Teen girls say kids more likely to drink, do drugs to cope

Teen girls are more likely than teen boys to identify potential benefits from drugs and alcohol, says a study released today by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. In the 2009 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, more than two-thirds of teen girls reported that using drugs helps kids cope with problems at home, and half said drugs help teens forget troubles. The nationwide study, paid for by MetLife Foundation, surveyed 3,287 teenagers in grades nine to 12 in private and public schools.

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People should not believe girls are less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol than boys, says Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of Partnership for a Drug-Free America. The partnership's research shows alcohol and marijuana use increasing among girls and boys alike. "Your daughter, who you may assume may not be doing drugs, is actually more predisposed to this," he says.

Teens are using drugs and alcohol not to rebel or get high but as a way to "escape for a short period of time," Pasierb says. The increasing number of teens abusing prescription drugs is a "very serious problem," says Calvina Fay, executive director of the Drug Free America Foundation. Television advertisements for prescription drugs give children and teens the wrong impression about medicine, she says.

"We've become a society that basically says, 'If things aren't perfect in your life, take a pill,' " Fay says. "This causes our young people to see drugs as an answer." Stress is a main reason why teen girls use drugs, drink and smoke, according to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. But teens drink and smoke for other reasons as well. In the survey, 41% of boys responded that "parties are more fun with drugs" — an increase from 34% in 2008. More than half reported that drugs help teens relax in social settings.