Teen Girls Using Pills, Smoking More Than Boys

Califano, who is releasing a book today titled "Women Under the Influence," criticized Bush's proposal to trim drug prevention and treatment programs while increasing law enforcement in those areas.

"The only way to get hooked is to use, so prevention funds are very, very important," he said.

Califano and Seigel said adolescent girls develop addictions more easily and are more prone to depression than their male counterparts. The White House report cited studies that indicate that girls who used marijuana daily were five times more likely to face depression in young adulthood.

In many cases, concerns over weight and self-esteem factor heavily in girls' decisions to smoke or use prescription drugs. Laura Thurston, a senior at Sheehan High School outside New Haven, Conn., knows cheerleaders who are thin but nevertheless take diet pills.

Magazines, reality television and movies portray young female celebrities as successful, thin -- and drug users, said Jessica Morales, another member of Peer Advocates. "Girls are more vulnerable to those stereotypes," she said.

Young girls even face increased pressure from the beverage industry, said Craig Turner, director of youth and social services in Wallingford, Conn. "They've been creating new products specifically geared toward women," he said. "They're called alcopops -- fruit-flavored drinks, enhanced lemonades, flavored hard liquors. Where taste alone used to deter kids, they like the taste of these."

Many people complain that parents are neglecting their responsibilities. In his 14 years as a therapist at the Cross Creek Manor specialty boarding school in southern Utah, Garth Lasater said he has seen "a sharp decline in the family; more and more kids left alone."

In Connecticut, more parents are allowing young people to drink in their homes -- as long as they do not drive, said members of Peer Advocates. But as Morales put it: Adults should "stop acting cool and act more like a parent."