NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Drugs can pose all kinds of dangers to young people.
Multiple teenagers have recently died following drug-involved shootings in Nashville. Drug use among teens is a nationwide problem.
Data from the National Center for Drug Abuse showed more than 2 million teens reported using drugs in the last month.
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News 2 spoke with Dr. Meg Benningfield, a psychiatrist at Monrow Carrel Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, about the trend here in Tennessee.
“Vaping has trended up; opioids have trended up,” Benningfield said. “Alcohol has trended down actually in the last several years.”
Benningfield said drug use effects mental health and police said this could increase violence.
“Using illicit substances like alcohol or opioids or cannabis impairs kids’ judgement, so they make risky choices,” Benningfield said.
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For example, last Thursday, Feb. 8, investigators said two teens, Takeo Bills and Jalen McAdams, were shot and killed in the parking lot of Meigs Magnet Middle School in East Nashville.