Posted on 02/11/2006 10:34:28 AM PST by Cagey
It's an alarming trend among teenage girls.
According to a new White House report, girls are outpacing boys when it comes to drug and alcohol abuse. In 2004, more adolescent girls started drinking, smoking cigarettes and using marijuana than boys.
In his state of the union address, President Bush said drug use among adolescents had dropped 19 percent since 2001, but the growing number of girls using drugs is now causing concern. Although nationally, the number of teens who drink and use drugs has taken a nose dive, according to the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the number of adolescent girls abusing alcohol, smoking cigarettes and using marijuana is on the rise.
"I guess I just figured that was true," said Mary Gerald, teenager.
Cody Laird said, "I wouldn't say that's necessarily true. I mean, I think it's an equal amount. It all depends on the group of friends that you hang around with, basically."
Some experts believe the changing roles of women in society puts girls under added stress, causing some to 'self-medicate.'
Teen Chermaine Sims told KVUE news, "We are under a lot of pressure, being females - young ladies in high school going through a lot."
"I'm trying to keep my grades up and meet my expectations so I can graduate," said Ashley Washington.
Psychiatrist Byron Stone says substance abuse is often a symptom of a bigger, underlying problem.
"Depression in both boys and girls is a risk factor for the development of alcohol abuse and other substance abuse. There's no doubt about it," he said.
To address the problem of depression, researchers at the University of Texas sent home a letter to several local high schools, including Anderson High. They're trying to recruit students for the Austin Blues Project, designed to stop depression before it strikes.
,"We're trying to figure out which one's the most effective for preventing depression since depression often goes untreated and even if it is treated, once an adolescent already has depression, it actually can very difficult for them to overcome it," said Emily Wade, project director.
Experts say parents should monitor their children for things such as low self-esteem and slipping grades. Both could be indicators of a much bigger problem.
Despite the serious consequences of depression, the Austin Blues Project found less than one in our teens receive treatment for the condition.
The Feminazis should welcome this news of gender equality.
The girls see the lifestyle Feminazis have planned for them - then depression sets in.
Absolutely true. Promicuous sex, aborting all/most of your children, no children or one child raised without a man, no family life in any case, 2 pack a day cigarette addiction.... not much to look forward to.
I'm still trying to figure this jewel of journalism out.....
Im part of this Generation and I completely agree. Girls are more emotional and are on more a rollercoaster. It makes sense actully.
So our song choices are "I Can Do Anything You Can Do Better", "I Am Woman, Hear Me Score", or "These Boots Were Made for Hiding My Needle Scars"
Whoa! I was never expected to do that!
You left out alcoholism - hangovers, blackouts, and throwing up in strange bathrooms.
They'll find some way to blame it on the patriarchal society women find themselves in.
She forgot to add ". . . and make it to every dang party going on at this college and hook up with x number of men per week.
And just yesterday we were being told they were afraid to put anything in there stomachs for fear of gaining weight. If they're ingesting all these things, does that mean the number of anorexic and bulemic teenage girls has decreased? However, if there doing all these things, and on an empty stomach to boot, I could see how they could be getting really, really messed up.
I guess I wonder why the alarm is being sounded so loudly for these girls, when boys in this age range have always comprised a horrificly high percentage of all suicides. Were is/has been some real concern for them? Males are 75% of all suicides.
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