ABSTRACT
Of all the contemporary mental health problems addressed by the chapters of the current text, none has a more pervasive and pernicious influence upon the growth, development, and potential of America’s youth than substance abuse. Tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use are leading causes of disease and mortality both during adolescence and later in life (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2009). The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) funded the 2009 Monitoring the Future Study, which indicated that by the end of twelfth grade 72% of students have consumed at least one drink, and 37% of eighth graders have done so. Further, 57% of twelfth graders and 17% of eighth graders reported having been drunk at least once. Results of the same study indicated that as early as eighth grade, 7% (1 in 15) of all students have become current habitual smokers, (i.e., has been smoking daily for at least several weeks). Perhaps the most alarming finding from the survey was that the prevalence of marijuana use (at least once over the previous 30-day period), which had gradually declined over a preceding decade (1997–2007), significantly increased from 12% to 14% (2007–2009) for an aggregate sample of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students.
