NCJ Number
107556
Date Published
1987
Length
204 pages
Annotation
Prepared for parents, this book surveys juvenile drug and alcohol abuse in the United States and provides guidelines for determining a child's vulnerability to drug abuse and detecting actual abuse.
Abstract
The extent of juvenile drug abuse and the types of substances involved are described. Because alcohol is the drug teens are most likely to abuse, a separate chapter addresses the history of alcohol abuse and the symptoms and stages of alcohol addiction. The book discusses why children use drugs and outlines characteristics of independent, healthy adolescents who can resist peer pressures to try drugs. Other topics examined include a look at how parents contribute to juvenile drug abuse, why American society is prone to drug abuse, signs of teenage depression, and treatment for juvenile abusers. Trends in drug abuse and prevention are surveyed. Discussion questions and suggested family activities accompany each chapter. A drug awareness chart, glossary, a questionnaire evaluating a child's vulnerability to drug abuse, 12 steps of Alcoholic Anonymous, and references are appended.