Teenage Drug Addiction
Learn the symptoms and statistics of teenage drug addiction. Call Kemah Palms Recovery® for effective teen addiction treatment.
As a parent, you should be aware of the signs and effects of teenage drug addiction. If you see these signs, help your teen get early, effective treatment. Be alert to changes in your child and be proactive with getting professional help.
Teenage Drug Addiction Statistics
Many children begin abusing drugs during their teenage years. Almost 50% of teens in ninth through 12th grade admit to marijuana use. Nearly 6% of high school seniors use marijuana on a daily basis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in 10 seniors report having used someone else’s prescription drugs.
Who Is at Risk?
Any child can fall prey to teenage drug addiction. Specific risk factors increase the danger. Teens who take pain medication for injuries are at increased risk. Unsupervised teens have a larger risk of getting addicted to drugs. Teens who have access to prescription drugs at home are also high-risk.
You can take steps to reduce these risks. Monitor the dosage of any pain meds your child’s doctor prescribes. Have adult supervision in place when you are away from home. Keep other family members’ prescriptions under lock and key. Seek treatment for your teen if needed.
Signs of Young Adult Drug Addiction
If your teenager is struggling at home or at school, you can help. Look for specific signs of teenage drug addiction. These include:
- Lack of energy
- A change in sleep routines
- Decrease in coordination
- Red and/or glazed-over eyes
- Smell of marijuana smoke on clothing
- Lack of hygiene
- Chores left undone
As a parent, what you observe can be critical to your teen’s well-being. For example, watch for changes in your child’s peer group and grades.
Consequences of Young Adult Drug Addiction
Drug abuse at any age can result in serious health issues and even death. Drug addiction among teens aged 12 through 18 can cause severe, ongoing behavioral and lifestyle difficulties. If left unchecked, these problems can affect your teen into adulthood.
Drug abuse slows brain development in teens. Essential functional and structural changes occur during the teen years. The prefrontal cortex undergoes some of the most significant changes in teens. This area of the brain drives motor control, decision-making and impulse control.
What’s more, a teen’s memory creation function is far more vulnerable to damage from drug abuse than an adult’s. Teenage drug abuse can hinder the operation of other brain systems that perform vital functions too.
Children who begin abusing drugs during their teenage years have a higher risk of illicit drug use during adulthood. Teens who drive while under the influence are at significant risk of serious auto accidents. They are also more likely to die from a drug overdose.
Teen Drug Overdoses by the Numbers
As a parent, you likely wonder if the opioid epidemic will affect your children. Prescription drugs like oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine and codeine can be fatal. As of 2018, 3.4% of teenagers said they had abused one of these pain medications.
The number of prescription drug overdoses among teenagers is growing. In 2014, approximately 2,000 deaths in young people ages 15 to 24 were due to opioid overdoses. This may seem like a low number but not if it happens to your family.
Effective Treatment for Young Adult Drug Addiction
At Kemah Palms Recovery® in Kemah, Texas, we use proven techniques and therapy to break the cycle of teen addiction. From one-on-one sessions to family addiction treatment, we provide hope and healing for your family. Call us today.