
Adolescence is the age at which most people first experiment with alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Not surprisingly, school, a neutral site away from the watchful eye of parents, is the first place where many young people talk about, have access to, and even begin to use these substances. Alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana are the first drugs students are likely to abuse. Other drugs of concern in schools include inhalants, which are increasingly popular with younger students; so-called club drugs such as ectasy (MDMA); methamphetamines; cocaine; heroin; LSD; phencyclidine (PCP); and prescription drugs used for nonmedical purposes, including pain relievers, tranquilizers, sedatives, and stimulants like amphetamines and Ritalin.
Although the use of alcohol and tobacco by school-age young people is illegal, it is both legal and socially acceptable for adults. As a result, students can generally get alcohol and cigarettes fairly easily. They are also constantly exposed to advertising for beer, wine, and cigarettes that portrays drinking and smoking as desirable. Not surprisingly, alcohol and cigarettes are the most frequently used substances in schools, and the ones most likely to lead to dangerous consequences or serious health risks in the long term. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionﾀ, if current tobacco use trends continue, approximately 5 million children in the United States aged 18 years or less in 2000 will die prematurely as adults because they began to smoke cigarettes during adolescence.
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