Most adolescents will try drugs or alcohol at some point during their high school years. While for many teenagers the experience will never progress past occasional experimentation and use with friends, for others, it's the starting point for the development of serious substance abuse and dependency problems. Adults with substance abuse problems usually started at a young age, so recognizing and stopping these problems early is essential to prevent them from becoming destructive.
Prevalence
By far, adolescents abuse alcohol more than any other controlled substance. In the 2009 survey taken by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), two out of three 12th graders said they had tried alcohol within the last year. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports about a quarter of high school students say they binge drink on occasion. More than 10 percent of 12th graders smoke cigarettes daily. More than four in 10 12th graders say they've tried marijuana, and 5.2 percent say they use marijuana daily. Regular use of other illegal substances is much lower, but abuse of prescription medications including Vicodin or OxyContin also is a growing problem for adolescents, with 20 percent of high school students saying they've taken such medications without a prescription in 2009.
Trend Lines
As of 2010, adolescent tobacco use is declining, with the number of teens smoking cigarettes the lowest it's been in recent history, according to NIDA. Methamphetamine use also is declining, particularly among younger adolescents, as it use of LSD and other hallucinogens. More teens also are aware of the dangers associated with LSD, heroin, cocaine and amphetamine use, which the NIDA says is a sign of further future declines. While teen marijuana use declined in the 1990s, its use has largely remained steady over the past five years. Nonmedical use of Vicodin and OxyContin also has increased during that period.
Progression
Dependency generally progresses through four stages. In the first stage, teens experiment and use a substance only on occasion. In the next stage, teens will try new substances and use them more often, about every weekend. Teenagers still try to hide their drug use at this point, but parents might begin to suspect problems through mood changes or a drop in school performance. By the third stage, teens are using a drug or alcohol every day, have constant problems with school and the law, and no longer care about hiding their problem. In the fourth stage, teens use all the time and often succumb to drug-related accidents, overdoses or suicide.
While most teens will try an illegal substance, a report commissioned by the Florida Department of Children & Families indicated that only a "significant minority" will develop into substance abuse and dependency problems. Even occasional use can be a problem, however, as it can impact brain development.
Risk Factors
The earlier someone begins experimenting with drugs, the more likely she is to progress to serious abuse, according to NIDA. As adolescents are still developing the portion of their brain that gives them self-control and judgment, they are more likely than adults to try risky behaviors like drug experimentation. Genetics plays a role, so your children are at higher risk of addiction if others in your family have struggled with it. Other risk factors include lack of parental supervision, unchecked early aggressive behavior and living in an area with easy access to illegal substances.
Prevention/Solution
When an adolescent is in the second stage of addiction, he is losing the ability to control his drug use, so it's essential to stop it at that point, according to the organization Prevention, Resource and Information on Drug Education. Treatment will include assessment of the problem, individual and group counseling, and regular drug screenings. Educating adolescents about the harm of substance abuse, however, is the key to preventing it from beginning in the first place, according to NIDA.
References
- U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse: High School and Youth Trends
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Alcohol and Drug Use
- Prevention, Resource and Information on Drug Education: The Four Progressive Stages of Teenage Chemical Dependency
- Florida Department of Children & Families: Adolescent Substance Abuse: Developmental Considerations
- U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse: Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction
