Substance abuse in adolescents: Implications for research and practice [Editorial] (2015)

Adolescence is "the period of life that starts with the biological, hormonal and physical changes of puberty and ends at the age at which an individual attains a stable, independent role in society." (Balocchini, Chiamenti, & Lamborghini, 2013, p. 191). During adolescence one is vulnerable to engaging in a lot of risky behaviors. Substance abuse is one such set of behaviors. According to the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey in United States, 44.7% of high school students had ever smoked cigarettes; 18.1% of students reported current cigarette use; 7.7% of students reported current smokeless tobacco use (e.g., chewing tobacco, snuff, or dip); 23.4% of students reported current tobacco use which included cigarette use, smokeless tobacco use, or cigar use; 70.8% of students had ever drunk alcohol; 38.7% reported current alcohol use; 21.9% of students engaged in binge drinking; 24.1% of students had ridden one or more times in a vehicle driven by someone who had been drinking alcohol; 8.2% of students had driven a vehicle one or more times when they had been drinking alcohol; 39.9% of students had ever used marijuana; 23.1% of students reported current marijuana use; 6.8% of students had ever used cocaine; 3% reported current cocaine use; 11.4% had ever used inhalants; 8.2% had ever used ecstasy; 2.9% of students had ever used heroin; and 3.8% of students had ever used methamphetamines (Eaton et al., 2012). All these statistics point to the growing epidemic of substance abuse among adolescents. [Extract]