pediatrics
Drug and Substance Use in Adolescents
Introduction
Substance use among adolescents ranges from sporadic use to severe Substance Use Disorders . The acute and long-term consequences range from minimal to minor to life threatening, depending on the substance, the circumstances, and the frequency of use. However, even occasional use can put adolescents at increased risk of significant harm, including overdose, motor vehicle crashes, (See also Overview of Substance Use .) Adolescents use substances for a variety of reasons: To share a social experience or feel part of a social group To relieve stress To seek new experiences and take risks To relieve symptoms of mental health disorders (eg, depression, anxiety) Additional risk factors include poor self-control, lack of parental monitoring, and various mental disorders (eg, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD, ADHD) , According to US national surveys, the proportion of high school seniors who report lifetime abstinence from all substances has been steadily increasing over the past 40 years. However, at the same time, a broad range of more potent, addictive, and dangerous products (eg, prescription opioids, high-potency cannabis products,fentanyl, e-cigarettes) has become available. These products put adolescents who do initiate substance use at higher risk of developing both acute and long-term consequences. The COVID-19 pandemic had a mixed impact on adolescent substance use. During stay-at-home periods, rates of initiation decreased, but rates of heavy use increased because some adolescents increased their substance use as a mechanism for coping with stress. All substance use, inhalational substance use in particular, increases the risk of infection and also the risk of severe disease. Thus, interventions that reduce substance use are an important part of a COVID-19 mitigation strategy. 