I would take drugs to a stupor, and fell further and further behind in school and work and relationships with others. I just didn't care anymore whether I lived or died. I stopped going to school altogether. Yet many do not recognize the degree to which their own children, their own schools, and their own communities are at risk. Research shows that drug use among children is 10 times more prevalent than parents suspect.
Alcohol use is the primary cause of traffic accidents involving teenage drivers.
Furthermore, about half of all youthful deaths in drowning, fires, suicide, and homicide are alcohol-related. Heavy drinking, defined as five or more drinks on one occasion, was reported by 30 percent of high school seniors, and more than one-half are occasional users of alcohol. Although higher proportions of males are involved in illicit drug use, especially heavy drug use, the gap between the sexes is closing. Students from non-metropolitan areas reported almost as much illicit drug use as students from large cities. Drugs are a serious problem not only among high school students but among middle and elementary school students as well.