Why Teens Think They Need Drugs

Teenagers today are faced with more stress than they have in many years. With bullying on the rise, the media forcing people to believe they should look a certain way, and internet social media being so influential it is no wonder why so many teens are on drugs.
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse and Centers for Disease Control more teens die from prescription drugs than of heroine and cocaine combined.  They find these pills for free mostly from a family member.  1/3 of the teenage population get marijuana from someone who has a prescription for medical marijuana. 
They state that by the 8th grade 28% of teens drink alcohol regularly and 16% smoke pot, of which 6% admit to smoking daily. 
50% of teens admit they don't believe using crack cocaine a few times is harmful and 40% don't believe using heroine a few times is harmful. 
So how do we protect our teens from the ever growing number of teen drug abuse? It was shown that of 75% of teens that were taught the dangers of drug use from a relative or close friend were less likely to use than those who were not taught. As parents we must dig deep to find solutions for our children that are stricken with the stress of being kids. If you start to see your child become more distant,  angry, lose interest in their usual favorite activities, or even shy away from friends then it may be time to get to the root of their problem. Most of the time they get depressed over their appearance, loss of a boyfriend or girlfriend, being picked on, struggling in class, or even cyber bullying. This can all lead to drugs. It only takes one time for someone to tell them all their pain can be solved by one little pill, or smoking or snorting this and that. They are vulnerable and scared and whenever they discover it does take away the pain temporarily,  that is when the addiction sets in...