If you have a teenager at home enjoying his or her summer break from classes, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released new data that might raise an eyebrow.
The report found that youths between the ages of 12 and 17 are far more likely to start using alcohol, cigarettes and even marijuana, inhalants and hallucinogens over the summer as compared with other times of the year.
For example, on an average day in June and July, more than 11,000 adolescents use alcohol for the first time. During the rest of the year an average of 5,000 to 8,000 experiment with alcohol for the first time.
Also in June and July, an average of 5,000 young people smoke their first cigarette. On a typical day during the rest of the year about 3,000 – 4,000 adolescents pick up the habit.
While the difference is less statistically significant, the pattern holds true with marijuana. June and July see more than 4,500 young people start using the drug, as compared with about 3,000 – 4,000 new users per day during the rest of the year.
The report, which is based on eight years of interviews with 231,500 adolescents, also found that hallucinogen use also peaked during June and July and first-time inhalant use peaked in July. The only drugs mentioned in the study which did not follow the summer spike pattern in first-time use were cocaine and non-medical prescription drugs.
The reason behind these statistics is exactly what you might assume: free time without adult supervision.
“More free time and less adult supervision can make the summertime an exciting time for many young people, but it can also increase the likelihood of exposure to the dangers of substance abuse,” said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. “That is why it is critically important to take every opportunity we can throughout the year to talk to our young people about the real risks of substance abuse and effective measures for avoiding it, so they will be informed and capable of making the right decisions on their own.”
If you’re a parent of a young adult or teenager, SAMHSA offers a long list of resources you can use to help them make good decisions when they’re faced with the opportunity to experience with drugs.
If you’re concerned your child might already be abusing drugs, Drugfree.org has tips on how you can intervene and places where you can find support from parents in similar situations.