Teenagers are known for being adventurous, curious, open to experimentation, and not especially mindful of long-term consequences. All of this together can increase the likelihood that they will try out mind-altering substances. Parents may not always recognize the signs of teen substance use, but Safe Harbor Recovery Center in Portsmouth, Virginia is here to help them identify potential red flags and recognize when treatment might be necessary.
Talk to Your Kids
Adolescents who associate substance use with a high risk of harm are less likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol. As a parent, you can help your children understand how dangerous drugs are and increase their chances of making healthy choices around substance use.
Know the Code
Parents often struggle to keep up with the slang their children use. When it pertains to substances, teenagers may use slang terms that are unfamiliar to their parents, specifically for the purpose of concealing drug use. They may also code text conversations with emojis so that their parents don’t realize the conversation pertains to drug use. Unless a parent is able to crack the code, their child can have drug-related conversations under their nose, undetected.
Bad News
Between 2016 and 2020, drug use among 8th graders increased by 61 percent and around half of teenagers report that they have misused a drug at least once. Around 62 percent of high school seniors report that they have abused alcohol. Early alcohol and drug use is correlated with a higher risk of addiction later in life.
Good News
The Monitoring the Future Survey is given annually to students in the 8th, 10th, and 12th grades to monitor substance use trends among adolescents. One piece of good news in the most recent survey year (2023) was that more 12th graders are abstaining from using any of the drugs in question than in the past, with about 63 percent avoiding substances. The numbers remained stable among 8th graders and 10th graders, at about 87 and 77 percent respectively.
The Drugs Young People Are Using
Overdose deaths from opioids have increased by 500 percent in 15-24-year-olds since 1999. While overdose rates among young people have risen, their self-reported use of illicit substances remains below pre-pandemic levels. One reason for this discrepancy might be due to the substances teens are using or think that they are using. Adolescents who buy what look like prescription medications may actually be unknowingly receiving fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid drug far more powerful than heroin and particularly likely to cause an overdose. Unless a young person receives a life-saving dose of Narcan and is rushed to an emergency room for ongoing treatment, taking fentanyl could easily end their life.
The Monitoring the Future Survey detailed other drugs teens used in 2023:
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- Alcohol – around 15 percent of 8th graders and 31 percent of 10th graders reported drinking alcohol, but there was a five percent drop in alcohol use among 12th graders.
- Nicotine – around 11 percent of 8th graders reported vaping nicotine, but the numbers dropped by about three percent in upper grades.
- Cannabis – cannabis use remained stable in all grades that were surveyed, with about eight percent of 8th graders, 18 percent of 10th graders, and 29 percent of 12th graders indicating they had used it.
- Narcotics – use was generally low among high school students.
- Other illicit drugs – these numbers were stable across grades, at about 5 percent for 8th graders, 5 percent for 10th graders, and 7 percent for 12th graders.
Virginia-Specific Statistics
Young people in Virginia were around 16 percent less likely to have used drugs in the month prior to being surveyed than the national average. Among students who admitted to using drugs, 77 percent indicated that they had used marijuana. The next most commonly used substance was alcohol. Only around 3 percent of Virginia teenagers met the criteria for an illicit drug use disorder, and around 2 percent of Virginia adolescents met the criteria for a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder.
Watch for Warning Signs
If you perceive a change in your child, you might be inclined to assume that they are drinking or using drugs, but it is important to remember that the same indicators of substance abuse can also be signs of a completely different problem. It’s important to be mindful of changes that could signal a reason for concern without jumping to conclusions. If you see some of these issues, proceed delicately to keep the channels of communication open:
- Mood changes (irritability, defensiveness, poor ability to control their temper)
- Trouble in school (poor attendance, a drop in grades, disciplinary actions)
- Different friends and a reluctance to talk about or let you meet the new ones
- An attitude that nothing matters or they don’t really care about anything anymore
- Finding substances or paraphernalia in your child’s room or belongings
- Changes to your child’s mental functions or appearance
Safe Harbor Recovery Center offers residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient treatment for substance use disorders. We encourage parents to have age-appropriate conversations about addiction with their children to help them understand the dangers associated with substance misuse.