An article from Jonathan McKee and David R. Smith at TheSource4YM.com

Please find an article and stats below about teens and drug abuse.

When Stephen was a sophomore, he had a 4.4 GPA, was active in his church, and excelled in almost everything he put his mind to. Last week, his parents just dropped him off at a mental health facility where he will stay for a minimum of three months. You’d recognize the name of the place if I told you, because it’s not another rehab facility—Stephen has already been to three of those—this place is for people who are literally losing their mind.

 

Wiping tears from their cheeks, his parents watched him disappear down the baby blue hallway through a locked gate. As he vanished out of site, his mother burst into tears. “What did we do wrong?” Stephen never wanted to be an addict. He’s just another product of all the hype that marijuana is “no big deal.” That’s what Stephen used to argue, those first couple years, but marijuana turned into prescription meds, and soon Stephen would pump anything into his body that he could get his hands on.

 

Teenagers have been using and abusing alcohol, marijuana and controlled substances of various kinds for many generations now. Sadly, you don’t have to look far to find young people who’ve had their lives devastated by these toxic tyrants. These young people are in our neighborhoods, our schools, our churches, and our families. Most parents and youth workers in America know at least one young person who’s surrendered far too much control of their life to these vicious substances.

 

If these adults want to help teenagers regain control, they’re going to need an honest assessment of where kids stand right now. Here’s that assessment of controlled substances – by classification – and a few ideas on how to put them in check. To continue reading this article, please click here.