Washington, DC

A new national survey of American teens has found that those who regularly spend any time on social networking sites are at increased risk of smoking, drinking and drug use.

The survey was spearheaded by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

The survey asked 12- to 17-year olds whether they spend time on Facebook, Myspace or other social networking sites in a typical day. Seventy percent of teens reported spending time on social networking sites in a typical day compared to 30 percent of teens who said they do not. This means that 17 million 12- to 17-year olds are social networking in a typical day.

Based on the research, teens who are socially connected are five times likelier to use tobacco; three times likelier to use alcohol; and twice as likely to use marijuana.

Additionally, they found that 40 percent of all teens surveyed have seen pictures on Facebook, Myspace or other social networking sites of kids getting drunk, passed out, or using drugs. More than half the teens polled said they have seen pictures of kids drunk, passed out, or using drugs on Facebook and other social networking sites. They reported first seeing pictures of kids engaging in substance abuse before the age of 13, while more than 90 percent first saw such pictures when they were 15 or younger.

"The relationship of social networking site images of kids drunk, passed out, or using drugs and of suggestive teen programming to increased teen risk of substance abuse offers grotesque confirmation of the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words," said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA Columbia's founder and chairman and former Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.

Researchers say that when teens see images of their peers getting drunk, passed out, or using drugs on social networking sites they are subject to being three times likelier to use alcohol; four times likelier to use marijuana; four times likelier to be able to get marijuana, almost three times likelier to be able to get controlled prescription drugs without a prescription, and more than twice as likely to be able to get alcohol in a day or less; and much likelier to have friends and classmates who abuse illegal and prescription drugs.

 

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