With all the new and different drugs emerging every year, getting the facts straight can seem overwhelming. But RehabNation is here to help you learn about the most common substances teens are faced with today.
1) Marijuana
Weed, pot, grass are the same common drug from past generations; perhaps that is why Marijuana is the most commonly used drug today. Today’s Marijuana is much more potent than it was in the 60s and 70s and the fact that many kids are trying pot at a younger age means that they’ll be more likely to advance to more powerful substances as they get older.
In 2012, there was an 80% rise in past-month Marijuana use among teens since the organization’s 2008 survey. [1]
2) Prescription Drugs
Treatments for Teen Drug Abuse
An estimated 20% of teens have used prescription drugs to get high. Prescription pills are easy for kids to obtain, because many times they can be found in the medicine cabinets within their own homes. However, parents have been slow to catch on and now prescription drug abuse is a serious problem in schools.
One recent study found one in four teens who had misused or abused a prescription drug at least once. That’s a sharp increase of 33%, within the last five years. One in eight teens report misusing or abusing the drugs Ritalin or Adderall — stimulants prescribed to treat ADHD. Other national studies also have seen a rise in abuse numbers for these stimulants among teens. [2]
3) Alcohol
Alcohol continues to be a substance of choice among adolescents and teens, due in part to its ability to strip away inhibition, feel relaxed in social settings and “in with the crowd.” Binge drinking on a regular basis is never healthy, but during this time especially, when the brain is still developing, could lead to permanent damage.
Millions of adolescents drink alcohol. Many binge drink, having five or more drinks at a time. Research show boys usually take their first drink at age 11 and girls at age 13. [3]
4) Ecstasy
This is a popular drug among the dance, party and club scene, and ecstasy is being marketed to kids, using cartoon characters. With its stylistic designs and cheap prices, this stimulant has tragically become a popular pastime among teens.
5) Inhalants
The presence of inhalants has become another danger in most homes with teenagers. Teens and preteens have begun sniffing or huffing certain chemicals or household items in order to get high. Oftentimes, teens don’t see this as being anything more than a game and certainly don’t see it as being harmful. Unfortunately, a single first-time use can lead to death.
6) Synthetic Drugs
Teens across the country regularly abuse synthetic drugs like K2 or Spice, many of them unaware of the dangers. At least 40 states have banned synthetic drugs.
USA Today says, “Poison control centers handled 5,741 calls about the drugs in the first 10 months of 2011, nearly double the 2,915 calls received in all of 2010, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.” While these synthetic substances can mimic the euphoric effects of the drugs they resemble, the dangers and risks are endless: anxiety attacks; rapid heartbeat; vomiting; aggressive, violent behavior; and suicidal thoughts.
7) Anabolic Steroids
Steroid use is particularly prevalent among teens involved in sports, like wrestling, gymnastics and ballet. Many young athletes, who want or need to lose weight or teens with poor body image, turn to steroids – but this only furthers emotional and physical issues.
8) Nicotine
While cigarette smoking isn’t as common among today’s teens, recent studies show one in five teens still smoke, with contributing factors such as stress and peer pressure. Young people who begin smoking at early ages are at a higher risk for full-blown addiction, as well as early heart disease and respiratory problems, like asthma.
In the United States, as of 2008, 20% of all high school students smoke and 6% of middle school students smoke. [4]
9) Methamphetamine
Due its availability and low costs, many teens are experimenting with and abusing Methamphetamine, a highly powerful and addictive stimulant. Prolonged Meth use, especially at earlier ages, can lead to lasting physical and mental damage.
New research finds that children and adolescents who abuse alcohol or are sexually active are more likely to take Methamphetamine (MA), also known as ‘Meth’ or ‘Speed’. [5]
10) Heroin
There has been a recent spike in the number of teens abusing Heroin, especially in rural and suburban parts of the country. These days, it’s not difficult to obtain white Heroin, brown Heroin, black tar Heroin and Opium paste.
National data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that the number of teens dying from heroin abuse has skyrocketed. In 1999, 198 people between the ages of 15 and 24 died of a heroin overdose, compared to 510 deaths in 2009, the latest year data was taken. [6]
More teens are seeking treatment for heroin abuse, too — the figure jumped from 4,414 to more than 21,000 (about 80 %) between 1999 and 2009. Ninety percent of teen heroin addicts are white, according to the data. [6]Sources
(1) CBS News –
(2) Fox News –
(3) Yale Medical Group –
(4) Cancer.org –
(5) Psych Central –
(6) NY Daily News –
