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The AAP supports substance abuse prevention efforts aimed at protecting infants, children, adolescents, young adults and pregnant women.
* 5,000 babies are born each year with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), a birth defect that could be prevented by abstaining from drinking during pregnancy. To protect developing fetuses, the AAP says pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant should not drink any alcohol.
* On average, students who drink alcohol have their first drink at age 12 or 13.
* 14,727 young people (aged 16 - 20) died in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes in 1991.
Inhalants include glues, aerosols and solvents. * In 1993, almost 1 in 5 eighth graders (19.4%) had used inhalants at least once.
* Lifetime and annual use of inhalants among 8th graders increased significantly between 1992 and 1993, making inhalants the most widely abused substances after alcohol and tobacco among this group.
* Among the graduating class of 1993, 42.9% of high school students had used an illicit drug by the time they reached their senior year of high school.
* Annual use of LSD increased from 5.6% in 1992 to 6.8% in 1993, nearing the level of use during the peak years of the mid-1970s.
* The average age for first-time use of marijuana is 13.7 years.
* More than 3.5 million adolescents (aged 12-17) have tried marijuana, and 1/3 of these are regular users.
* Over half a million adolescents have tried cocaine, and half of these are regular users.
* Approximately 2 million teenagers begin smoking cigarettes each year.
* In the United States, tobacco consumption causes over 400,000 deaths per year and contributes to more than 1 of every 6 deaths.
First Created 12/23/97
Last Updated 08/10/2004