Illicit Drug Use - Youth

Illicit Drug Use - Youth in United States

United States

Drug abuse or dependence during adolescence has a significant and lasting impact on health and well-being. Substance misuse among adolescents increases the risk of the following: 

• Impaired physical and cognitive development. 
• Other risky behaviors, such as impaired driving and unprotected sex.
• Other health concerns in adulthood, such as heart disease and high blood pressure.
• Becoming addicted or continuing to use substances later in life.

The prevalence of illicit drug use is higher among:

• Youth ages 16-17 compared with those ages 12-13 and 14-15. 
• Hispanic youth compared with non-Hispanic Asian youth.
• Youth who experienced a major depressive episode in the last year compared with youth who did not.

Non-medical drug use can be prevented and treated. The National Institute on Drug Abuse lists 16 principles for choosing and implementing substance abuse prevention programs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has evidence-based programs and resources for parents, schools and primary care doctors, many of them focusing on children and adolescents.

When prevention is no longer an option, there are evidence-based treatment programs. Treatment often requires lifelong management. SAMHSA’s Treatment Locator can help individuals find state-licensed providers that specialize in substance use disorders, and their Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center also shares guidance and strategies for treatment facilities or medical practitioners that provide substance abuse treatment and recovery.

Healthy People 2030 has several objectives to reduce illicit drug use among youth, including reducing the proportion of adolescents who used drugs in the past month and reducing the proportion of adolescents who drank alcohol in the past month.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. “Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States: Results from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.” Rockville, MD: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2021. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt35325/NSDUHFFRPDFWHTMLFiles2020/2020NSDUHFFR1PDFW102121.pdf.