A nationwide report issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reveals that from 1992 to 2007 there were significant changes in the patterns of substance abuse treatment admissions among pregnant teens both in terms of the kinds of substances involved and among different ethnic and racial groups.
According to the report, the proportion of pregnant teen admissions for marijuana abuse more than doubled from 19.3 percent in 1992 to 45.9 percent in 2007. Marijuana has surpassed alcohol as the primary substance of abuse cited in admissions for pregnant teens—alcohol represented 44.1 percent of all pregnant teen admissions in 1992 -- but dropped to 20.3 percent by 2007. In addition, the proportion of pregnant teen admissions for methamphetamine use has more than quadrupled, from 4.3 percent in 1992 to18.8 percent in 2007.
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