Raw Food Explained: Life Science
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2. Teen Challenge—Enlightening Statistics
The following statistics have been obtained through the kind cooperation of the Teen Challenge Program for drug and alcohol abuse, a service which was first initiated in 1958 in New York City. The statistics are in a “Services Research Report-An Evaluation of the Teen Challenge Treatment Program” as issued by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; Public Health Service; Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration; and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
We thank Greg Brewer, Tucson Director of Teen Challenge for his kind cooperation.
TABLE 1
Characteristics of Entrants into Teen Challenge Program
| Characteristic | % or x (N=186) |
| Age | 24 |
| Ethnicity: | |
| % Hispanic | 64.0 |
| % Black | 20.4 |
| % White | 15.6 |
| Education: | |
| % 9th grade | 23.5 |
| % 9-11 grades | 60.9 |
| % 12 or more grades | 15.6 |
| % Married | 29.6 |
| % Admitted under legal pressure | 22.5 |
| % Ever arrested | 79.0 |
| %Arrested for drugs | 47.9 |
| Religion: | |
| % Catholic | 43.6 |
| % Protestant | 29.5 |
| % Jewish | 1.6 |
| % Muslim | 2.7 |
| % Other | 0.5 |
| % None | 23.1 |
| Heroin Use: | |
| % Heroin use at admission | 87 |
| % Using heroin at least daily | 83 |
| Age of first heroin use | 17 |
| % Reporting hospitalization for overdose | 31 |
| Other drug use at admission: | |
| % Tobacco | 88 |
| % Alcohol | 39 |
| % Marijuana | 37 |
| % Other drugs | 44 |
TABLE 2
Characteristics of Entrants into Challenge Program at Age 12
| Characteristic | % (N=186) |
| Type of residential community: | |
| City of 250,000 or more | 59.1 |
| City of 50,000-200,000 | 10.2 |
| City of less than 50,000 | 15.6 |
| Suburb | 10.2 |
| Farm or country | 4.3 |
| Don’t know | 0.5 |
| Living with: | |
| Both father and mother | 69.4 |
| Mother | 21.0 |
| Father | 3.X |
| Other person | 5.4 |
| In school | 97.3 |
| Attending religious services regularly | 64.0 |
TABLE 3
| Client Outcome – 1975 | Induction Center Dropouts (N=70) | Training Center Dropouts (N=52) | Training Center Graduates (N=64) | |||
| Outcome Data | Pre-Teen Challenge % |
Post-Teen Challenge % |
Pre-Teen Challenge % |
Post-Teen Challenge % |
Pre-Teen Challenge % |
Post-Teen Challenge % |
| Heroin Use *1 | 90.0 | 18.6 | 78.9 | 1.9 | 89.1 | 4.7 |
| Alcohol Use | 32.9 | 51.4 | 36.5 | 30.8 | 51.6 | 17.2 |
| Tobacco Use | 91.4 | 82.9 | 90.4 | 63.5 | 82.8 | 21.9 |
| Marijuana Use | 44.3 | 48.6 | 26.9 | 15.4 | 37.5 | 12.5 |
| Obtaining money through illegal means |
– | 20.0 | – | 3.9 | – | 16 |
| Employed/in school | – | 57.1 | – | 61.5 | – | 75.0 |
| Arrests | 80.0 | 78.6 | 73.1 | 55.8 | 82.8 | 29.7 |
| Any schooling post-teen challenge |
– | 28.6 | – | 21.2 | – | 40.6 |
| Married/Living with | 41.4 | 57.1 | 30.8 | 61.5 | 23.4 | 70.3 |
| Health since Teen Challenge reported as good-excellent |
– | 58.6 | – | 75.0 | – | 92.2 |
| Current nervous/emotional problems |
– | 18.6 | – | 13.5 | – | 12.5 |
| Any treatment other than Teen Challenge |
40.0 | 80.0 | 38.5 | 63.5 | 54.7 | 26.5 |
| Reporting self as: | ||||||
| Very/Somewhat religious | 58.6 | 88.6 | 30.8 | 75.0 | 26.6 | 87.5 |
| Not religious | 41.4 | 11.4 | 69.2 | 25.0 | 73.4 | 12.5 |
| Attending religious services *2 | 62.9 | 37.1 | 48.0 | 32.8 | 67.2 | |
*1 An additional 18.6% of Induction Center dropouts, 15.4% of Training Center dropouts and 7.8% of Training Center graduates were using methadone, but it is unclear whether or not this was illicitly obtained.
*2 For Pre-Teen Challenge recorded as “church member.”
* Not all the statistics are given here. Those persons wishing the complete report may request same from a local Teen Challenge office or from the National Institute for Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857.
The entrants into the Teen Challenge Program considered in the report were largely from the Brooklyn-New York City area (about 90%) and may not be characteristic of all areas. However, they are interesting in that they show that drug usage is found among all races, all education levels, among both married and single. Our personal research shows that drug usage is common also in persons from all economic levels, affluent, economically depressed, in city dwellers and among those who live in rural settings. It is a problem which will come to the attention of the Hygienic practitioner sooner or later in his practice and one that must be appropriately addressed by him/her.
- 1. Teenagers—An Endangered Species
- 2. Teen Challenge—Enlightening Statistics
- 3. Working With Teenagers
- 4. Questions & Answers
- Article #1: 57% of Teens Flunk Fitness Tests By Mike Feinsilber, A.P.
- Article #2: Beauty By Dr. Herbert M. Shelton
- Article #3: Living A Happy Life By F. Alexander Magoun
- Article #4: Wit, Wisdom And Willpower By Edwin Flatto, N.D., D.O.
- Article #5: Kids On The Run
Raw Food Explained: Life Science
Today only $37 (discounted from $197)