Tennessee teens shooting up drugs at twice the national average

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

photo drug abuse tile

Tennessee teenagers are using heroin and shooting up drugs at twice the national average, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And many more - roughly one in every five - pop pills for recreational use. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Report reveals that their appetite for hard drugs grew dramatically over a five-year period and that Tennessee teenagers are putting themselves in danger in a multitude of ways. The 251-page report, based upon surveys of high school students and released every two years by the CDC, looks at behaviors ranging from dietary choices to driving habits.

The survey period was between September 2012 and December 2013 - a time frame when heroin was making a comeback.

Read more from our news partner at The Tennessean.