With the deluge of recent press and attention on Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears, one might think that Hollywood celebs are the only young people in the world who are in trouble with the law and who revisit rehab because of their struggles with drugs and alcohol. Unfortunately, they are not alone.
Bestselling author Sean Covey and FranklinCovey senior vice president of innovations and products, said, “Drug and alcohol abuse strikes the best and brightest among us and no one is immune, no matter how rich or famous. There are many good people who become alcoholics, compulsive gamblers or drug addicts. They’re really not that different from you and me. They have the same hopes and dreams. The only thing that separates them from the rest of us is a few key choices they made, usually during their teen years.”
A survey, conducted in September 2006 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), found alarming figures of abuse of prescription drugs among young people. There are 6.4 million people ages 12 or older who used prescription drugs non-medically in the past month. Of these, 4.7 million used narcotic pain relievers, 1.8 million used tranquilizers, 1.1 million used stimulants (including 512,000 who used methamphetamine) and 272,000 used sedatives.
A report from the Schneider Institute for Health Policy at Brandeis University in 2001 found that alcohol is the most commonly used drug among young people: it kills 6½ times more youth than all other illicit drugs combined. By the 8th grade, 52% of adolescents have consumed alcohol, and 40% of those who started drinking at age 14 or younger later developed alcohol dependence, compared with 10% of those who began drinking at age 20 or older. Also, 50% of high school seniors report drinking alcohol in the past 30 days with 32% reporting being drunk at least once in the same period.
Covey said, “Whether you are a famous Hollywood celebrity or an average, everyday teen, if you or others think you have a problem with substance abuse, the first step is to admit it to yourself. Then, get help from your parents, a good friend, a support group or a counselor. There are many treatment centers, programs and support groups that can help. You’re better off if you don’t try to fight it alone. Don’t procrastinate, get help now. It will only get harder the longer you wait.”
