Figuring Out Why Girls Go Wrong

In an era that emphasizes female equality, need we be surprised that girls are nearing parity with boys in substance abuse? Summing up its latest study, the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse says, “Younger girls are smoking and drinking like boys,” and “High school girls are almost as likely as boys to use cocaine and inhalants.” One section of the study discusses smoking in relation to weight. As girls get older, they’re increasingly prone to see smoking as a weight-loss tool (see the chart).