Alcohol and Substance Abuse

Alcohol and Substance Abuse

Posted December 31, 2004.

Adolescents and teens use alcohol and other illegal drugs for a variety of reasons, including curiosity, because “it feels good”, to reduce stress, to feel grown up, or to fit in with their peers. Youth who experiment with drugs and alcohol generally begin by doing just that, experimenting. However, there are risk factors in a young person's life that may propel experimentation into a serious addiction. These risk factors include depression, low self-esteem, lack of connectedness, and family history of alcohol or substance abuse.

Adolescents do not see the link between the actions that they take today and consequences that may occur in the future. Behaviors started in youth can persist, extend into adulthood and can blossom into serious and costly health problems for the individual, their families and the community. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) report, Illicit Drug Policies: Selected Laws from the 50 States, February 2002, states that "each year substance abuse costs our schools at least $41 billion dollars in truancy, special education and disciplinary problems, disruption, teacher turnover and property damage."
States—

States legislatures have tried to restrict the availability of alcohol to underage drinkers by raising taxes on beer and alcohol, by instituting fines, and in some states prison terms, for those that serve or supply youth with alcohol. States also have enacted legislation regarding drug use to encourage effective prevention, target specific drug problems, and fund prevention programs.

2002 Legislative Session

Legislation included fines and suspension of driver licenses for underage drinkers and lowering the acceptable blood alcohol concentration for minors. The following is a sample of enacted legislation:

Arizona House Bill 2467 Chapter 285) made it a Class 2 misdemeanor—up to 4 months jail and a $750 fine—for a person under the age of 21 to ingest or have any spirituous liquor in their body.
Florida Senate Bill 612 (Chapter Number 2002-78) suspended the license of a driver under the age of 21 who has a blood-alcohol or breath-alcohol level of .05 or higher. The suspension remains in effect until the minor driver completes a substance abuse course offered by a DUI program licensed by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Some states addressed fake identification, driving under the influence (DUI) and lowering the acceptable blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for minors under age 21.
Several resolutions were adopted that addressed the creation of task forces, implementing studies, and encouraging state agencies to work together to study the problem of teenage in-vehicle drinking and related drug use.

2003 Legislative Session

Legislation included requiring underage drinkers and substance abusers to attend treatment or other programs to address chemical dependency. The following is a sample of enacted legislation:

Arkansas House Bill 1978 authorized a transfer of funds from the Youth Violence Prevention (Common Ground) to the Drug Prevention and Intervention Program.
Montana Senate Bill 362 increased the penalties (fines, community service and driver license confiscation) for illegal possession or consumption of an intoxicating substance by a person under age 21. Second and subsequent offenses required chemical dependency assessment and treatment, in certain cases.
New York Assembly Bill 4400 (Chapter 379) created the "Keep Kids Drug Free" license plate program to generate revenue to support youth drug prevention and treatment programs.
Vermont Senate Bill 168 (Act Number 52) required minors who are caught procuring, possessing or consuming alcoholic beverages for the first time to register for the court diversion board's Teen Alcohol Safety Program (TASP), which includes substance abuse screening and, if necessary, substance abuse education or counseling.
Virginia House Bill 2229 (Chapter 849) provided that a person convicted of underage possession of alcohol or using false identification to purchase alcohol may be placed on probation and referred to a community-based probation program, if a program has been established, and as an alternative to a referral to a Virginia Alcohol Safety Action program or Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services program.
Virginia House Bill 2324 (Chapter 605) required administrative suspension of driver's license or privilege to operate a motor vehicle for a person under age 21 if an alcohol breath test shows a blood alcohol concentration of 0.02 or more.

2004 Legislative Session

Legislation included appropriating funds for drug programs and alcohol and drug usage awareness curriculum in schools. The following is a sample of legislation that has passed:

Idaho Senate Bill 1433 (Chapter 343) appropriated funds to the Idaho Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program for distribution to various entities for various purposes.
Tennessee House Joint Resolution 1006 urged the state Board of Education to study the inclusion of an alcohol awareness and drug usage awareness component within the public school curriculum for Kindergarten through 12th grade to help students develop an understanding of the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse, as well as driving under the influence.
Utah House Bill 289 made it unlawful for a minor to have any measurable blood, breath, or urine alcohol concentration in their body unless for medicinal or religious purposes and is furnished by the parent or guardian, physician or dentist of the minor.

Alcohol and liquor

According to the CDC, approximately half of all deaths from motor vehicle crashes and from intentional injuries involve alcohol. States were required by the federal National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 to reduce the accepted Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) for individuals under the age of 21 while operating a motor vehicle in order to receive their full share of federal highway funds. All 50 states have addressed this problem of teenage in-vehicle drinking by enacting zero tolerance laws that lower the accepted BAC levels (generally from .05 to .02). The BAC level of .02 instead of .00 allows for ingested medications that contain small amounts of alcohol.

Alcohol use has also been linked to physical fights, academic and work-related problems, and illegal behavior. Adolescents have access to alcohol through parents and friends or relatives who are age 21 or older. Reports indicate that approximately 78 percent of all high school age students (grades 9-12) have tried alcohol at least once in their lifetime.

Marijuana, Inhalants and Hard Drugs

Marijuana, also referred to as "pot" or "weed," is one of the most commonly used illegal drugs in the United States. When smoked or ingested in food or drink, marijuana produces a euphoric feeling or "high" from delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the major chemical in marijuana. It stimulates brain cells to release the chemical dopamine resulting in the "high" feeling and has various effects on the brain and body.

Inhalants are substances that produce chemical vapors that can be inhaled to induce a psychoactive, or mind-altering, effect. These substances include volatile solvents, aerosol, gases, and nitrites and are found in household, industrial, and medical products. Inhalant use also referred to as "sniffing," "bagging," or "huffing," is practiced more by younger children than older ones and by more boys than girls. Abusers of inhalants can suffer loss of consciousness and death as the substances enter their blood stream and quickly go to their lungs and brain depriving both of oxygen and creating intoxicating effects.

Hard drugs are illegal and include ecstasy, heroin and cocaine, among others. Ecstasy is also referred to as a club drug and is often consumed at dance clubs and raves. It has hallucinogenic and stimulant properties and effects on the user are similar to those of methamphetamines. When taken in conjunction with alcohol the effects are heightened and regular use can lead to brain damage and even death.

Heroin is a highly addictive drug processed from morphine that causes one to experience euphoria or to feel "high." It is generally "cut" with other substances, sometimes poisons, that can cause the user to overdose and die because they are unaware of the strength of the heroin and the other substances that are "cut" in. Addicts can smoke or snort heroin, but generally inject the drug with needles and also share these needles with others making the possibility of infection and contracting diseases such as HIV extremely high.

Cocaine is also a highly addictive substance that has gained popularity with youth over the years. It is a stimulant that produces an extreme or intense "high" or "rush" when the powder is snorted through the nose. Cocaine can also be processed for smoking and is referred to as "crack." The effects of cocaine, whether smoked or snorted include increased heart rate, hyperactivity, restlessness and anxiety.

According to the 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey, adolescents (grades 9-12) use of illegal drugs has increased slightly for sniffing, inhaling or injecting substances, metamphetamine and heroin use. On an encouraging note, the numbers went down for adolescents who have ever used alcohol, marijuana or cocaine.

Other Resources:

Click here for NCSL's Substance Abuse page

Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) http://www.samhsa.gov/centers/csap/csap.html

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/yrbs/index.htm

National Institute on Drug Abuse http://www.nida.nih.gov

NCSL provides the links above for informational purposes only, and they do not necessarily reflect NCSL positions.

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