Author: Charles Frank

What is the Number One Drug Used by Teens?

All benzodiazepines calm brain activity, slow down the central nervous system (CNS), and trigger euphoria. People might think of illicit drugs such as cocaine or LSD when asked which drugs are most often used by teens. You’ll likely have many talks with your teen about drug and alcohol use.

The annual rate of opioid overdose deaths for those aged 15 to 24 years is 12.6 per 100,000 people. The reasons why any person uses drugs are complex, and the same is true for teens. Teens may not seek drugs out but are instead introduced to substances by someone they know, such as a friend, teammate, or even a family member. Most health experts agree that a moderate amount of alcohol consumed by adults is safe, but this is not the case for children and teens. It is never too early to address the issue if you believe your child is drinking alcohol or using drugs. If your teen is exhibiting any signs of abuse or addiction, it’s extremely important to seek addiction treatment.

Hallucinogens are synthetic and organic drugs that cause hallucinations. Our e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. The 2022 Monitoring the Future data tables highlighting the survey results are available online from the University of Michigan.

Teens may be more likely to try substances for the first time when hanging out in a social setting. The results were gathered from a nationally representative sample, and the data were statistically weighted to provide national numbers. The survey also asks respondents to identify as male, female, other, or prefer not to answer. For the 2022 survey, 48% of 12th grade students identified as male, 47% identified as female, 1% identified as other, and 4% selected the “prefer not to answer” option. Do not dispose of medications by flushing them down the toilet or pouring them down the sink.

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If your teen denies using drugs and you think they are lying, communicate the negative consequences of drug and alcohol use. Be clear that you want them to be safe and that experimenting with substances is dangerous—even if it’s just one time. If you are not able to keep the line of communication open with your teen, talk to their healthcare provider. They can help connect you to resources and support you in taking more decisive action, like drug testing. Stimulants include illicit drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as prescription drugs like Adderall and Ritalin. Prolonged use of stimulants can have significant negative effects, including heart damage, memory loss, and psychotic behavior.

1. Reported use for almost all substances decreased dramatically from 2020 to 2021 after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and related changes like school closures and social distancing.
2. However, marijuana can be harmful to teens because their brains are still developing.
3. The results were gathered from a nationally representative sample, and the data were statistically weighted to provide national numbers.
4. Help prevent teen drug abuse by talking to your teen about the consequences of using drugs and the importance of making healthy choices.

Over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications can be misused more easily than others because they’re often easy for teens to obtain. Diet pills, caffeine pills, and cold and flu products with dextromethorphan are just a few examples of OTC substances teens may use. They may also have access to family member’s prescriptions for drugs like opiate painkillers and stimulants or get them from friends who do. Opioids include legal prescription medications such as hydrocodone, oxycontin, and fentanyl, as well as illegal drugs such as heroin.

Most reported substance use among adolescents held steady in 2022

Parents should never assume it won’t happen to their family or that their child would never try drugs. They might sample a drug with peers in a social setting, but continue using the drug once they realize the drug provides temporary relief from anxiety, social pressures, and adolescent drama. It’s impossible to know exactly what your teen is doing every minute of their day, nor can you be entirely sure that your child would never try something illegal or dangerous. But there are things parents can do to reduce the risks their teens face when it comes to drugs. In some cases products common in homes and that have certain chemicals are inhaled for intoxication.

There can also be legal issues if a teen is using someone else’s prescriptions. Teenagers who misuse substances can experience drug dependence (substance use disorder). Developmentally, adolescents are at the highest risk for drug dependence and severe addiction. While drug use can lead to mental health disorders, sometimes it’s the other way around. Teens may use substances to self-medicate or numb emotional pain.

The well-known dangers of substance use are even riskier when done by a young person. But using alcohol in any way, even in moderation, is risky for children and teens. Ideally, any teen who samples drugs or alcohol will recognize the risks and their inability to properly deal with substances at their age. Misuse of prescription drugs and any use of illicit drugs is dangerous at any age and regardless of the specific substance.

What Are the Four Stages of Drug Addiction?

Inhalants are fumes from gases, glue, aerosols, or solvents that can damage the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver. Using inhalants even once can lead to overdose, suffocation, seizures, and death. Withdrawal symptoms from cocaine include restlessness, paranoia, and irritability. Using cocaine can lead to heart attacks, lung problems, strokes, seizures, and coma. Most inhalants, including whippits, affect the body’s central nervous system (CNS) and slow down brain activity by cutting off oxygen to the brain. Depending on the person, the drug can either increase or decrease feelings of anxiety, depression, and paranoia.

Caregivers can prevent teen drug abuse by knowing the signs and talking to their children about the consequences of using substances. This article reviews statistics, risk factors, health effects, signs, and treatment for teenage drug addiction. In addition to the substances above, other commonly abused drugs include marijuana, inhalants, and synthetic marijuana.

BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor. Benzodiazepine drugs, including valium and xanax, are often prescribed to patients with anxiety. While the exact way that nitrous oxide works is unknown, researchers believe that it hits the body in a few different ways. It depresses all sensations—including pain, hearing, and touch—and prevents the normal functioning of some of the brain’s emotional centers. Sign-up to get Mayo Clinic’s trusted health content sent to your email. Receive a bonus guide on ways to manage your child’s health just for subscribing.

Because alcohol and nicotine or tobacco are legal for adults, these can seem safer to try even though they aren’t safe for teens. Several studies have shown that alcohol consumption has a dangerous effect on the developing brains of children, teens, and young adults. Childhood and adolescence are important times in brain development and introducing alcohol into the equation is dangerous. Even teens not prone to rebellion might be pressured by their peers into trying something, only to find it appealing. It doesn’t take long to develop an addiction once a young person has tried a drug.

However, marijuana can be harmful to teens because their brains are still developing. Marijuana use in teens is linked to difficulty with problem-solving, memory and learning issues, impaired coordination, and problems with maintaining attention. The body sends out a “feel good” chemical called dopamine when using a substance. This response tells the brain that it is worth using the substance again to get that feeling. Addiction happens when cravings don’t stop, withdrawal occurs without the substance, and use continues even when there are negative consequences. Since the physical and mental urge to use is so strong, it becomes very hard to stop using a substance.

Reported drug use among adolescents continued to hold below pre-pandemic levels in 2023

Teens who experiment with drugs and other substances put their health and safety at risk. The teen brain is particularly vulnerable to being rewired by substances that overload the reward circuits in the brain. Youth with substance use disorders also experience higher rates of physical and mental illnesses, diminished overall health and well-being, and potential progression to addiction. Being on the lookout for drug paraphernalia and signs and symptoms of drug abuse can help adults recognize at-risk teens. Drug and alcohol use can lead to substance use disorder as well as the specific health risks of the substance being abused. Binge drinking, which tends to be more common among teens and young adults, increases many of these risks.

Drug use causes impairment, can lead to addiction and is potentially fatal. Opioids (narcotics) are a group of prescription drugs that relieve intense pain. There are three different forms of opioids, including natural, synthetic, and semi-synthetic. These drugs are highly addictive and can lead to overdose and death when taken in high doses. Help prevent teen drug abuse by talking to your teen about the consequences of using drugs and the importance of making healthy choices. Vaping is attractive to teens because e-cigarettes are often flavored like fruit, candy, or mint.

Reported use for almost all substances decreased dramatically from 2020 to 2021 after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and related changes like school closures and social distancing. While drug use may increase the risk of mental health disorders, it’s also important to note that these disorders can lead to substance abuse to self-medicate or numb the emotional pain. If you suspect that a teenager is experiencing either, consult a pediatrician or mental health professional as soon as possible. Experimenting with drugs or alcohol is tempting for teenagers because they may not know or understand the dangers of using substances—even just once. Academic pressure, low self-esteem, and peer pressure are just a few factors that increase their risk of substance use.