Third Annual Report
on the Condition of Children
in Orange County

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Let’s start with early teen smoking. In the last two years, teen smoking has actually gone down by a percentage and a half in Orange County, although these numbers are self reported and could be inaccurate. Across the state and the nation, teen smoking has grown by 20% in the last three years. A national survey shows that it’s up 30% among eighth graders, 20% among 10th graders and 12.5% among 12th graders. It also showed that among teenagers, girls start smoking at much higher rates than boys.

TEEN YEARS: THE CHALLENGES

For Orange County teens, the most popular drug is marijuana, preferred by almost 40% of high school students who abuse drugs. National studies find that more than half of high school seniors are using marijuana. More than half of juniors and seniors report that they’ve been given or offered marijuana at school. Nearly five percent smoke it every day.

In junior high, it’s even more popular, preferred by 55% of junior high students who use drugs. After a decade of decline in California, teens reported increases of about 50% between 1991 and 1993.

The second most popular drug for teens is alcohol. It’s easy to obtain and relatively inexpensive. A recent California study of 7th and 9th graders showed that between 60 and 80% of teens have had drinks within the last few months. According to an Orange County Health Care survey, the average age when teens start drinking is 15 for boys and 16 for girls, and 62% of boys and almost 35% of girls have started drinking before they’re 17. White, Hispanic and Native American teens report much higher drinking than African-Americans and Asians.

National studies show that more than a quarter of eighth-graders and more than half of seniors report drinking currently. Perhaps more disturbing, about half the eighth-graders and half the seniors who drink report binge drinking - five or more drinks in a row - within the last two weeks.

By the time they get to college in their late teens, the drinking is worse. Almost half of students surveyed at 140 U.S. colleges report binge drinking. And according to their classmates, drinking often fuels vandalism, assault and rape.

NATIONALLY, TEENS REPORTED INCREASES IN DRUG ABUSE OF ABOUT 50% BETWEEN 1991 AND 1993.

The third most popular drug among Orange County teens is methamphetamines - with more than 15% of junior high and 12% of high school abusers preferring it to alcohol or marijuana. In fact, the use of these highly addicting drugs is growing steadily.

LSD use tripled among Hispanic and African-American teens, nearly doubled among Native Americans and Asians and grew slightly among whites. Cocaine actually declined among white and Asian teens, but rose substantially for all others.

Some teens experiment with occasional drug use, but many teens end up addicted. In Orange County, many teens go into private treatment and thus never show up in the statistics. For those who rely on the Orange County Health Care Agency, however, troubled with drugs seems to be increasing.

Teens referred for alcohol treatment tripled from 1992-1995, making up more than a quarter of all teen referrals. Methamphetamine referrals doubled. Cocaine referrals more than doubled. Marijuana referrals were up a third. Hallucinogen referrals increase by 25%. Heroin use was tracked for the first time in 94-95, and represented nearly four percent of referrals.

According to the Health and Human Services National Institute on Drug Abuse, drugs are increasingly glamorous in popular culture, from recording artists to movies. From Dr. Dre to the Black Crows, more performers are endorsing marijuana.

There’s also a reduction in peer pressure against drugs. The message that drugs - even marijuana - can impair learning, memory, perception, judgment, and motor skills is just not getting through to teens. According to a University of Michigan national study, seniors who disapprove of marijuana fell over the last two years a full ten percent.

For teens who look to drugs or alcohol to solve their problems, unfortunately, the drugs will probably just make them worse.

Drug Use Is Life Abuse | P.O. Box 28 | Santa Ana, CA 92702