What are the Signs of Teenage Drug Abuse?

Most teenagers experience a change in behavior patterns as they go through adolescence.  Mild symptoms of withdrawal from family activities, expressing the need for privacy and wanting to spend all their time with friends is normal teenage conduct.  The key for parents and family members is to continue communication yet respect the teenager’s individuality and privacy.

Very often if a teenager begins using drugs, they will show an immediate change in their attitude, ability to concentrate and level of energy.  Severe mood swings, irritability and particularly uncontrolled anger may be the first warning signs.  If they stop attending school, their grades drop or they join a new group of friends who never visit the house, drugs may be involved.

The physical signs of teenage drug abuse include red or swollen eyes, excessive fatigue, depression or uncontrolled jittering and hyperactivity.  Other evidence may be rolling papers, plastic baggies or prescription drug containers that do not belong to them.  Cigarette smoking and alcohol use may accompany a teenager who is starting to abuse drugs.

How to Help with Teenage Drug Abuse

The best way to help a teenager with potential drug abuse is to correct the problem as soon as possible.  It is not always easy to approach a teenage family member if they seem distant or belligerent but ignoring the problem is the worst solution.  Finding someone outside of the immediate family to use as a buffer may be helpful.  If the teenager feels comfortable talking with an older cousin, a favorite aunt or uncle or a special teacher it may serve as a mediator.  Threats and angry words or actions seldom solve the problem.  If the teenager is willing to recognize the consequences of their behavior, they may be open to counseling or a drug help program.

In a 2005 survey, Students against Destructive Decisions (SADD) reported that 75% of all underage children have tried a full alcoholic drink by the time they have finished high school. That same year, 7,460 children under the age of 21 were killed in car accidents. Of those motor vehicle crashes, 28% involved the illicit use of alcohol.

For teens that become caught up in the desire to experiment with harder drugs, easy access to lab equipment has made them more accessible than ever. However, the unsanitary conditions of these home-based “labs”, along with reckless experimentation by the creators of these drugs, have led to drugs with additives that can be lethal. Impurities in home-made MDMA (”Ecstasy”) and amphetamines cause a handful of teen deaths every year, in spite of the discovery and closure of labs by the thousands. Even the drugs that are pure enough to carry a minimum risk of immediate death are more powerful than ever. For example, careful refinement has led to cocaine that is many times more powerful than that which was seen by previous generations.

Although much media coverage is devoted to teenage alcohol and drug use, there is another silent epidemic among teens that is equally as concerning, and potentially deadly. Across the United States, children everywhere are selling or giving their prescription medications to their friends. As many as 3-4% of children under the age of 14 are prescribed amphetamines, such as Ritalin, to treat Attention Deficit Disorder. However, some of these children have found that the pills can easily be resold for a great deal of money, or simply given away because they dislike the way that the medications make them feel. If you are a concerned parent, it is highly advisable to pay close attention to your child’s medication usage if medication is necessary in the treatment of their condition. Rather than trusting your child with a pill bottle, it may be a better alternative to personally dispense the medication to them in the prescribed daily dosage.

Teenage drug abuse is something that we all have to worry about. If we don’t help our teens before it gets too bad we are going to see a big spike on the teenage drug use statistics.