Factors That May Affect Youth Substance Use
The dangers are all around us for substance use. But one population is particularly susceptible: our youth. While findings from recent governmental and research studies show overall drug and alcohol use is down among adolescents and teens, some indicators are up for particular drugs of choice. Studies show that about 90 percent of subjects that progressed from one substance to another did so in the following order: abstinence, alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, and hard drugs. Knowing the risk factors that may affect youth substance use is an important first step for parents, educators and others in designing and implementing effective preventive policies, practices and programs.
Predictive Factors
Predictive factors of youth substance use fall into several categories. Many of them overlap, having a cumulative negative effect on youth proclivity toward substance use.
Risk Factors in the Community
Without drugs in the community, there would be less accessibility. Community laws and norms that are favorable toward drugs and alcohol have a negative impact by increasing the availability of the substances. This is exacerbated by conflicting messages displayed or delivered in the community. For example, a community-wide program whose slogan is “Just Say No To Drugs” is in obvious conflict with advertisements and flyers for a “Beer Blow-out Tailgate Party.”
Transition and mobility have often been cited as additional community risks affecting substance use. Such transitions include movement from elementary to middle school and from middle school to high school. These transition times often lead to significant increases in the rate of drug use. One study found the most dramatic increase in drug use occurred between the ages of 13 and 14, when adolescents transition from middle school to high school. Similarly, the more often people move in and around a community, the more such movement is linked to a risk of problems with drugs and crime.
Neighborhoods in a state of decay foster feelings of low attachment. When individuals feel little attachment to where they live, crime and drugs find an easy entrée, especially among youth. This factor is exacerbated by extreme economic deprivation – of community residents and of the community itself.
Risk Factors in the Family
Of primary importance to youth development, the family also comes under scrutiny for numerous risk factors for substance use. These include any family history of the type of problem behavior associated with drinking and use of drugs, problems the family has in managing the household, conflict in the family, and activities and involvement of parents in drug and alcohol use.
Parents’ use of substances, including cigarettes, is an important predictive factor influencing children’s drug use.
Risk Factors in the School
Certain school predictors of substance use have been identified by numerous sources. One is the fact that academic failure beginning in elementary school is often a harbinger of future drug use. Another is the child’s lack of commitment to school.
Individual and Peer Risk Factors
Parents and educators should be on the lookout for signs of trouble in the child, or in groups of adolescents in a setting. Such indicators include alienation and rebelliousness on the part of the youth, early and persistent antisocial behavior, friends who are engaged in problem behavior (drinking and using drugs), favorable attitudes toward drinking and drug use, early initiation into the problem behavior, gang involvement, and so-called constitutional factors – biological and/or physiological conditions.
According to research reported in the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Early Childhood Behavior and Temperament Predict Later Substance Use, NIDA Notes, Vol. 10, No. 1, January/February 1995, first-grade children show temperament and behavior traits that are powerful indicators of their inclination to use or abuse drugs in their teenage and adult years. Two important risk factors are shy behavior and aggression. Shyness is described as sitting alone, having few friends, and not speaking up in class. Aggressiveness is described as breaking school rules and fighting with others. External risk factors include substance use among peers, parents who use drugs, and trouble with the police.
Interestingly, according to follow-up study findings reported in NIDA Notes, higher scores on first-grade IQ and school-readiness tests were associated with higher levels of use of marijuana, beer, wine, or hard liquor 10 years later.
Preventive Factors
Combating substance use among youth requires diligence and proactive, preventive measures. Some of these include:
· Preventive Messages - Research findings from SAMHSA’s 2002 to 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) show that, in 2007, about 30 percent of adolescents did not receive preventive messages about substance use through school sources, and about 40 percent did not talk with one of their parents about the dangers of substance use. The NDSUH Report: Exposure to Substance Use Prevention Messages and Substance Use Among Adolescents: 2002 to 2007 also reinforces previous studies’ findings emphasizing the importance of parental and school influence on preventing substance use. In general, substance use was lower among adolescents who received prevention messages from their parents and school sources than those who were not exposed to such messages. Bottom line: adolescents who were exposed to substance use preventive messages during the past year were less likely than those who were not exposed to have used alcohol, cigarettes, and illicit drugs in the past month.
· Raising Cost or Tax Levels on Alcohol – Making alcohol less accessible by increasing the cost or tax levels can help in preventing alcohol use among certain youth populations. In a systematic review of 112 studies of alcohol tax or price effects, Effects of beverage price and alcohol tax levels on drinking: a meta-analysis of 1003 estimates from 112 studies, authors Alexander C. Wagenaar, Matthew J. Salois, and Kelli A. Komro state that beverage alcohol prices and taxes are related inversely to drinking. They add that “effects are large compared to other prevention policies and programs” and conclude that “public policies that raise prices of alcohol are an effective means to reduce drinking.”
· Importance of Family Relationships and Values – Setting a good example and being positive role models for children begins in the home. Since numerous studies show that children’s receiving preventive messages about substance use from parents influences their behavior, it follows that parents who do not use substances themselves are “walking the talk.”
· Talking About Risks of Substance Use – Adolescents and teens receive messages from many sources, and information that’s accurate about substances and the risks and dangers associated with substance use that they receive from their parents may influence them to not begin or continue use of such substances. Parents are children’s biggest influencers, and contribute greatly to their overall development. Parents need to be informed themselves and communicate accurate and up-to-date information about drug and alcohol use in candid and ongoing discussions with their children. A December 14, 2009 press release on the results from the 2009 Monitoring the Future Study indicates that marijuana use is up slightly among American adolescents, and perceived risks of use of ecstasy, LSD and inhalants has decreased – making youth more vulnerable to renewed interest in those drugs.
· What Educators Can Do – Educators can strengthen learning and bonding to school by addressing aggressive behaviors and poor concentration, as these are risks associated with later onset of drug abuse and its related problems. Separating overly aggressive children from others and getting help for the student with school counselors, conferencing with parents on effective solutions and promoting school activities highlighting academic achievement, developing of skill sets, and healthy recreational school activities may all help.
· What Community Leaders Can Do – To help curb and prevent drug use among youth, community leaders should assess the risk and the protective factors associated with drug problems in order to best target effective preventive solutions and services. Take what has worked in other communities and adapt it for use in your own community. Keep evolving and modifying the programs as more effective solutions become available.
Hope for the Future
In the end, preventing substance use among our youth will require a concerted effort on the part of parents, community, educators and others. Consistent and concerted preventive messages, programs and solutions will go a long way toward driving down the incidence and prevalence of initiation into substance use among the most vulnerable population: our youth. As history has proven, however, just because use of a certain drug wanes for a period of time does not preclude its resurgence in subsequent years. Therefore, constant vigilance and attention to design and implementation of preventive measures is perhaps one of the most effective means of reducing substance use among youth in America.
Will substance use among youth ever go away completely? Such a scenario is not likely, but through concerted effort, parents, educators, community leaders and others can make a huge impact in helping de-glamorize the image of drinking and substance use and abuse. This includes not only alcohol and street drugs, but also nonmedical use of prescription drugs.
Additional Resources
Parents, educators and others can find useful information and downloads of brochures and materials from numerous sites:
· National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE) – Brochures, newspaper articles, radio and television PSAs on talking to teens about medicine abuse, prescription medicine, and messages that medicine can help but also hurt.
· Monitoring the Future – Publications, press releases, tables and figures, new information, information for schools, and links to related sites.
· National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) - Materials developed to inform parents and teachers about the health effects and consequences of drug abuse and addiction.
· Preventing Drug Use Among Children and Adolescents – NIDA publication available in downloadable PDF format.
· Preventing Drug Abuse among Children and Adolescents – Examples of research-based drug abuse prevention programs. Among the many examples are the Caring Schools Community Program, Classroom-Centered and Family-School Partnership Intervention, Guiding Good Choices, Life Skills Training Program, Lions-Quest Skills for Adolescence, Project ALERT, Project STAR, Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATH), Skills, Opportunities and Recognition (SOAR), and the Strengthening Families Program: for Parents and Youth 10-14.
· Students and Young Adults – NIDA materials and information specifically developed for teens and young adults.
· NIDA for Teens – Includes real stories, facts on drugs, brain games, blogs, videos and downloads, and a section for parents and teachers.
· Information on Inhalants – Research reports, info facts, articles, information for teens, news releases, and links to additional information.
· Information on Marijuana – Includes research report on marijuana, info facts, and additional publications.
· Club Drugs – Information on club drugs: ecstasy, GHB, Rohypnol, ketamine, methamphetamine, LSD and other drugs used in the club or party scene.
· Dangers of Nicotine Addiction – Includes tobacco addiction research report, info facts on cigarettes and other nicotine products, press releases, additional resources, and trying to quit tips.
· Steroid Abuse – Includes Drugs, Brain and Behavior: The Science of Addiction, research report on anabolic steroids, medical and other consequences of steroid abuse, links to free substance abuse educational resources.
· Drug Abuse and HIV – Webisodes, videos, research findings, and messages on how to break the dangerous link between drug use and HIV.
· Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse – Information on the far-reaching impact of drug abuse on different parts of the body.
· Talk To Your Child About Alcohol – Publication from the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA) geared toward parents and guardians of young people aged 10 to 14. Includes discussion of the risks, the young teen’s world, the importance of a strong parent-child relationship, and tips for talking with teens about alcohol.
