Free and confidential support to people experiencing issues with drugs, alcohol or mental health. Alcohol remains the most common substance used by teens, often consumed in binge patterns—multiple drinks in a short period. Binge drinking raises the risk of sexual assault, risky sexual behavior, accidents, and injuries (26). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)—such as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction—have a strong, dose-dependent link to adult substance use disorders (18, 19). Literature searches were conducted using PubMed, yielding a cross-section of observational and interventional studies focused on adolescent substance use.
The standards outline the expectation for commissioners to take into account the complex needs of young people in their commissioning plan, including safeguarding duties and developmental needs. The data tables for this year’s young people’s substance misuse treatment statistics also contain trends by the primary substance. This is the main problem substance that the young person reported when they entered treatment. Data from the Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England survey showed a long-term decreasing trend in the proportion of school pupils reporting lifetime drug use until 2014. Since 2016, when the survey started to include psychoactive substances, the trend has been falling again. Smaller numbers received mental health treatment from a GP (237 girls and 266 boys) or within drug or alcohol services (98 girls and 98 boys).
Consequences of teen drug abuse
- Open dialogues about the dangers of vaping, combined with a supportive atmosphere, can encourage teenagers to make healthier choices.
- Including parents or guardians in a teen’s therapy can be highly advantageous in helping families better understand their child and provide improved care and support, which is why family therapy is another major part of our teen treatment approach.
- But because their brains are still developing, the results of teenage “self-medication” can be more immediately problematic.
- Vaping may seem like a harmless trend, but its addictive nature and impact on mental health are serious concerns.
The most common vulnerability was early onset of substance use (79%), which means the young person started using substances before the age of 15. Again, girls tended to report this more than boys (64% and 51% respectively). If the prescription opioid of abuse has lost its luster, the teen abusing the substance may transition to a stronger, deadlier drug like heroin. Teens with chronic pain may have to take prescription opioids for relief and can become addicted. Other risk factors for addiction include genetics, having a prior personal history of substance abuse, or having a family history of substance abuse. Teen substance abuse prevention is of paramount importance for several reasons.
- Since then, the number of children and young people in treatment fell steadily up to 2020 to 2021, which saw a steeper fall to 11,013.
- E-cigarettes are increasingly the initial form of exposure for adolescents to nicotine, but their effect on the rate of adult smoking is unclear.
- Risk-taking and testing limits are a regular part of adolescent development.
To be effective, substance abuse programs for teens must address underlying mental health issues in addition to substance use behaviors. When individuals addicted to drugs or alcohol face the prospect of losing access to the substance, they may react with panic, aggression, and irrational behavior. As such, before talking to a teenager about potential drug use or alcohol addiction, it’s crucial for parents to consult a qualified drug addiction counselor experienced in treating adolescents. Yet some youth are at increased risk for behaviors that can lead to poor health outcomes, such as high-risk substance use.
1 Trends in young people’s treatment numbers
A small number received interventions in other settings, such as at home, in a residential rehabilitation centre, or in an inpatient unit. Oftentimes, parents are unsure when to seek a referral to a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Some teenagers will develop severe substance use or become “addicted.” They can use more than they planned, struggle with cutting down or stopping use, or give up important activities in their lives. Some may even become tolerant (needing more of the substance to achieve the same effect) and experience withdrawal when they stop use.
Family-/community-based interventions
Some examples of Schedule II drugs are cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone. Women are more likely to do drugs with an intimate partner, whereas men more likely to do drugs with other male friends. 856,000 or 3.3% of all adolescents in the US have had both an SUD and an MDE within the last year. After calling 911, place any unconscious person in the recovery position while you wait for help to arrive. This allows any bodily fluids to drain out of the mouth and nose, reducing the risk of aspiration and asphyxiation.
It is not uncommon for most teenagers to go through late adolescence and experiment with alcohol and substance use. Almost every one of us can relate, in some way, to the rebellion we felt in our teenage years as we sought out trying something forbidden. NHS England publishes Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England. The reports include survey results from secondary school pupils in years 7 to 11 (mostly aged 11 to 15). The proportion of children who reported benzodiazepines as a problematic substance was 2% or higher from 2017 to 2022 but has trended downwards to 1.4% in 2024 to 2025.
The proportion who reported having alcohol problems had fallen steadily from a peak of 68% in 2008 to 2009 to 40% in 2020 to 2021. Only 34 young people in treatment (less than 1%) received a pharmacological intervention during treatment. However, 569 girls and 679 boys (29% overall) had a mental health treatment need identified but either were not receiving treatment or refused treatment.
We found four systematic reviews evaluating the impact of school-based interventions targeting substance substance abuse in older adults abuse among adolescents 62, 63, 64, 65. Interventions that promote a positive school ethos and reduce student disaffection may be an effective complement to drug prevention interventions addressing individual knowledge, skills, and peer norms 65. One review based on 18 program evaluations suggested mixed and inconclusive evidence to provide any judgment on the effectiveness of school-based programs 62.
While the findings don’t suggest inevitability, they do highlight a measurable link that’s worth noting, especially for parents navigating the already complicated teen years. UCL’s Aase Villadsen said she was surprised how the findings showed “the peak in anti-social behaviours in this generation has been reached earlier than usual and rates have already started to come down by age 17”. But this figure had fallen by seven percentage points from when the tracking survey was last conducted, when participants were aged 14. The University College London research also showed nearly a third of Drug rehabilitation 17-year-olds had tried cannabis and more than half admitted to binge-drinking alcohol.
Findings suggest that parenting programs can be effective in reducing or preventing substance use. The most effective intervention appears to be those that shared an emphasis on active parental involvement and on developing skills in social competence, self-regulation, and parenting. However, more work is needed to investigate further the change processes involved in such interventions and their long-term effectiveness. We found one review evaluating the effectiveness of universal multicomponent prevention programs in preventing alcohol misuse in school-aged children 59. Twelve of the 20 trials showed evidence of effectiveness, with persistence of effects ranging from 3 months to 3 years. There is some evidence that multicomponent interventions for alcohol misuse prevention in young people can be effective.




