Teenage girls have caught up with boys when it comes to using hard drugs, and for these young women, drug abuse creates additional risks.

NewsChannel5's Tonya Strong takes a look at drugs in the latest edition of "Connecting With Kids."

Nikki, 18, is not ashamed to tell people that she likes shopping, goofing off and drugs.

"(I like) speed, coke, ecstasy, acid (and) pot," Nikki said.

According to a national household survey on drug abuse, Nikki is not alone. The survey said that girls have finally caught up with boys when it comes to drug use.

Almost one in six -- or 16 percent -- of both sexes used crack, heroin or marijuana during the past year.

That percentage includes a 17-year-old, who calls herself "Sweetness."

"We took a stand," Sweetness said. "We're women; we can do what men can do. Hey, we're girls. Why can't we do it, too?"

But experts say that there is a major difference between girls and boys when it comes to drug use: vulnerability.

"We see an awful lot of girls who get taken advantage of sexually when they get heavily into drugs," Dr. Robert Margolis, a substance abuse expert, said.

This is just one more reason that experts say parents should intervene quickly if they suspect that their daughter is abusing drugs.

"Once she's been smoking pot on the weekends for two years, the time for the mother-daughter chat has passed," Margolis said.

At that point, it's time for treatment -- not negotiation.

Unfortunately, statistics show that only half as many girls receive drug treatment as boys. Treatment is the kind of help that some girls such as Nikki don't even want to admit that they need.

"I have no regrets," she said. "Sometimes I wish I could change."

Those who have studied the subject say one reason that girls experiment with drugs is because many of them experience a decline in self-esteem during the early teen years.

There are several ways to help your daughter stay drug-free:

• Support your daughter's goals by providing her with as many opportunities for success as possible, whether in sports, academics, music, the arts or any other positive activity that interests her.
• Encourage your teenage daughter to talk about the unique pressures that girls her age face, including the pressure to fit in, be physically attractive and please others. Ask probing questions, and never turn down an opportunity to talk.
• Begin and sustain an ongoing dialogue about alcohol, tobacco and drugs. Make it clear that members of your family simply do not use illegal drugs -- ever.

For more information on how to help your daughter stay drug-free, click here.

"Connecting with Kids" is aimed at bringing families closer together by discussing the issues that your kids face.

Strong will feature a new story on air every weeknight at 5 p.m.

Many of the stories deal with tough topics like straight talk and what kids in middle school and high school have on their minds.

If you're a parent, you need to know what's going on with your child. But the older they get, the tougher that is.