American teenage girls may be more receptive to using alcohol and taking drugs than in years past, a new report says. Girls appear more inclined than ever to reach for drugs and booze to help them emotionally, according to a survey by the nonprofit Partnership for a Drug Free America. For example, the 2009 survey of high school students found 53 percent of girls agreeing with the notion that drugs “help you forget your troubles,” up from 48 ... Jump to full article >>

Cigarette smoking, but not behavioral problems, independently and consistently predicted the use of marijuana by adolescents in a new study. The finding came from a study of more than 1,600 Dutch youngsters who were assessed at ages 10 to 12 and again at ages 12 to 15 and 15 to 18. The results showed that the association between what the researchers called externalizing behavior problems — conduct, attention deficit/hyperactivity and oppositio ... Jump to full article >>