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Adolescent´s Drug Abuse on the Rise

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2. There are over 11 million adolescents and young adults between the ages of 12-25 that abuse and use drugs in the U.S. 90 % of these need treatment and are unable to get the help they need. Drug use is highest among individuals in their late teens. In the U.S, there are approximately 60.6% of youths that are dependent, or abuse drugs.In the U.S. alone, the related public health, social services, public safety, and lost of productivity cost society $465 billion a year (NSDUA, 2009). The damage that addiction inflicts on adolescents, compels the schools, the family, and the nation to try and save our teens. Drug abuse can be defines as the use of any chemical substance that causes physical, mental, emotional, or social harm to an individual or to those close to him. It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child. This could not be truer than in the case adolescent drug abuse. The statistics of alcohol and drug abuse among our teens are devastating. Understanding the disease of addiction, the effects it has on the individual, the family and community, education, awareness, and prevention and intervention, along with knowledge of community resources can help to greatly impact the future of our teens. TO LONG OF SENTENCE., REWORD, OR CHANGE PUNCTUATION

Teens are said to start using drugs for four main reasons. They tend to use drugs to (1) improve their mood; (2) to receive social rewards; (3) to self-medicate; and (4) to avoid social

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