According to a study carried out in the Maritime Provinces, marijuana, stimulants, mescaline and amphetamines were the most commonly abused drugs used by the teenagers in the North America particularly in distinct parts of Canada. In addition, number of cases concerning alcoholism was also recorded. These drug and alcohol problems were said to be increasing and becoming more alarming in the North American regions. (Connecticut Drug Problem, Laws and Substance Abuse Issues, 2007)
Furthermore, the conducted study showed that there was no sign that cases regarding drug and alcohol abuse were decreasing with reference to the teenagers who were used as the subjects of the study. The statistics illustrated that 1 out of 2 teenagers had used marijuana. The said problem was becoming more rampant in the urban regions of North America. (Connecticut Drug Problem, Laws and Substance Abuse Issues, 2007)
Also in Canada, a school named Saint John High School was said to have students that were using narcotic painkillers, ecstasy and cocaine. In order to address the problem the said school had conducted a drug and alcohol abuse-survey which is designed to observe the trend and the progress of drug and alcoholic addiction among their students. They did this for two years and arrived at shocking results. (World Drug Report 2000, 2001) They discovered that most cases of drug and alcohol abuse were unknown to the parents of the students.
Moreover, the parents themselves, when asked, did not have enough knowledge on the kinds of drugs and substances that were prohibited. Also, the study showed that students started to involve themselves on drug and alcohol abuse by first ingesting marijuana. Eventually the students became so much in tuned of taking in heavy drugs such as dilaudid and some pharmaceutical drugs. Julie Dingwell, one if the project coordinators of that study said that students can even access and use ecstasy and cocaine.
With the result of the survey, they realized the need for immediate action regarding the problems on drug and alcohol abuse. (Connecticut Drug Problem, Laws and Substance Abuse Issues, 2007) The same case was reported in Connecticut. The use of heroin and cocaine by the teenagers were also alarming. Today, Connecticut is labeled as the chief transport district of illegal drugs from New York to the East Coast. These places were tagged as the principal route of drug transactions. (Connecticut Drug Problem, Laws and Substance Abuse Issues, 2007)
And because the prices of heroin and cocaine are cheaper, they became more accessible to public such that even the students and minors can directly purchase them. The same went for marijuana. It costs cheaper. Thus, it can be purchased easily to the public. In the United States, cases of using a drug known as ecstasy were reportedly widespread among the teenagers. Fortunately, in 2001 the rate of growth of such cases was beginning to slow. The said ecstasy was most used drug during night parties and hangouts. Such cases started in 1999. (World Drug Report 2000, 2001)