About Substance Abuse
How common is it?
What causes it?
How long does it last?
What are the long-term consequences?
What treatments are effective?
A review of the evidence
What's new?
Resources

About Substance Abuse
There are many reasons why teenagers might use drugs.  Some do it as a form of rebellion against authority.  Others may be trying to fit in with a group of friends who use drugs.  They may do it out of curiosity, because it feels good, or because it provides relief from unpleasant emotions and makes them feel better.¹

Teens, and even older children, may use “legal” substances like tobacco, alcohol, glue, gasoline, diet pills, over-the-counter cold remedies, or prescription pain killers (like OxyContin®).  Some may then go on to use illegal drugs like marijuana, LSD, cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, PCP, amphetamines, methamphetamine, or Ecstasy.

Substance use becomes substance abuse when a person continues to use drugs or other substances even when they lead to serious personal consequences.  These consequences can include family problems, losing friends, being expelled from school, losing a job, or getting into trouble with the law.²

Some people continue to use drugs because they become psychologically or physically dependent on them.  Dependence (also called “addiction”) is considered by some researchers to be a kind of brain disorder resulting from chemical changes in the brain that initially result from taking drugs, and which then make using drugs difficult to resist.¹  As the dependence worsens, not using the substance can cause severe withdrawal symptoms, such as restlessness, inability to sleep, or nausea.  People who are dependent on drugs can even feel driven to engage in criminal acts to get their next dose.  Property crime, such as breaking and entering, theft from family members, shoplifting, and even armed robbery, is often related to drug use.

It’s not unusual for a teenager to try alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs occasionally. However, if the drug use is chronic and causes a lot of personal and family problems, it can be a sign of something more serious, including a psychiatric disorder.

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1.	National Institute on Drug Abuse. Drugs, Brains and Behavior. The Science of Addiction. National Institutes of Health Publication No. 07-5605.
2.	Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). 1994. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.