Substance Abuse in Adolescent : Best Prevention

Last Updated on March 18, 2025 by

Adolescence is a critical stage where curiosity and peer pressure can lead to substance abuse. The best prevention strategies include education, strong parental guidance, and early intervention. Schools should implement awareness programs to educate students about the risks, while families must foster open communication and emotional support. Encouraging healthy coping mechanisms, such as sports, hobbies, and peer support groups, can reduce the likelihood of substance abuse. A community-based approach involving teachers, counselors, and healthcare professionals ensures that at-risk adolescents receive timely help. Prevention is most effective when it combines knowledge, emotional resilience, and a supportive environment.

The Reasons for Emphasizing Adolescent Substance Abuse :

• The developing adolescent brain is more susceptible to neuro-plastic alterations. Long-term and more severe brain alterations can result from repeated exposure to harmful influences.
• A poor prognosis, increased susceptibility to risky behavior, and societal costs are all linked to early initiation. Younger children and teenagers who begin drinking are more prone to participate in behaviors that are detrimental to both themselves and other people.
• It is possible to prevent significant expenses for the person, family, society, and health system if it is identified early and properly treated.
• The use of Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drugs (ATOD) and other risky behaviors typically begins in youth, and by late adolescence, a higher percentage of addiction disorders (~80%) develop. Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is 85% likely to develop in people who begin drinking by the age of 16. Delaying first use for 25 years reduces risk to about 5%, which is the same as the population’s overall risk, underscoring the necessity of delaying initial use.
• Major drinking issues, such as alcoholism, which are usually linked to middle age, start to show up much earlier, in young adulthood and even youth.
• Teenagers are more susceptible to substance misuse because of the disruption of their educational schedules and diminished possibilities brought on by the COVID pandemic.

• Tolerance
• Removal
• Use of drugs in dangerous circumstances
• Other crucial activities that have been cut back or abandoned due to substance abuse
• Despite adverse effects, continued usage
• Failure to carry out important responsibilities
• Cravings
• Long periods of time spent acquiring substances
• Relentless ambition and fruitless attempts to reduce
• substance used more frequently or in greater quantities than planned
• When a person becomes less physically reactive to a substance, like drugs or alcohol, over time, this is known as tolerance. As a result, more of the drug is needed to produce the same results as when they first began abusing it.
• Physical and/or psychological symptoms that follow cessation or reduction of the abused substance’s intake are referred to as withdrawal.

Researchers : Begin using the drug as a test, due to peer pressure, or out of curiosity.

Typical users :Dependent on a drug; always seeking it in an uncontrollable way Occasionally used

Occasionally used : Own the substance sometimes, either for social reasons or during specific stages, and have already passed the stage of experimentation.

Physical

• More sleep than normal
• Strange fatigue
• Abrupt weight increase or loss
• Eyes that are watery or bloody
• Shaking
• Anxiety
• Alcohol or smoking odor on breath or clothing
• Speech slurring
• Unsteady footing

Emotional :

• Forceful
• Changes in mood
• Absence of enthusiasm for everyday pursuits
• Unable to keep up a consistent habit or schedule
• Inability to do schoolwork on time Absence from friends and family

Social :

• Their doors are frequently locked.
• Making cryptic calls or engaging in other cryptic actions
• stealing money, breaking the law, and lying or being evasive
• absences from school
• Spending a lot of time away from home, making demands, and making excessive purchases
• Using drugs with pals

Nicotine:

• Smoking with a cigarette, hookah, bidi, or dhumti
• Chewing: khaini, gutka
• Naswar inhalation
• Electronic gadgets, such as hookah pens, vaporizers, ENDs, and e-cigarettes.

Cannabinoids:

• Hashish,
• ganja,
• charas,
• bhaang,
• marijuana,
• pot,
• other edible cannabinoids, among others.

Opioids:

• Opium,
• codeine,
• buprenorphine,
• heroin,
• afeem,
• smack,
• brown sugar, etc.

Alcohol :

• Every type of wine,
• beer,
• distilled liquor, etc.

Sedatives/hypnotics :

• barbiturates, such as seconal,
• benzodiazepines, such as valium, librium,
• xanax

Inhalants/volatile solvents

• Typewriter and correction fluids,
• paints, varnishes,
• glues, dry cleaners,
• nail polish removers,
• gasoline or kerosene

Hallucinogens:

• MDMA (e.g., Ecstasy),
• mescaline,
• LSD

Stimulants:

• Methamphetamine (meth/ice/glass),
• cocaine,
• amphetamine,
• atomoxetine

Factors that protect

• Age-appropriate intellectual and physical development
• Strong self-esteem and adept social abilities
• Strong emotional support at home and a positive example
• encouragement from scholastic achievement Interaction with peers in a healthy way and community Possibility of leisure and constructive engagement with culture

Factors at Risk:

• Genetic risks and prenatal/birth problems Insufficient nourishment
• Easy access
• Challenges in learning Neglect, abuse, or violence Self-steem is poor.
• Family conflicts Caregiving that is inconsistent
• Failure in the classroom The act of bullying An unfavorable setting for learning
• Disorganization in the community Discrimination and stigma

• Talk to the teenagers about the benefits and drawbacks of continuing to use drugs, both now and in the future.
• Talk about the advantages first, in an inquisitive and nonjudgmental manner.
• Provide a brief summary of their motivations.
• Draw attention to the ways that substance abuse may be preventing them from realizing their full potential and pursuing their own aspirations.
• Talk about the changes they would like to see and how they would like to proceed.

Management Strategies for Substance Abuse: Recognizing High-Risk Circumstances:

Educate teenagers on the circumstances and states that increase their likelihood of substance use.

Make use of the 4Ds method

• Delays
• Distractions
• Drink water
• Deep Breathing

People and external factors

• Places;
• Occurrences;
• Circumstances;
• peer pressure.

Internal elements:

• Adverse emotional mood;
• hunger;
• negative thoughts;
• discomfort in the body;
• fond memories of substance use;

Being conscious of the pressure tactics that peer groups frequently employ

• pleading,
• comforting,
• challenging,
• threatening
• Anger

Instances of assertiveness and rejection skills:

• Thank you, but I’ve given up drinking
• Because I take medication that prevents me from doing so.
• I was about to go
• I had a headache
• An essential obligation that requires me to wake up early.

Practicing assertiveness and refusal techniques:

• Youth: greatly impacted by their friends • Assist teenagers in understanding pressure techniques

• They can also practice these through role-playing.
• Talk about scenarios where they could feel under pressure and work together to come up with things they can say or do in these situations.

• Safety Net: A network of support networks that can aid in managing and preventing substance abuse.
• May consist of: Parents, educators, seniors, friends, family, friends, counselors, mentors, medical experts, and non-governmental groups.
• Encourage the teenagers to build their own safety net.

Engaging with Communities and Families:

For the purpose of preventing substance abuse

• Relationship between substance abuse and adolescents’ socioemotional development
• Building relationships, communicating effectively, and maintaining discipline are all part of parenting education.
• Various risk factors, such as familial substance abuse and disputes

For the control of drug abuse

• Encourage them to: Recognize that substance abuse is not a sign of a lack of willpower or moral weakness.
• Pay close attention to their health, medicine, and nutrition needs.
• Show the teenager patience.
• Appreciate any progress, no matter how tiny.

A Few Things Not To Do

• Argue, fight, and suspect them repeatedly.
• Justify substance abuse or accept responsibility for concealing the repercussions. Talk to others about past substance abuse issues.

• Spread the word about the detrimental effects of substance abuse.
• Educate people about various programs and resources for beating addiction.
• Address any misconceptions or untruths regarding substance usage.
• Encourage the community to be drug-free and limit access to drugs. Engage in outreach initiatives and commemorate health days with teenagers and school instructors to raise awareness.
• Encourage an environment where people who are struggling with substance abuse are supported.

• Substance abuse is more likely to occur in adolescents.
• The adolescent brain is more susceptible to neuroplastic alterations. Frequent exposure to harmful stimuli can result in more severe and protracted brain alterations.
• Adolescence is typically when ATOD use and other high-risk behaviors begin, and a higher percentage of addiction disorders (~80%) manifest by late adolescence and early adulthood.
• The likelihood that children and adolescents will engage in behaviors that are detrimental to themselves and others increases with the age at which they begin drinking.
• Since delaying initial use until age 25 reduces risk by 5%, Adolescent substance abuse can manifest as social, emotional, or physical behaviors.
• When a person’s bodily reaction to a substance, like drugs or alcohol, gradually diminishes, tolerance occurs. As a result, more of the drug is needed to produce the same results as before they began abusing it.
• The term “withdrawal” refers to the physical and/or psychological symptoms that follow cessation or reduction of the substance’s use.
• One way to prevent and manage substance use is through the safety net, which is a network of support. Parents, teachers, elders, friends, family, friends, counselors, mentors, medical experts, and non-governmental organizations are some of the people that the medical officers can assist adolescents in establishing their own safety net.attention must be paid to substance abuse during youth.

Thanks and Regards

N.B. This information is suggestive only.