Girls More Vulnerable to Substance Abuse?

Parents of teenage girls may be surprised to learn that their daughters may be more vulnerable to developing alcohol and drug problems than their male counterparts according to a survey by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. They are more susceptible to substance abuse because they are more likely to use alcohol and drugs to self medicate.

Specifically, teen girls more than boys perceived the potential benefits of using drugs and alcohol.

The fact that girls, more than teenage boys, think that drugs can help them deal with their problems was revealed in an analysis of the 2009 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS).

Girls More Likely to Turn to Drugs

Some of the findings of the study about teen girls included:

• 68% of girls said "using drugs helps kids deal with problems at home" (up from 61% in 2008).

• 53% said drugs helped teens forget their problems (up from 48% in 2008).

• 59% of teen girls reported using alcohol (up from 53% in 2008).

• Past year use of marijuana increased 29% from 2008 to 2009.

More troubling, the PATS study found that girls' attitude toward illegal drugs is changing. Only 77% of teen girls think Ecstasy can be addictive (down from 82% in 2008) and only 33% of girls said they "don't want to hang around drug users."

Boys' Drug Use Increasing

The report also found some disturbing trends among teenage boys:

• The percentage of boys who said "drugs help you relax socially" grew from 45% in 2008 to 52% in 2009.

• 34% of boys said "parties are more fun with drugs" (up from 34% in 2008).

• Use of marijuana increased among boys 15% between 2008 and 2009.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America recommends that parents pay close attention to their daughters' moods and mental health needs while addressing their worries and stresses. If parents suspect their teens are experimenting with drugs, they should take immediate action, the group said.

^{Source: Partnership for a Drug-Free America. "Teenage Girls: Increasingly vulnerable to alcohol and drug use." July 2010.}

Related Information::

• Myth: 'It Won't Happen to My Teen'
  
• Is Your Teenager Using Drugs or Alcohol?
  
• Teen Drinking - Not Just a Phase

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