Boys & Girls Club of Newark
Teenage Drug Abuse

Teens at the Newark Boys and Girls Club chose to produce their five-minute video segment on teen drug abuse to bring attention to this serious problem in Newark. Over the course of 10 weeks, the teens researched statistics on teen drug abuse, held group discussions about the topic, and gathered enough information to create an outline. In order to produce the piece, the kids documented a "Smart Moves" meeting and interviewed their peers about drug use. They also went with NJN camera crews on an official shoot to interview counselors at the drug rehab center, Newark Renaissance House. And they did on-air stand-ups which were used to introduce and end the segment. The teens learned a great deal about drug abuse and why it is such a serious epidemic in their surround-ing area, as well as across the country.

Drug Abuse Statistics:
National: In a national survey of 394 high schools, 45% of 10th graders had tried illegal drugs and 53% of 12th graders had tried illegal drugs.
New Jersey: Approximately 41% of New Jersey high school students surveyed in 2001 reported using marijuana at least once in their lives.
Newark: In 1999, Essex County came in 2nd in the state for most juvenile drug related arrests and first in drug related deaths.

Why teens do drugs:
One of the largest non-government surveys about drugs (PRIDE) asks young people who used drugs what influenced their decision most. The most frequent response is "peer pressure."

Types of Drugs:
Marijuana is the most used illegal drug in the United States. Nearly 69 million Americans over the age of 12 have tried marijuana at least once.

Impact on Those Around You: families with substance-abusing children typically are unable to easily resolve problems and that the resulting confrontations negatively affect drug use.

Side Effects:
A “drug personality” is artificial and created by drugs. It changes the attitude of a person from their original personality to a hostile one.

To get help - Quitting:
The Cycle of Quitting is withdrawal, craving, and relapse.

Prevention:
An effective way for parents to show care and concern for their teenager is to honestly discuss with them the use and abuse of drugs.

Additional Resources:
The Boys & Girls Club of Newark
Newark Renaissance House
National Institutes of Health