Author: Alex Thompson

What is the Number One Drug Used by Teens?

Injecting drugs with shared needles increases the risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Inhalants are fumes from gases, glue, aerosols, or solvents that can damage the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver. Using inhalants even once can lead to overdose, suffocation, seizures, and death. There have been reports of people dying the first time they use cocaine, often from sudden cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, or seizures. Withdrawal symptoms from cocaine include restlessness, paranoia, and irritability.

Teen heroin use has decreased significantly since the 1990s, with NIDA survey results showing that just 0.2% of 8th graders, 0.3% of 10th graders and 0.4% of 12th graders have used heroin in the past year. A majority of teens today disapprove of heroin use and view the drug as dangerous. From February through June 2022, the Monitoring the Future investigators collected 31,438 surveys from students enrolled across 308 public and private schools in the United States. The completed survey from 2022 is nationally representative and represents about 75% of the sample size of a typical year’s data collection.

Teen crystal meth use has declined since 1999, according to NIDA survey results. Only 0.4% of 8th graders, 0.4% of 10th graders and 0.5% of 12th graders report they have used meth in the past year. Most teens view the drug as risky, and very few report that it would be easy for them to obtain.

Warning Signs of Teen Drug Abuse

Finally, some adolescents may use drugs to enhance athletic or academic performance. Alcohol is by far the most commonly abused substance among teens and young adults. Experimenting with drugs or alcohol is tempting for teenagers because they may not know or understand the dangers of using substances—even just once. Academic pressure, low self-esteem, and peer pressure are just a few factors that increase their risk of substance use. Find out as much as you can about their drug use—what substances they’re using, how often they’re using them, and how they’re getting them.

1. Injecting drugs with shared needles increases the risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
2. Teens may use hallucinogens because they find these trips to be enjoyable.
3. Approximately 10% of deaths involved prescription opioids, and 24.6% involved stimulants.
4. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that teens be screened at each annual medical exam appointment with questionnaires that ask them about substance use and their knowledge of the risks.

Jurisdictions were included if data were available for at least one 6-month period (July–December 2019, January–June 2020, July–December 2020, January–June 2021, or July–December 2021). Illinois, Missouri, and Washington reported deaths from counties that accounted for ≥75% of drug overdose deaths in the state in 2017 per SUDORS funding requirements; all other jurisdictions reported deaths from the full jurisdiction. Jurisdictions reported deaths for all 6-month periods from July 2019 to December 2021. During July 2019–December 2021, among 2,231 adolescent overdose decedents in 47 jurisdictions with available data, more than two thirds (69.0%) were male, and a majority (59.9%) were non-Hispanic White persons (Table).

Painkillers and Prescription Drugs

All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. Carliner, Hannah, et al. “Childhood trauma and illicit drug use[…]pplement study.” Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, August 2016. Hallucinogens also include the magic mushroom drug, which can cause users to go on “trips” during which they may lose touch with reality and be unaware of their surroundings. Teens may use hallucinogens because they find these trips to be enjoyable. The 2022 Monitoring the Future data tables highlighting the survey results are available online from the University of Michigan.

Teenagers in Washington are 33.36% more likely to have used drugs in the last month than the average American teen. Teenagers in Virginia are 16.46% less likely to have used drugs in the last month than the average American teen. Teenagers in Vermont are 75.83% more likely to have used drugs in the last month than the average American teen. Teenagers in Utah are 28.16% less likely to have used drugs in the last month than the average American teen.

The National Survey on Drug Use conducted by NIDA found that only 2.3% of 12th grade students, 1.5% of 10th graders and 0.8% of 8th graders have used cocaine in the last year. Lower rates of cocaine use in teens may be a result of limited availability compared to marijuana, as just 28% of 12th-grade students feel it would be easy to obtain the drug. Additionally, over 85% of teens disapprove of experimenting with cocaine, which may deter use. The Monitoring the Future survey is given annually to students in eighth, 10th, and 12th grades who self-report their substance use behaviors over various time periods, such as past 30 days, past 12 months, and lifetime. The survey also documents students’ perception of harm, disapproval of use, and perceived availability of drugs.

Wanting to fit in with peers, feeling overwhelmed by their changing brains and bodies, and pressure to perform in school or sports are just a few reasons why teens may start experimenting with drugs. Teens may not seek drugs out but are instead introduced to substances by someone they know, such as a friend, teammate, or even a family member. If your teen is in need of treatment for drug abuse, The Recovery Village has a team of caring professionals ready to provide support and answer any questions you may have about addiction treatment.

Reported drug use among adolescents continued to hold below pre-pandemic levels in 2023

Notably, the survey results are released the same year the data are collected. Alcohol and marijuana are the substances most commonly used among youth; note that data regarding less popular drugs may be limited. Other health problems like allergies, sinus infections, hormone imbalances, or mental disorders can also cause these symptoms in teens.

If your teen is exhibiting any signs of abuse or addiction, it’s extremely important to seek addiction treatment. Misuse of prescription drugs and any use of illicit drugs is dangerous at any age and regardless of the specific substance. Drug use causes impairment, can lead to addiction and is potentially fatal. Stimulants include illicit drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as prescription drugs like Adderall and Ritalin. Prolonged use of stimulants can have significant negative effects, including heart damage, memory loss, and psychotic behavior. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, almost half of adolescents who use heroin started with prescription pain medications.

The well-known dangers of substance use are even riskier when done by a young person. But using alcohol in any way, even in moderation, is risky for children and teens. Several studies have shown that alcohol consumption has a dangerous effect on the developing brains of children, teens, and young adults. Childhood and adolescence are important times in brain development and introducing alcohol into the equation is dangerous. Most health experts agree that a moderate amount of alcohol consumed by adults is safe, but this is not the case for children and teens. Even teens not prone to rebellion might be pressured by their peers into trying something, only to find it appealing.

The Monitoring the Future investigators noted that schools opt-in to participate in the survey, and some schools that normally participate opted-out this year as they continued to operationally recover from the pandemic. All participating students took the survey via the web – either on tablets or on a computer – with between 95-99% of respondents taking the survey in-person in school. Marijuana is one of the most commonly used illicit substances among youth. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that teens be screened at each annual medical exam appointment with questionnaires that ask them about substance use and their knowledge of the risks. Marijuana is often thought of as not being “as bad” as other drugs and, in some cases, even good for you. However, marijuana can be harmful to teens because their brains are still developing.