California Survey Reports Increasing Rates of Teen Drinking, Drug Use

According to the results of the 2009 annual California Healthy Kids Survey, released earlier this week, teen use of and involvement with alcohol and marijuana has been increasing among California youth.

The survey found that 27 percent of ninth graders have been driven in a car by someone who has been drinking, or driven under the influence themselves. This represents an increase of 5 percent since 2005.

The number of high school freshmen who reported being very drunk or getting sick from drinking alcohol increased by 7 percent to 36 since 2005. In addition, 16 percent of seventh graders reported binge drinking, an increase of 6 percent since 2005.

Teens also reported that marijuana use is fairly common. Approximately half of high school juniors reported using marijuana at some time in their lives.

(Source: www.santacruzsentinel.com)

Labels: marijuana, teen drinking, teen drug use

posted by Aspen Education Group @ 9:01 AM