Girls Abusing Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco Just as Much or More Than Boys

Cautioning teens to steer clear of substances that could be hazardous to their health is a normal and important part of raising an adolescent. And, although unsettling, it's certainly not news that many teens still choose to experiment when their friends egg them on to take a puff of this cigarette, a swig of that beer, or a quick hit off a joint. But what might surprise some parents is that more girls are now drinking, smoking, and doing drugs — and putting their health at serious risk.

A recent story in The Washington Post cited some disturbing trends:

• A 2006 survey by Columbia University's National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) found that 12- to 17-year-old girls' risk of substance abuse was just as high as — if not higher than — boys'.
• Also in 2006, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy reported that more girls were smoking and abusing prescription drugs than boys (just as teenage boys' drug abuse rates were going down).
• Emergency medicine doctors at the Center for Trauma and Injury Prevention Research at the University of California at Irvine Medical School recently discovered that although boy drivers had more accidents between 2000 and 2004, the rates of crashes with girls behind the wheel is starting to creep up.

What This Means to You

During the teen years, kids are more likely to engage in risky behaviors. Their increasing need for independence may make teens want to defy their parents' wishes or instructions as a way of asserting their independence. And, although it might seem like boys are the main ones "getting into trouble," that's often not the reality. Girls are just as likely to face the same kinds of pressures to fit in and try substances that could prove dangerous to their health — or even deadly.

Chances are that most teens will encounter numerous situations that require making a tough decision — to join in or just say no — whether they're girls or boys.

When they make a split-second choice that may seem like "no big deal," it can be hard for kids and teens to care about what might happen to them now or down the road if their experimentation turns into a habit. But talking about the effects substance abuse could have today may hit home far more than warnings about long-term consequences.

When it comes to smoking cigarettes, some truly unappealing problems include:

• pale, wrinkly skin
• yellow teeth
• stained clothes
• bad-smelling breath and clothes
• a nagging, unattractive cough
• feeling tired or cranky
• trouble breathing, making it harder to be physically active and play sports
• an emptier wallet — smoking is really expensive

And on top of the real possibility of a dangerous and possibly deadly overdose, drinking and drugs can have serious current side effects like:

• distorted vision, hearing, and coordination
• altered perceptions and emotions
• impaired judgment — which can lead to accidents, drowning, and other risky behaviors like unsafe sex

Plus, for girls, getting drunk or high can make them extremely vulnerable to crimes like sexual assault and date rape.