10 ways to prevent drug abuse among teenagers (youth): Causes and solutions for schools and society

Drug abuse in teens is a pressing issue that raises concerns among parents and health professionals alike. During adolescence, the human brain is still in the crucial stage of development, making it particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of drug use.

The long-term consequences of teen drug use during this maturing period can have severe impacts on various aspects of a teenager’s life. These effects include deteriorating mental health, impaired cognitive functions such as memory deficits, and even disruptions in normal growth and delayed puberty.

There are strategies that can be employed to prevent substance abuse in teens, including resisting peer pressure, abstaining from drug use, and living a balanced lifestyle.

What is drug abuse?

Drug abuse refers to a compulsive pattern of harmful and dangerous use of psychoactive substances, according to the World Health Organization. Drug abuse has recurrent and significant consequences on one’s social, work, or academic life.

Drug use refers to low-frequency use and experimentation with a drug. However, drug use becomes drug abuse when the individual overlooks the consequences of drug use due to the strong desire to use. Drug abuse will alter the individual’s lifestyle and could also alter daily relationships.

How common is drug abuse in teens?

Roughly 50% of teenagers in the United States have misused drugs at least once, and 8% of teens regularly use psychoactive substances, according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. Some of the reasons for teenage drug abuse include forgetting their troubles, curiosity, expressing their independence, and peer pressure. Drug use is bad for teens because it can have some serious consequences. According to the U.S. Office of Justice Programs, these consequences include poor academics, a negative impact on physical health, alienation from peers and family, and delinquency.

1. Resist peer pressure

Peer pressure is the coercion exerted by friends or acquaintances to do certain things or act a certain way. Though it can also stem from individual concerns about others’ opinions as peers play a large role in adolescents’ emotional and social development, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Peer pressure also plays an important role in the initiation of drug abuse, according to Ranjan et al. in their 2010 article published in the Biomedical Research Journal. Thus teens should be encouraged to resist pressure from their peers that is dangerous or illegal, such as drug abuse.

When friends begin experimenting with drugs and alcohol, and one feels pressured to join, resisting that pressure is of utmost importance. If the pressure feels overwhelming, finding a different group of friends who do not exert such pressure may be beneficial.

2. Abstain from drug use

Abstaining from drug use refers to completely forgoing drugs (or any triggering situations) from one’s life. Deciding to abstain from drug use should be the teenagers’ own choice, and they should receive a lot of support from parents and guardians.

If abstaining from drug use does not seem achievable to an individual, they can take part in therapy sessions or enroll in a rehabilitation program. Abstaining from drug use involves the complete elimination of drugs and alcohol from daily life and not interacting with the substance at all.

Abstaining from teen drug use entails avoiding tempting situations, activities, or locations and distancing oneself from friends who encourage drug use.

3. Seek professional help

Seeking help from professionals refers to seeking a therapist, doctor, or other registered healthcare provider. Professional help for teen drug use is most often offered at a rehabilitation program that employs licensed practitioners who have the tools to help teens prevent (or recover from) drug abuse.

According to The National Institute on Drug Abuse, effective treatment for substance abuse could involve therapies, medications, and detox. These treatments are planned and executed by registered healthcare practitioners.

When a teenager begins to feel overwhelmed by their drug use habits, they can talk to any medical professional about their treatment and therapy options. A parent can also encourage teens to seek professional help for their drug abuse.

4. Live a healthy, balanced lifestyle

A healthy and balanced lifestyle means taking certain actions to improve one’s physical and mental well-being. People (especially teenagers) often reach for drugs when life becomes difficult or stressful. Drugs become their coping mechanism, and what starts as a bad habit could ultimately lead to teen drug abuse.

A healthy and balanced lifestyle for a teenager could incorporate general health, interpersonal relationships with friends and family, social networks, and daily occupation (school and extracurricular activities). Taking part in sports, and expanding interpersonal relationships with friends that provide a good influence, is the best way for a teen to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

5. Foster strong family relationships

Strong family and parental relationships refer to open communication channels and a sense of safety between the child and other members of the family. These relationships offer a sense of security and emotional support to adolescents. Family dysfunction or parental rejection are two factors that could cause teenage drug use, according to Dr. Belcher et al. in their 1998 article published in the JAMA Pediatrics journal.

In their 2011 article published in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America journal, Griffin and Botvin also highlight the importance of family and parenting methods as key factors in the prevention of drug abuse in adolescents.

Parents should engage in open discussions about drugs and drug use with their pre-teens and teens. It is important for adolescents to feel comfortable asking questions without the fear of being judged by their parents or other family members.

6. Take time for self-care

Self-care relates to taking care of one’s physical and mental health on a daily basis. It promotes wellness in every area of one’s life and also promotes overall self-esteem. Taking care of oneself is one of the most challenging aspects of recovery, according to a 2019 article written by Clint Mally titled ‘5 Ways To Practice Self Care in Addiction Recovery’.

People who abuse drugs do so to cope with stressful situations. In her article titled “What Is Self-Care in Recovery From Substance Use and Addiction?” published in 2022, Mona Bapat suggests that by practicing self-care, individuals can foster their mental and physical well-being, thereby diminishing their reliance on drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism.

Self-care for teens recovering from drug abuse includes taking care of personal hygiene, such as taking daily showers and staying away from situations or peers that cause stress or anxiety.

7. Learn healthy coping skills

Coping skills are conscious actions that individuals take to improve their emotional well-being when they’re facing a risky situation. These skills can help teenagers face any situation, take action, and not succumb to destructive coping mechanisms (such as drug abuse).

According to American Addiction Centers, healthy coping skills are vital to minimize relapse and continue a drug-free life. Some examples include keeping oneself busy, exercising regularly, having a healthy diet, and regularly talking with a therapist.

Taking the time to learn healthy coping skills can help teenagers swiftly and effectively curb situations that would previously have led to drug abuse. Healthy coping skills also enable teens to deal with everyday stress from school and other social situations.