High School Students and Substance Abuse

Many high school students in the United States are involved in some form of substance abuse. Substances may include alcohol and marijuana, as well as other illegal or prescription drugs. Almost all substance abuse by high school students is illegal because the majority of students are under the age of 18. The knowledge of substance abuse among high school students is prevalent in research provided by organizations, teachers, and parents.

Substance abuse is common among high school students despite the use of drug resistance programs within the schools. Drug testing and drug resistance programs exist throughout many schools, but they are not always a reliable resource. On the other hand, positive peer pressure and family influence have a positive correlation for students and encourage them to not participate in substance abuse.

Countless research sources discuss that substance abuse is prevalent among high school students. The University of Michigan's annual survey, Monitoring the Future, discovered in 2006 that over 20% of eighth-graders and about one half of all high school seniors say they have taken an illicit drug (Roan, 2007). In addition to this, 30% of seniors surveyed said they had been drunk in the last month (Roan, 2007). When these statistics are applied to the nation, the numbers are overwhelming to think that approximately one half of all seniors have participated in substance abuse. This percentage does not even include the high school students from other grades. It would be safe to assume that about one half of all high school students are involved in substance abuse. This is a common problem that needs to be solved.