←back to thread

Decline in teen drug use continues, surprising experts

(arstechnica.com)
349 points pseudolus | 2 comments | 17 Dec 24 23:44 UTC | HN request time: 0.405s | source
Show context
nemo44x ◴[21 Dec 24 00:43 UTC] No.42476574[source]▶
Isn’t this good? We’ve literally told teenagers to not use drugs or have sex for decades and it’s obviously working. The consequences are far higher today or at least more well understood and the messaging is getting through.

We’ve trained younger generations to be extremely risk adverse and they’ve listened. I line they’re probably dangerously exposed to other risks that we don’t have generational knowledge of yet.

replies(2): >>42477651 #>>42477891 #
1. bowsamic ◴[21 Dec 24 06:31 UTC] No.42477891[source]▶
Yeah I think it’s just this. We learnt that alcohol is actually really bad for you in many ways, and we taught our children, and they listened. I think it’s pretty funny that our instinct is somehow to be slightly horrified that they stopped drinking or using drugs. I guess they can’t do anything right
replies(1): >>42480018 #
2. jppope ◴[21 Dec 24 14:54 UTC] No.42480018[source]▶
I think the issue here is more about the unintended second order effects. Yay! Drug and alcohol use is down... annnnnnddddd now theres a mental health crisis, increase in suicide rate, and the fertility rate is dropping like well drug and alcohol use.

I'm personally not saying the isolated health aspect of reduced drug and alcohol use is a bad thing. In a vacuum it is obviously positive. When you consider how they function in a broader social system it may turn out that its not a positive change.