SAMHSA: Girls Enter Treatment Younger, Use Different Drugs

Teenage girls tend to enter addiction treatment at a younger age than boys and are more likely to be primary users of alcohol or inhalants, whereas boys are most likely to report that marijuana is their favorite drug, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).[P]Girls also were more likely (23 percent vs. 18 percent) to have a co-occurring psychiatric disorder, noted the report, Adolescent Treatment Admissions by Gender: 2005.[P]The study found that marijuana was the most common drug of abuse for both male (72 percent) and female (51 percent) teens in treatment, but girls differed from boys in a number of significant ways. “As we continue to work on reducing youth drug use overall, we must pay special attention to the needs of teen girls,” said SAMHSA administrator Terry Cline, Ph.D. “Because research shows that girls use alcohol and drugs to boost their confidence, reduce tension and cope with problems, our prevention efforts must address these needs.”[P]The study found that 23 percent of girls were admitted to treatment for alcohol, compared to 16 percent of male teens. Inhalants were the primary substance abused by 12 percent of girls, but only 4 percent of boys.