Teens, Stress, and Drugs
Did you know that stress is one of the reasons teens start using drugs? Neither did I, till I read about a survey done by the Partnership for a Drug Free America. According to the survey, 73% of teens said their main reason for using drugs was school stress. Whatever your view on the war on drugs, the thing that worries me is the fact that school is stressing teens out so much that they feel like they need drugs to cope. The other fascinating fact? Only 7% of parents thought stress was a reason teens use drugs.
I think this shows how important it is to teach kids ways to deal with stress. I love this article from Yoga Journal about introducing kids to yoga. Giving kids a way to deal with stress before they’re old enough to get overwhelmed with the craziness of life could end up being a really important life skill.
