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Teen Drug Use Up Since 2008

April 11, 2011 RSS Feed Print

After 10 years of steady decline, teen drug use, specifically the use of marijuana, alcohol, and ecstasy, has increased since 2008, according to a survey by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and the MetLife Foundation.

Researchers asked 2,544 high schoolers about their drug use in 2010 and found that 39 percent of high school students had drunk alcohol in the past month, 10 percent had used ecstasy in the past year, and 38 percent had used marijuana in the past year.

Between 1998 and 2008, the number of teens who reported using alcohol or marijuana fell 30 percent. According to the 2010 survey, almost two thirds of students who said they drink alcohol had their first full drink by age 15, and about one fourth had their first drink by age 12.

Steve Pasierb, president of The Partnership at Drugfree.org, said the budget cuts to drug awareness programs could be to blame for the turnaround.

"We are troubled, but not completely surprised, by these numbers because, in schools and communities across the country, support for drug education and prevention programs has been cut drastically due to budgetary pressures," he said in a statement. "A heavier burden is placed squarely on the shoulders of parents, who need to take an active role in preventing substance abuse in their families."

A 2009 study by the National Center for Education Statistics found that 22 percent of public high school students were offered, sold, or given drugs at school.

The Drugfree.org study also asked students which drugs carried a "great risk" for regular use. Most students agreed crack, powdered cocaine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy use were dangerous, but just 50 percent of students said regular marijuana use was dangerous, and 45 percent said they did not see a "great risk" in drinking five or more drinks per day.

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Heather Heaton's new ebook ("Her Letters from Prison") is an inspirational resource for reading pleasure, review, contemplation, and discussion.

Heather's own testimony: "God changed my life in prison!"

"Her Letters from Prison" will validate your inquisitive thoughts and doubts about what goes on in women’s prisons (It is what it is!); it can justify the efforts spent toward women’s prison ministries; and it can be a motivational (tell-it-like-it-is) resource for drug rehab/prevention and reentry programs.

"Her Letters from Prison" is non-fiction, inspirational, prison romance; and the original letters (with prison art) are included as images for authenticity.

You can go to http://www.heather-heaton.com, click on a direct link to the Smashwords "book pages" for “Her Letters from Prison”, Parts 1 and 2. Additional direct links to the book pages are provided at the end of this review.

"Her Letters from Prison" was published in two parts due to the file storage limitations imposed by the Smashwords automated publishing process. Each of the two parts contain approximately 80+ pages - images of the original letters and prison art.

If you don’t happen to own a Kindle, Nook, Fire, Sony, iPhone/iPad, or some other eReader device, then download the FREE Adobe Digital Editions software to your computer to read the “epub” version of the ebooks. Multiple eReader versions of the ebooks are available on Smashwords.

The author, Heather Heaton, is a 34 year old college student trying to better her life, in spite of the baggage she carries from her previous life. During 2012, Heather will graduate from Jefferson State College in Birmingham, Alabama with an Associate Degree in Business. After graduation from Jeff State, Heather plans to enroll in the Southeastern Bible College and pursue a program in "Youth Ministry".

A brief description of the ebook follows:

1. Breanna tells the true story of her experiences in prison through her letters to her friend Heath. This is a story of survival and a quest to make a better life. The letters describe the shocking daily events of prison life involving drugs, sex, utter devastation and humiliation, anger, hopelessness, despair, and finally happiness and hope.

2. Breanna was condemned to prison by her narcissistic lover; and a new, positive prison romance began to blossom.

3. Breanna's "truth" stands still even as the world around her trembles and burns! Bad things do happen to good people; and Breanna is the perfect example of this truth.

4. Breanna's inner strengths and principles eventually win out over the corruption and evil that surrounds her. With God's help, Breanna survives the horrible experiences of prison life and regains her self-confidence and hope for a better life.

5. "Breanna" was an inmate at Tutwiler Women's Prison (Alabama) during the period 2007 to 2009. Breanna spent approximately three years in the Alabama prison system.

6. "Breanna" benefitted from women's prison mini

Heather Heaton of AL 10:44PM April 23, 2012

How about some real-life consequences for making bad choices - continue reading below.

Heather Heaton's new ebook ("Her Letters from Prison") is an inspirational resource for reading pleasure, review, contemplation, and discussion.

Heather's own testimony: "God changed my life in prison!"

"Her Letters from Prison" will validate your inquisitive thoughts and doubts about what goes on in women’s prisons (It is what it is!); it can justify the efforts spent toward women’s prison ministries; and it can be a motivational (tell-it-like-it-is) resource for drug rehab/prevention and reentry programs.

"Her Letters from Prison" is non-fiction, inspirational, prison romance; and the original letters (with prison art) are included as images for authenticity.

You can go to http://www.heather-heaton.com, click on a direct link to the Smashwords "book pages" for “Her Letters from Prison”, Parts 1 and 2. Additional direct links to the book pages are provided at the end of this review.

"Her Letters from Prison" was published in two parts due to the file storage limitations imposed by the Smashwords automated publishing process. Each of the two parts contain approximately 80+ pages - images of the original letters and prison art.

If you don’t happen to own a Kindle, Nook, Fire, Sony, iPhone/iPad, or some other eReader device, then download the FREE Adobe Digital Editions software to your computer to read the “epub” version of the ebooks. Multiple eReader versions of the ebooks are available on Smashwords.

The author, Heather Heaton, is a 34 year old college student trying to better her life, in spite of the baggage she carries from her previous life. During 2012, Heather will graduate from Jefferson State College in Birmingham, Alabama with an Associate Degree in Business. After graduation from Jeff State, Heather plans to enroll in the Southeastern Bible College and pursue a program in "Youth Ministry".

A brief description of the ebook follows:

1. Breanna tells the true story of her experiences in prison through her letters to her friend Heath. This is a story of survival and a quest to make a better life. The letters describe the shocking daily events of prison life involving drugs, sex, utter devastation and humiliation, anger, hopelessness, despair, and finally happiness and hope.

2. Breanna was condemned to prison by her narcissistic lover; and a new, positive prison romance began to blossom.

3. Breanna's "truth" stands still even as the world around her trembles and burns! Bad things do happen to good people; and Breanna is the perfect example of this truth.

4. Breanna's inner strengths and principles eventually win out over the corruption and evil that surrounds her. With God's help, Breanna survives the horrible experiences of prison life and regains her self-confidence and hope for a better life.

5. "Breanna" was an inmate at Tutwiler Women's Prison (Alabama) during the period 2007 to 2009. Breanna spent approximately thr

Heather Heaton of AL 10:54PM March 27, 2012

Teen drug use is increasing day by day... Research is very nice...Thanks for sharing this nice information...

sabrina clements 2:28AM November 11, 2011

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