Underage drug and alcohol abuse

Grace Rosencrans

April 4, 2024

Brookings is pretty, and is right by the ocean. The people in Brookings are nice. There is a lot of wildlife, and the river is super nice in the summer. It's a very fun place to be with friends and family.

Underage drinking and smoking is a big problem, and not only in our town. There are so many teens using drugs and alcohol. This issue has been observed at the local schools, like Brookings-Harbor High School.

"There are a lot of underage kids that vape and smoke," School Resource Officer Ray Branion said.

In the past, it wasn’t as bad with vaping and alcohol, but there were rampant cigarette addictions. There are people that are still addicted to them, even when they are about to face serious issues from it like lung cancer.

According to a report from the CDC, “In 2021, 4.5% of adults aged 18 and over were current electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) users, with e-cigarette use highest among adults aged 18–24 (11.0%).”

According to Continuum of Care, an organization that helps those challenged with addiction and mental health problems, most substance abuse starts in the teenage years. Alcohol is the most commonly used substance among teens. 139.8 million Americans ages 12 or older are alcohol users, and out of that, 67.1 million of them were binge drinkers. 14.8 million people also ages 12 or older meet criteria to be diagnosed with alcohol use disorder. 

Officer Branion said he believes that vapes are the new addiction, and that teen drinking and smoking will never stop.

Some students want to know more about how to stop vaping, and get help. Vapes affect children a lot because they have a lot of toxic liquids like Acrolein, Acetaldehyde, and Formaldehyde. These are unhealthy for your lungs and body.

Sadly, Branion said first, it was a lot of cigarettes and some alcohol, but now teens are vaping, drinking, using marijuana and other more dangerous substances. People who vape are more likely to start smoking regular tobacco cigarettes, and may be more likely to develop other addictions in the future.

There are so many local places you can get help for yourself or even others you are worried about. You can talk to your school nurse, counselor, therapists, and even a trusted adult if you or someone you know needs help with addiction. 

Photo Credit: https://americandrugtest.com/blog/etg-alcohol-testing-used-by-court-government-programs/