These side effects cause difficulties making friends or feeling accepted at school. If you are a parent who notices changes in your teen’s behavior or has seen signs of drug use, it is crucial to understand the risk factors. This blog post will explore how drug abuse impacts academics and how https://ecosoberhouse.com/ parents can prevent teens from using drugs and alcohol. Data published by the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics reports that at least one in every eight teenagers abused an illicit substance within the past year. From 2016 to 2020, substance use among eighth-graders increased 61%.

• Prescription pain killers like opioids should be kept secure and closely monitored.
• Teenagers in California are 24.46% more likely to have used drugs in the last month than the average American teen.
• In 1995 alone, more than 2,000 youth (ages 15 to 20) were killed in alcohol-related car crashes (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1997).

Simply stated, a parent must be a good and careful observer, particularly of the little details that make up a teen's life. Overall signs of dramatic change in appearance, friends, or physical health may be signs of trouble. Additionally, substance use disorders commonly co-occur with other mental health disorders. Legally available drugs include alcohol, prescribed medications, inhalants (fumes from glues, aerosols, and solvents) and over-the-counter cough, cold, sleep, and diet medications. The most commonly used illegal drugs are marijuana (pot), stimulants (cocaine, crack, and speed), LSD, PCP, opiates or opioid pain killers, heroin, and designer drugs (Ecstasy).

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Teenagers in Massachusetts are 33.37% more likely to have used drugs in the last month than the average American teen. Teenagers in Maryland are 1.71% less likely to have used drugs in the last month than the average American teen. Teenagers in Maine are 47.44% more likely to have used drugs in the last month than the average American teen. Teenagers in Louisiana are 23.76% less likely to have used drugs in the last month than the average American teen.

However, experimentation is a fact of life — and just because a teen has tried drugs or alcohol doesn’t mean they will become an addict. It’s more important teen drug abuse to understand why some teens are tempted to experiment in the first place. It’s important to know the difference between drug abuse and addiction.

Teenage “Study Drug” Abuse

Stress is heavy — and as we mentioned earlier, teens today are outrageously stressed out. If school responsibilities and social pressures aren’t enough, teenagers regularly face added anxiety from trouble at home, poor self image and a growing awareness of how the world works. Around 1 in 8 children develop a diagnosable anxiety disorder — a serious mental health problem that usually goes unnoticed and untreated.

Rates of AIDS diagnoses currently are relatively low among teenagers, compared with most other age groups. However, because the disease has a long latency period before symptoms appear, it is likely that many young adults with AIDS were actually infected with HIV as adolescents. Injuries due to accidents (such as car accidents), physical disabilities and diseases, and the effects of possible overdoses are among the health-related consequences of teenage substance abuse. Disproportionate numbers of youth involved with alcohol and other drugs face an increased risk of death through suicide, homicide, accident, and illness. In the short term, substance use can help alleviate unwanted mental health symptoms like hopelessness, anxiety, irritability, and negative thoughts.

Why Are Adolescents At Risk For Developing Substance Use Disorders?

The use of drugs can interfere with this and impact processes such as decision-making, impulse control, attention, and memory. …it takes 10 years for an adult who is 30 years to be chronically addicted to alcohol, while it takes a teenager who is 15 less than 15 months to reach the same stage of alcoholism. Experts note that to encourage teens to reduce or stop substance use, it’s important give them other coping strategies to manage their problems without turning to substances.

• CBT can help create better coping skills to help guide your mind and behaviors.
• There are multiple factors involved in how drugs change the brain and the processes involved with drug abuse and addiction.
• Substance-abusing youth often are alienated from and stigmatized by their peers.
• Recognition and prevention of drug use can end an emerging problem before it starts.
• Responding to a teen’s admission or denial of drug use in the right away is just as important as asking the right questions.
• The use of illegal drugs is increasing, especially among young teens.
• Teens commonly use alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana because of the ease of accessibility.

Given the right treatment and support, adolescents struggling with a substance use disorder can move into happy, healthy, productive lives. Regrettably, many teens consider experimenting with drugs and alcohol to be an important part of growing up, despite the significant risk and many disastrous consequences. Some teens are introduced to drug use through prescriptions and then begin to use recreationally.

Recognizing the warning signs of teen drug abuse

Teens and young adults make up a large number of Americans who struggle with a substance use disorder. This can be because they are going through adolescence and gaining a new sense of identity. The feelings that come with this transition can lead adolescents to turn to drugs as an escape or outlet. One of the benefits of the developing teenage brain is that they are more apt to learn new things.