As a new group of students make the leap from elementary school to middle school or junior high this fall, they will also make another, potentially dangerous leap into an environment of new pressures, greater risk and dramatically increased drug use.
Studies show that drug use jumps significantly in the critical year between sixth and seventh grade.
According to the 1998 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, while one in 13 sixth graders have smoked marijuana, that number jumps to one in five in seventh grade. The average age of first use of marijuana is 13. This back to school season, during America Goes Back to School Week, Drug Czar Barry R. McCaffrey wants all parents of young adolescents to know about the risks these students face when they leave the relative sanctuary of elementary school behind and what parents can do to help. Most likely, your child will be in a situation where they will have to make a conscious decision about using drugs and your role in arming them with the skills to reject drugs is critical. Several factors contribute to the increased risk of using drugs during this transition.