What Substances Do Kids Use?

This section covers some commonly used substances and their risks. Learn more about these and others by reviewing the Drug Identification Chart. Also, see the DEA website for parents, educators, and caregivers at www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com.

Nicotine

More than 3,200 people under 18 smoke their first cigarette each day. 

More young people now use vaporizers and electronic cigarettes (often called e-cigarettes). We know less about the health risks of these products, but we do know that nicotine is highly addictive, can harm the developing brain, and that some flavors may be toxic to lungs. Plus, exploding e-cigarette batteries have hurt youth.

For the health and safety of your child, set a good example. If you use tobacco products, seek help to quit. If your child uses, be firm but supportive: find resources to help your child quit as soon as possible. If needed, ask your family doctor for information on smoking cessation programs. More information can be found a www.smokefree.gov.

Alcohol

Why include alcohol in a book about drugs? Because alcohol is a drug, and underage drinking a serious public health problem in the United States. Alcohol is most widely used substance of abuse among America's youth and young adults, and drinking by young people poses enormous health and safety risks.

A 2015 study asked young people about their alcohol use. Approximately 7.7 million of them (aged 12 to 20) said they drank alcohol in the prior month. Binge drinking is males having five or more drinks and females having four or ore drinks on the same occasion on at least one day in the past 30 days. About 30 days. About 1.3 million young people reported heavy alcohol use, which is binge drinking on five or more days in the past 30 days. 

Young people may simply want to fit in with their peers. They may not realize that underage drinking can increase their risk for injuries, sexual assaults, and even deaths from car crashes, suicides, and homicides. As discussed earlier, underage drinking can affect normal adolescents brain development. Furthermore, early substance misuse, including alcohol misuse, is associated with a greater likelihood of developing a substance use disorder later in life.

What can you do? If you keep alcohol in your home, monitor how much you have and lock it up. Remind your children that the national minimum legal drinking age is 21. Be clear about your rules for them and give them advice on what they can say or do if offered a drink or a tide with others who have been drinking. Discuss and agree on consequences for underage drinking. For more information on the federal government's efforts to prevent underage drinking, visit www.stopalcoholabuse.gov. 

Inhalants

Young people may get high by inhaling substances found in products like nail polish remover, spray paint, cleaning fluid, glue, felt tip markers, and others. They breathe in fumes directly through the nose or mouth, or from a rag soaked with a substance (huffing) or sniff them from a container or dispenser.

The inhaled chemicals can starve the body of oxygen, cause a person to pass out, and damage the brain and nervous system. Some youth even die from inhalants. Learn more by reviewing the Drug Identification Chart or visit www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com.

Over-The-Counter (OTC) Medications

Many OTC medications for a cough or cold contain dextromethorphan (DXM). These medications work when used as directed. However, some young people get high by drinking Robitussin, Coricidin HBP, or others that contain DXM, or they swallow tablets, capsules, or powders that contain DXM. Large doses of DXM taken together with alcohol or some other drugs can cause death. 

Store all medications, including OTC medications for a cough or cold, in places only accessible to adults (such as a locked cabinet).

Prescription Medications

Prescription drug misuse means taking medication without a prescription for the feeling it causes or in a way that was not prescribed. Thus activity can lead to a substance use disorder. Three types of prescription medications are most commonly misused. 

1. Opioids are pain relievers, such as oxycodone and hydrocodone. Opioids are highly addictive and they also can slow breathing down and cause brain damage or death. They are discussed in the following section (Opioids, Including Heroin).
2. Depressants (benzodiazepines) such as Valium or Xanax relieve anxiety or help someone sleep. Misusing them can cause blurred vision and nausea. It can also be hard to think clearly or remember things, and can lead to a substance use disorder. When combined with opioids or alcohol these medications also can cause overdose and death.
3. Stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Misusing them can cause a high body temperature and irregular heartbeat. It can also cause a person to be paranoid (distrustful), and can lead to a substance use disorder.

Opioids, Including Heroin

Some people think medications you get when a health professional (such as a doctor or dentist) writes you a prescription are safer than street drugs, such as marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin. But prescription medicine can be dangerous if taken for the wrong reason or in the wrong way.

The most commonly misused prescription medications today are opioids. Examples include oxycodone (such as OxyContin or codeine) and hydrocodone (such as Vicodin). Other examples are morphine, methadone, and fentanyl. Lock up all prescription medicine, and keep track of how much you take so you will know if any is missing. Dispose of medications you no longer need. Visit the Food and Drug Administration's website (https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/where-and-how-dispose-unused-medicines) for guidance on how to dispose of unused medicines. 

Heroin is an illegal opioid made from morphine. It is a white or brownish powder, or a black sticky substance called black tar heroin. It is usually injected, smoked, or snorted. Today, some individuals with an opioid use disorder buy heroin because it is cheaper and easier to get than prescription opioids. In fact, about 80 percent of new heroin users say they started after misusing prescription opioids. But users do not know for sure what is in the heroin they buy or how potent it is, which can be even more dangerous. New highly potent opioids, including fentanyl, are increasingly being mixed with heroin, contributing to a rapid rise in overdose deaths. In 2015, more than 33,000 people died from opioid overdose, including heroin, fentanyl, prescription pain relievers, and other opioids.

Marijuana and Marijuana Concentrates

Marijuana is usually dry green and brown flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves that come from a cannabis plant. Users roll it into a cigarette and smoke it, or they smoke it in a pipe or bong. Some users brew it as tea or mix it with food (called marijuana edibles). Others cut open a cigar, take out the tobacco, and put marijuana in it instead. They call this a blunt. The ingredient in marijuana called THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) that produces the "high" feeling is addictive.

It is important for you to know that the THC content in marijuana has increased over the past 2 decades. In the early 1990s, the average THC content in confiscated samples was approximately 3.7 percent; in 2016, it was approximately 13.18 percent.

Some people try to extract the THC into an oil or resin (called concentrate). It often looks like honey or butter, but it is very strong and can cause serious mental and physical effects. Regular THC levels in marijuana are about 10-20 percent. Trying to remove the THC is also dangerous. For examples, one method for removal involves using butane, a highly explosive substance. In some cases, people have been badly burned and buildings have exploded.

Some users smoke the sticky THC concentrate in a glass bong. Others "vape" the concentrate-using a vaporizer or e-cigarette to inhale the THC-rich resin without the smoke. Unlike the usual smell from smoking marijuana, the extracted THC has no odor. The concentrated substance is sometimes called wax or "710" (Oil spelled upside down and backward).

Young people today receive conflicting messages about marijuana. Under federal law marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance defined as a drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. But some states and the District of Columbia allow marijuana use for personal ("recreational") or certain medical use. This may confuse youngsters and make it hard for parents to explain that even in states where marijuana use is permitted, it is still illegal for young adults under 21, and to discuss why marijuana is not a healthy choice. In a recent study, more than 38 percent of students in grades 9-12 said they had used marijuana at least once, and 7.5 percent of students first tried it before they were 13 years old.

Synthetic Cannabinoids (Also Known As "Synthetic Marijuana")

Synthetic cannabinoids , also known as K2, herbal incense, or Spice, is a plant material mixture sprayed with a synthetic compound similar to THC, but the ingredients and strength of the products are impossible for users to know. People often roll and smoke it like a cigarette, smoke it in a pipe or e-cigarette, or make it into tea. It can be taken other ways, too. The effects of synthetic marijuana include paranoia, hallucinations, convolutions, and organ damage. Users can die, sometimes even the first time they try it. The DEA banned many chemicals used in K2 and Spice, so it is illegal to sell, buy, or possess. These drugs are not as popular as they once were.

Stimulants

Some drugs are stimulants (such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy) that speed up the body's systems.

• Cocaine is usually snorted. Sometimes users dissolve it and inject it with a needle or smoke it. Cocaine causes blood pressure and heart rate to rise, make pupils look bigger, and makes users feel more awake and less hungry. It may also cause sudden stroke or death. In 2014, more than 5,000 people overdosed and died from cocaine-involved drug overdoses.
• Methamphetamine (or meth) comes in clear crystals that look like glass. Sometimes it is a powder that users dissolve in liquid and inject with a needle. This addictive drug can cause convulsions, stroke or death.
• Ecstasy (MDMA or Molly) is often a pill or capsule but can be a powder, crystal, or liquid. What is sold as MDMA/ecstasy can often contain other ingredients, including synthetic stimulants also known as "bath salts." MDMA can make it hard for your body to regulate temperature. It can cause your liver, kidney, or heart to stop.

Some people buy synthetic stimulants that are often called "bath salts" or "plant food." Many times, they are sold in smoke shops ir gas stations or online. the drugs are in a powder that users typically snort, or they dissolve and inject them. These very dangerous substances can lead to overdoses that result in emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and severe psychotic episodes.