Drug Facts: Teens Under Drugs

A teenager’s brain is still developing. Thus, they risk suffering from long-term behavioral and cognitive effects when they abuse drugs at this age. Teenagers have higher chances of developing drug addiction in adulthood when they start abusing at that age.

However, future addiction cases can be recognized and stopped if we talk with the teens and set a good example. Moreover, when we need to be able to distinguish between an addiction case and an abuse case to provide appropriate treatment. The difference is important because most teens usually experiment but are not addicted.

Why do Teens Use Drugs?

As a teenager grows, it is normal when they face a strong urge to experiment with something new and test their boundaries. There are multiple reasons why teenagers do drugs. They include:

• To feel good
• To relieve boredom
• To fulfill curiosity
• To ease pain
• To gain acceptance from a particular group
• To relax and forget their problems
• To prove they are independent

However, teens give these reasons because they are usually exposed to certain risk factors. The more risk factors, the higher the chances the teenager will experiment with drugs and eventually get addicted.

If you can help them minimize these risk factors, they will be able to help them avoid or stop experimenting with drugs. The risk factors are:

• Failure or achieving low grades in school
• Low self-esteem
• Bullying victim. It may be physical or cyberbullying.
• Permissive parenting
• If an older sibling or parent abuses drugs or alcohol
• Perception of little risk in drug abuse
• No rules or consistent enforcement for the use of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol in school
• High tolerance for drinking, smoking, and drug abuse by the youth in the community.

You will need to work against these risk factors to eliminate them. For example, if you practice permissive parenting as a guardian, you should try to be around more and try to be the teenager’s role model.

Signs You Can Look for If You Think Your Teenager Is Abusing Drugs

Teenagers can get secretive. You will need to use communication to break down barriers between you two. If you talk to them about drug abuse, it will influence their decision to stop using drugs or not use them.

Parents must be aware of the signs of drug abuse to get them the appropriate help early.

Personal Appearance

Drug abuse makes people fail to take care of their appearance. You will notice:

• Poor hygiene
• Bloodshot eyes
• Poor coordination
• Clenching teeth
• Sores, cuts, and bruises (from scratching, bumping into things, or falling)
• Pinpoint pupils and constant scratching indicate the use of Opiate
• Burn on lips and fingers from smoking joints
• Unusual odor like alcohol or marijuana smells.
• Track marks on legs and arms indicate intravenous drug use
• They will wear long-sleeve clothes to cover the track marks even in the summer.
• Teeth clenching

Health Problems

Drug abuse gives rise to the following health issues:

• Sleep disorder
• Changes in appetite
• Headaches
• Sweating
• Frequent illnesses
• Shakes or tremor
• Runny nose
• Constipation
• Coordination problems
• Nausea and vomiting
• Excessive thirst from the use of marijuana.
• Accidents or injuries
• Seizures without any seizure disorder or epileptic history.
• Sudden weight gain or loss
• Nose bleeding. Comes from snorting cocaine

Psychological Changes

Personality, mood, or psychotropic changes are symptoms of drug abuse. It would help if you looked out for:

• Extreme highs and lows
• Memory problems
• Low energy or lethargy
• Manipulative or deceitful behavior
• The emotional instability of frequent mood swings
• Poor concentration
• Decreased motivation
• An unusually loud or obnoxious character
• Laughing for no reason
• Rapid-fire or slurred speech
• Paranoia and unwarranted fear
• Unexplained changes in personality and attitude
• State of drowsiness followed by a state of high energy

Changes in Behavior

You will note changes in behavior first before other signs.

• Avoiding eye contact
• Acting secretive
• Isolation from family and friends
• Change in social circle or friends
• Missing school
• Dropping out of extracurricular activities
• Poor academic performance
• Decreased interest in hobbies and activities
• New demand for privacy
• Increased illegal behavior and activities
• Defiance, hostility, uncooperative, for example, by lashing out or violating curfews
• No respect for authority
• Complaints from classmates and teachers
• Unexplained disappearances

Other General Signs

• You may find drug remains or residue
• A strong smell of perfumes or incense
• You will find drug paraphernalia, for example, zip locks, needles, rolling papers, vials, capsules, pipes, lighters, smoking devices, and more.
• You will notice cash or other resources missing
• Hidden stashes of alcohol and drugs
• Missing alcohol from your cabinet, medication, cigarettes, and more.

Common Drugs that Teens Abuse

These drugs are similar to the ones used by adults. Teenagers have a high chance of excess consumption or use of drugs as they have a shallow perception of the risks and dangers.

Alcohol

Teens abuse alcohol more than any drug. Those who have reached the drinking age have a level of social acceptance, and teens will want this too. A teenager’s impulse control is yet to develop fully, and as a result, they will see alcohol as harmless and mostly result in binge drinking. Binge drinking increases the chances of addiction to anyone. A teenager’s brain can hardly resist addiction.

Marijuana

Most people who use marijuana regularly started using it when they were teenagers. Teenagers do not think that the occasional use of marijuana poses any threat. According to CDC, about 22% of teenagers reveal that they used the drug at least once in the past 30 days in 2019.

Prescriptions and Over-the-counter Medications

Teens will seek pleasurable effects from prescription drugs like OxyContin and benzodiazepines like Xanax. Most teens know of the intoxicating effects of prescription drugs.

The potential for addiction to these drugs is high and thus increases the chances of an overdose.  Almost two-thirds of teenagers who abuse prescription drugs get them from the medicine cabinet at home.

Over-the-counter medications carry the same risks. A good example is Dextromethorphan (DMX), which is the flu and cold medicine that is highly addictive.

Teen Drug Abuse Statistics

• The Center for Disease Control notes that 1 in 5 teens abuse prescription medication. 12th graders are the ones who have highly abused prescription medication, as the study shows that 23% of them have used them without a prescription.
• The National Institute for Drug Abuse uncovered that 21% of 12th graders had abused marijuana in the past month. Additionally, 1 in 16 high school seniors uses marijuana daily. Yet, surprisingly, 66.7% of seniors disapprove of the daily use of marijuana.
• The most influential factor in preventing drug abuse is parental involvement. However, 1 in every three parents feels they have little power to prevent drug abuse among teenagers.
• In 2018, the National Institute for Drug Abuse discovered that 12th graders’ increased their perception of the risks of binge drinking. Moreover, compared to the peak years, the number of high school teenagers who use alcohol dropped by 58%.

Prescription drugs

You will be surprised to learn that cocaine, heroin, and the likes are not the fastest-growing drug problem. Prescription drugs are.  People think they are safer than other drugs, which is a misconception. Each medication presents long-term and short-term effects.

• Stimulants

Their side effects are similar to those of cocaine. These can produce high body temperatures at a risky level, an irregular heartbeat, and paranoia.

• Opioids

Opioids and heroin target the same brain parts. They tend to cause nausea, drowsiness, constipation, and slowed breathing. These symptom severities depend on the amount consumed.

• Depressants

These tend to cause fatigue, shallow breathing, slurred speech, lack of coordination, and disorientation. In addition, seizures may appear if you withdraw from chronic use.

Ways You Can Make a Difference

a. If a Teen Admits to Taking Drugs:

You should not overreact. If you lash out or overreact, the teenager will most likely retreat and fail to share about the experience. When the teen decides to open up, you will be able to know if it is a problem at hand or if it was a one-time thing.

It would help if you expressed how you care about them and their future. If the teen feels loved and supported, they will agree to get help, and if they are experimenting, they will most likely stop.

b. If a Teen Denies Drug Use:

Naturally, teens could lie about abusing drugs. It would help if you tried reassuring your child that you have a genuine concern and want to help. There are cases where they will persist in lying. If you suspect they are still lying, you can do a home drug test to find out or call a professional to help you out.

Some professionals you can rely on to diagnose the drug problem include therapists, addiction specialists, and pediatricians.

Addiction Treatment for Teens

Once you have uncovered an addiction problem, it is time to seek addiction treatment for your son or daughter.  A detox facility will provide counseling on top of medical treatment. In addition, the detox center will focus on helping the teen build their confidence and self-esteem.

 Getting Professional Help: Ascendant New York Drug and Alcohol Detox

Advantages of getting professional help for teen addiction treatment include:

• The teen will have a safe environment to recover from their addiction. In addition, they will not have any exposure to drugs within the premises.
• The teenagers will be able to work with others battling similar issues. In addition, they will be exposed to individual and group therapy.
• As an alcohol and drug-specific detox center, we can provide academic programs that are fully accredited. This will help teens who may have fallen behind in school and those who need academic assistance.
• The teenagers will undergo Cognitive behavior therapy. This helps them to identify triggers in the environment and the social and personal space that influence them to abuse substances.
• They will also participate in family therapy to help them renew bonds with family and better understand each other’s points of view.
• They will receive education on the various substances and their effects.

Conclusion

Drugs are a menace to teens today. This is especially true of 12th graders who are well off into adulthood. You should be extremely vigilant as a parent, guardian, or caretaker. Teens have many triggers that may lead them to substance abuse, varying from teenager to teenager. The first step in trying to curb this problem is to create a safe environment for your child by being a role model and physically and emotionally present. By doing this, you open communication avenues for your teens, so they can talk it out with you when they encounter problems.

Sometimes, however, this is not enough, so you should look for any significant changes in your child. These changes can manifest either physically or psychologically. You should not dismiss these changes as teenagers being teenagers; instead, you should probe further.

Once you investigate and suspect your child of drug abuse, you should start the conversation on drugs. When having this conversation, you should approach your child in a way that assures them of your love and support. Only then can your child start to open up to you about their drug use. In some cases, if the child is not too deep, they may stop using the drugs altogether. However, some teenagers are not ready to trust their parents fully because they are afraid. Therefore, if you have tried reaching out to your child and they have only shut you out, the next step is to seek out professional help from a licensed detox facility.

After the professional identifies your child as a drug addict, you should then seek professional help. Depending on your child’s needs there are different detox programs available at Ascendant New York Drug and Alcohol Detox .

If your child is struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, and you are seeking addiction services in Connecticut or New York, reach out to Ascendant today.

Was this article helpful? Follow our blog for more information about substance use, addiction, and recovery. Recent posts include topics such as natural remedies for addiction and detoxing at home. 

Sources:

1. CDC. Teens | Health Effects | Marijuana | CDC. Published September 8, 2021. Accessed August 31, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/health-effects/teens.html
2. SAMHSA. Rise in Prescription Drug Misuse and Abuse Impacting Teens. Published April 13, 2022. Accessed August 31, 2022. https://www.samhsa.gov/homelessness-programs-resources/hpr-resources/rise-prescription-drug-misuse-abuse-impacting-teens
3. CDC. CDC Online Newsroom – Press Release – CDC Survey Finds that 1 in 5 U.S. High School Students Have Abused Prescription Drugs. Published June 3, 2010. Accessed August 31, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2010/r100603.htm
4. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Monitoring the Future. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Published August 22, 2022. Accessed August 31, 2022. https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/monitoring-future

Amanda is a prolific medical content writer specializing in eating disorders and addiction treatment. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Purdue University with a B.S. in Social Work. Read more