Though research have proved otherwise for years, many people still associate drug and alcohol abuse, and other extreme coping mechanisms like cutting, among teens with inner city or poorer neighborhoods. The reality is that suburban kids are often at higher risk because they have the money (given generously by parents who aren't around very much) and they have the free time.

"Many a PTA is YES' catchment area, which covers Plainedge, Farmingdale and the Massapequas, has gotten onboard with this reality that even clean-faced, unsuspected kids can be in a line of fire and, as consequence, opening fire on others. But there's still some convincing to do; sometimes during teacher training, the response is 'kind of like, "Uh, that doesn’t happen here."'"

Organizations like YES, which stands for Youth Environmental Services, seek to help both parents and teachers understand that geographic location and socio-economic status don't protect kids from substance abuse, emotional or psychological challenges. Read more at Newsday.com.

Find out current statistics on teenage drug addiction and teen substance abuse at Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base.

Labels: demographics, suburban_teens, training