Making the transition from childhood to adulthood, teens experience a great deal of stress as they attempt to establish their identities, fit in with their peer group, perform well in school and begin to plan for the future. At the same time, they get their first taste of freedom and adult pleasures. Along the way, many adolescents dabble in illegal substances to relieve stress or in response to peer pressure.
Marijuana
After alcohol and cigarettes, marijuana is teens' favorite drug. The Monitoring the Future Study, or MTF, an ongoing study of teen drug use, reports that after several years of decline, the rate of teen marijuana use has begun to rise. From 2007 to 2009, the percentage of teens in eighth, 10th and 12th graders who reported using marijuana in the previous 30 days increased from 12 percent to 14 percent. The MTF attributes this climb to a decrease in the perceived risks from the drug. However, along with other ill effects, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, or NIDA, reports that marijuana impairs the smoker's brain function, which can lead to poor school performance and other problems.
Stimulants and Club Drugs
Although teens' use of stimulants and club drugs---including amphetamines, methamphetamine, cocaine and ecstacy---has declined or remained steady, experts caution that any use of these drugs poses serious risks. For example, according to NIDA, ecstacy is addictive and may cause brain damage. In addition, it can cause increased heart rate and blood pressure as well as nausea, confusion, depression, anxiety, faintness and other distressing symptoms. Most alarmingly, high doses of ecstacy can produce a sometimes-fatal spike in the user's body temperature.
Prescription Pain Medications
In recent years, teen use of prescription medications---especially the opioid painkillers OxyContin and Vicodin---has created a great deal of concern among public health experts. In 2009, according to the MTF, 4.9 percent of high school seniors reported using OxyContin in the past year, and 9.7 percent reported using Vicodin. These drugs are extremely addictive and are especially dangerous when mixed with alcohol or other drugs, NIDA warns.
Inhalants
Inhalants include paint, glue, gasoline, butane, nail polish remover and other household products that, when inhaled---or "huffed"---produce a sensation of lightheadedness. Inhalants are one of the few types of drugs that are abused by more younger than older teens, the MTF points out, possibly because they are generally easier to obtain. In 2009, 8.1 percent of eighth graders reported using inhalants in the past year, compared to 3.4 percent of 12th graders. Inhalants can damage the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys and liver. According to Nora D. Volkow, MD, director of NIDA, "For some unlucky children, just a single session of repeated inhalations has caused permanent organ damage or death."
Alcohol and Tobacco
While rates of teen alcohol and cigarette use are down, they remain high and are thus "a basis for considerable concern," according to the MTF survey. Among high school seniors, 43.5 percent report using alcohol in the previous 30 days, while 20.1 percent report smoking cigarettes in the past 30 days. Of particular concern is the use of smokeless tobacco. The proportion of high school seniors who used smokeless tobacco within the previous 30 days rose from 6.5 percent to 8.4 percent between 2008 and 2009, placing more teens at risk of nicotine addiction and oral cancer.
References
- National Institute of Health: Monitoring the Future: National Result on Adolescent Drug Use
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: NIDA InfoFacts: Marijuana
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: NIDA InfoFacts: MDMA (Ecsstacy)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: NIDA InfoFacts: High School and Youth Trends
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications
