Going through the teenage years can be stressful for teens. As they mature, teenagers are being exposed to many novel things. Teenagers are constantly pushing boundaries in an effort to break away from the adults in their lives and establish their own identities. In an effort to do this, a teen may begin using drugs or alcohol. Because a teen feels invincible to harm, his use may to increase to abusive levels.
Basics
Possible substances that a teen might abuse include alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, inhalants, prescription medications, over the counter drugs, cocaine, heroin and acid. This list is not an all inclusive; there are many other substances that a teen might abuse to get high, including household chemicals.
Facts
According to research reported in 2006 by The Partnership for a Drug Free America, 4.5 million teens reported using prescription medications in order to get high and one out of every 10 teens reported using cough medicine as a method to get high.
Easy access to prescription medications and over-the-counter cough medications increases the chances that they will be abused by teenagers. Teens often feel that the use of prescription medications to get high is safer than using illicit drugs, notes The Partnership for a Drug Free America.
Risks
A teen may be more at risk of abusing drugs or alcohol if she has any family members who have engaged in substance abuse, low self-esteem, poor academic performance, living in poverty, easy access to drugs, having little to no supervision from caregivers and feeling rejected by peers or family, according to the MayoClinic.com. The more of these risks factors a teen has, the more likely she will turn to drugs or alcohol to deal with these problems.
Considerations
Mental health disorders among teens also increase the chances that a teen will abuse drugs or alcohol. Substance abuse is a negative way to cope with many of the symptoms of a variety of mental health disorders. Although drug and alcohol abuse make the symptoms of mental health disorders worse and increase the negative effects, the initial high feeling makes teens want to continue taking them in order to avoid their problems. Possible mental health disorders that may increase a teen's risk of substance abuse include depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism and learning disorders.
Warning
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, when teenagers are released from school for long break periods, such as summer, the risk of substance abuse may increase; teens may experience boredom and restlessness that triggers them to experiment with drugs or alcohol. To fight against this, teens should be provided with regular activities and parents should be constantly aware of their teen's whereabouts and who their friends are. Teens who are unable to talk openly with their parents about drugs and alcohol are, also, more at risk for substance abuse. Parents should regularly discuss the risks of substance abuse and explain how they feel about drugs and alcohol.
