European Study of Teen Drug Use
By Susan Hubenthal
The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) released their findings, last February, at a meeting of the World Health Organization in Stockholm. The study conducted questions to 110,000 teens from both counties. When comparing drug use between European and American teenagers, it found that American teens have a higher percentage of illegal drug use than do the European teens.
The Netherlands has a liberal drug policy and marijuana is legal, ironically teen use of marijuana is much lower than the U.S. The survey found 28% of Dutch teens smoked marijuana as compared to 41% of American teens, and 23% of American teens had experimented with other drugs, compared to only 6% of European teens.
Cigarettes and alcohol use is higher in Europe. 37% of European teens have smoked cigarettes in the past month as compare to only 26% of Americans. 61% of European teens consumed alcohol as compared to 40% of American kids.
The study found that teenage drug use is rising. British drug laws are among the very strict, but British kids are Europe’s biggest drug abusers, with 36% having smoked marijuana, which is more than the Netherlands, with their relaxed drug laws.
The question is why? Where the drug war has been waged the most, is the place where teen drug use is now the most rampant. Where the drug war is more relaxed, teen drug use is lower.
On one hand, the belief is that drug laws do not seem to play an important role one way or another, and the drug policies are irrelevant. It may, as some feel, be a waste of time to even develop a drug policy of any kind.
The other theory is, perhaps, that we give too much credence to laws, that they aren’t a method of controlling behavior. Current policies may be having a paradoxical effect on teen drug use. What is forbidden, may be more enticing, and more exciting to a teenager. Prohibition of drugs hasn’t suppressed drug use in kids. Relying on drug laws may give parents a false sense of security, that it is the government’s responsibility, so some parents may become less interested, less involved.
Whatever the reason, teens continue to use illicit drugs, and they continue to die. The current drug laws have had little effect on luring our kids away from drugs. Just say No was a huge failure and DARE hasn’t worked. The DARE Program claims to be revising its curriculum, lets hope it proves effective, if not, get rid of it and use the money for new research on drug addiction, more mentoring and after school programs, and for effective treatment for addiction. No other parent should have to suffer the throes of a child’s addiction because of useless drug laws, lack of effective drug treatment, lack of insurance coverage, and societies lack of concern.
When comparing drug use between European and American teenagers, it found that American teens have a higher percentage of illegal drug use than do the European teens.
The Netherlands has a liberal drug policy and marijuana is legal, ironically teen use of marijuana is much lower than the U.S. The survey found 28% of Dutch teens smoked marijuana as compared to 41% of American teens, and 23% of American teens had experimented with other drugs, compared to only 6% of European teens.
Cigarettes and alcohol use is higher in Europe. 37% of European teens have smoked cigarettes in the past month as compare to only 26% of Americans. 61% of European teens consumed alcohol as compared to 40% of American kids.
The study found that teenage drug use is rising. British drug laws are among the very strict, but British kids are Europe’s biggest drug abusers, with 36% having smoked marijuana, which is more than the Netherlands, with their relaxed drug laws.
The question is why? Where the drug war has been waged the most, is the place where teen drug use is now the most rampant. Where the drug war is more relaxed, teen drug use is lower.
On one hand, the belief is that drug laws do not seem to play an important role one way or another, and the drug policies are irrelevant. It may, as some feel, be a waste of time to even develop a drug policy of any kind.
The other theory is, perhaps, that we give too much credence to laws, that they aren’t a method of controlling behavior. Current policies may be having a paradoxical effect on teen drug use. What is forbidden, may be more enticing, and more exciting to a teenager. Prohibition of drugs hasn’t suppressed drug use in kids. Relying on drug laws may give parents a false sense of security, that it is the government’s responsibility, so some parents may become less interested, less involved.
Whatever the reason, teens continue to use illicit drugs, and they continue to die. The current drug laws have had little effect on luring our kids away from drugs. Just say No was a huge failure and DARE hasn’t worked. DARE claims to be revising its curriculum, lets hope it proves effective, if not, get rid of it and use the money for new research on drug addiction, more mentoring and after school programs, and for effective treatment for addiction. No other parent should have to suffer the throes of a child’s addiction because of useless drug laws, lack of effective drug treatment, lack of insurance coverage, and societies lack of concern.
The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) released their findings, last February, at a meeting of the World Health Organization in Stockholm. The study conducted questions to 110,000 teens from both counties. When comparing drug use between European and American teenagers, it found that American teens have a higher percentage of illegal drug use than do the European teens.
The Netherlands has a liberal drug policy and marijuana is legal, ironically teen use of marijuana is much lower than the U.S. The survey found 28% of Dutch teens smoked marijuana as compared to 41% of American teens, and 23% of American teens had experimented with other drugs, compared to only 6% of European teens.
Cigarettes and alcohol use is higher in Europe. 37% of European teens have smoked cigarettes in the past month as compare to only 26% of Americans. 61% of European teens consumed alcohol as compared to 40% of American kids.
The study found that teenage drug use is rising. British drug laws are among the very strict, but British kids are Europe’s biggest drug abusers, with 36% having smoked marijuana, which is more than the Netherlands, with their relaxed drug laws.
The question is why? Where the drug war has been waged the most, is the place where teen drug use is now the most rampant. Where the drug war is more relaxed, teen drug use is lower.
On one hand, the belief is that drug laws do not seem to play an important role one way or another, and the drug policies are irrelevant. It may, as some feel, be a waste of time to even develop a drug policy of any kind.
The other theory is, perhaps, that we give too much credence to laws, that they aren’t a method of controlling behavior. Current policies may be having a paradoxical effect on teen drug use. What is forbidden, may be more enticing, and more exciting to a teenager. Prohibition of drugs hasn’t suppressed drug use in kids. Relying on drug laws may give parents a false sense of security, that it is the government’s responsibility, so some parents may become less interested, less involved.
Whatever the reason, teens continue to use illicit drugs, and they continue to die. The current drug laws have had little effect on luring our kids away from drugs. Just say No was a huge failure and DARE hasn’t worked. The DARE Program claims to be revising its curriculum, lets hope it proves effective, if not, get rid of it and use the money for new research on drug addiction, more mentoring and after school programs, and for effective treatment for addiction. No other parent should have to suffer the throes of a child’s addiction because of useless drug laws, lack of effective drug treatment, lack of insurance coverage, and societies lack of concern.
When comparing drug use between European and American teenagers, it found that American teens have a higher percentage of illegal drug use than do the European teens.
The Netherlands has a liberal drug policy and marijuana is legal, ironically teen use of marijuana is much lower than the U.S. The survey found 28% of Dutch teens smoked marijuana as compared to 41% of American teens, and 23% of American teens had experimented with other drugs, compared to only 6% of European teens.
Cigarettes and alcohol use is higher in Europe. 37% of European teens have smoked cigarettes in the past month as compare to only 26% of Americans. 61% of European teens consumed alcohol as compared to 40% of American kids.
The study found that teenage drug use is rising. British drug laws are among the very strict, but British kids are Europe’s biggest drug abusers, with 36% having smoked marijuana, which is more than the Netherlands, with their relaxed drug laws.
The question is why? Where the drug war has been waged the most, is the place where teen drug use is now the most rampant. Where the drug war is more relaxed, teen drug use is lower.
On one hand, the belief is that drug laws do not seem to play an important role one way or another, and the drug policies are irrelevant. It may, as some feel, be a waste of time to even develop a drug policy of any kind.
The other theory is, perhaps, that we give too much credence to laws, that they aren’t a method of controlling behavior. Current policies may be having a paradoxical effect on teen drug use. What is forbidden, may be more enticing, and more exciting to a teenager. Prohibition of drugs hasn’t suppressed drug use in kids. Relying on drug laws may give parents a false sense of security, that it is the government’s responsibility, so some parents may become less interested, less involved.
Whatever the reason, teens continue to use illicit drugs, and they continue to die. The current drug laws have had little effect on luring our kids away from drugs. Just say No was a huge failure and DARE hasn’t worked. DARE claims to be revising its curriculum, lets hope it proves effective, if not, get rid of it and use the money for new research on drug addiction, more mentoring and after school programs, and for effective treatment for addiction. No other parent should have to suffer the throes of a child’s addiction because of useless drug laws, lack of effective drug treatment, lack of insurance coverage, and societies lack of concern.
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