What is the most common reason why teens try substances like alcohol or marijuana?

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), alcohol remains the most widely abused substance among adolescents, despite declines in recent years.

 What is the most commonly abused substance among teenagers in the U.S.?

Research indicates that early marijuana use can impair brain development, leading to reduced memory, attention, and learning abilities (NIDA).

What long-term effect can early marijuana use have on a teenager's brain?

Based on the article of Effect Modification of Illicit Drug Use on Symptoms of a Major Depressive Episode to Better Understand Binge Drinking by Adolescents and Adults in the United States Adzrago, David ; Wong, Su-Wei ; Wilkerson, Johnny Michael; age and gender were the primary factor within the study.

Which of the following is identified as a potential factor in modifying the relationship between illicit drug use and symptoms of a major depressive episode ?

Which group is particularly at risk for experiencing both major depressive episodes and increased binge drinking behaviors?

How does illicit drug use influence the symptoms of a major depressive episode in adolescents and adults?

Based on the article Effect Modification of Illicit Drug Use on Symptoms of a Major Depressive Episode to Better Understand Binge Drinking by Adolescents and Adults in the United States, the key finding was the usage of illicit drugs.

Binge drinking is more likely to occur in individuals who use illicit drugs

 Binge drinking is predominantly a behavior seen in older adults

 Binge drinking is unrelated to depression in adolescents

Which of the following is a key finding regarding binge drinking in adolescents and adults in the United States?

The study, Effect Modification of Illicit Drug Use on  Symptoms of a Major Depressive Episode to Better Understand Binge Drinking by Adolescents and Adults in the United States, found that non-Hispanic White individuals had higher odds of binge drinking, as did those with some college education but no degree, and those with a family income of $75,000 or more.

What sociodemographic characteristic was associated with higher odds of binge drinking ?

The study, Effect Modification of Illicit Drug Use on  Symptoms of a Major Depressive Episode to Better Understand Binge Drinking by Adolescents and Adults in the United States, found that people who had MDE symptoms were less likely to engage in binge drinking. This may be because individuals with MDE symptoms face financial constraints, limiting their ability to afford binge drinking.

MDE symptoms were associated with lower odds of binge drinking

MDE symptoms were associated with higher odds of binge drinking

MDE symptoms had no effect on binge drinking

 MDE symptoms increased binge drinking only in females

What was the relationship between Major Depressive Episode (MDE) symptoms and binge drinking?

The study,  How to prevent alcohol and illicit drug use among students in affluent areas: a qualitative study on motivation and attitudes towards prevention, most significant motive for substance use among affluent youth was social pressure, particularly related to the desire to fit in and achieve or maintain high social status within their peer groups. 

What is the most prominent motive for substance use among affluent youth?

 Students have expressed concerns about the social consequences of seeking help for substance use problems, particularly the risk of damaging their social status and reputation.

 Fear of being judged and losing social status

The belief that they do not have a problem

Why do some affluent youth feel unable to seek help for substance use problems?

Tolerance is the process when a person becomes used to substance and will keep needing higher doses to get the same effect as they first did.   National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). (2022). "Understanding Drug Use and Addiction." https://www.drugabuse.gov/

What is the term for the phenomenon when a young person becomes dependent on a substance and needs more of it to achieve the same effect?

Maintaining a strong family bond can prevent substance abuse as a positive family or parental upbringing can reduce the likelihood of substance abuse as they feel more supported by their families. The source is Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2020). "Family Factors in Preventing Adolescent Substance Use." https://www.samhsa.gov/.

Peer pressure from friends who use substances

Which of the following is a protective factor that can help prevent substance abuse in adolescents?

It is extremely important to have adolescents participate in sports, arts or even community service to keep themselves occupied and feel positive reinforcement. 

Ignoring peer pressure and hoping the problem will solve itself

Avoiding conversations about substance use

Participation in extracurricular activities and building self-esteem

Which of the following is a recommended strategy for preventing substance abuse in youth?

The study, The Transition of Sociodemographic and Substance Abuse Characteristics, Pairwise Co-occurrences and Factors Associated with Polysubstance Use Among US Adolescents and Young Adults. Addiction & Health, discusses how adolescents that use a substance are higher risk of polysubstance use which can be influenced by outside factors or peer pressure.

The study by Khan et al. (2024) found that adolescents who were already using one substance were more likely to use additional substances over time, indicating a pattern of polysubstance use.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), discusses that adolescents who start substances at an early age are way more likely to have substance abuse disorders later on as it messes with the development of the brain. 

True or False: The earlier an adolescent starts using substances, the higher the risk of developing a substance use disorder later in life.

The article, The Transition of Sociodemographic and Substance Abuse Characteristics, Pairwise Co-occurrences and Factors Associated with Polysubstance Use Among US Adolescents and Young Adults, found that adolescents that live in urban areas face more environmental factors such as peer influences and the social norm behind it. 

Which sociodemographic factor was found to be strongly associated with an increased risk of polysubstance use ?

The study,  Predictors of drug and substance abuse among school-going adolescents living in drug hotspot in Malaysia, found that adolescents that face high levels of stress, which stem from academics, family issues or peer issues. These factors contributed to substance abuse as a way to cope with the stress and emotions. 

There have been studies that found that adolescents who experienced high levels of stress were more likely to engage in substance abuse.

One study called, Predictors of drug and substance abuse among school-going adolescents living in drug hotspot in Malaysia, believes that the increase of parental monitoring and communication is extremely important in preventing substance abuse as parents can be the active role model in discussing the dangers of using drugs.

Limiting access to smartphones and technology

Providing more recreational spaces for youth

Increasing parental monitoring and communication

Which preventive measure was recommended to reduce substance abuse among adolescents in drug hotspots?

One study, Predictors of drug and substance abuse among school-going adolescents living in drug hotspot in Malaysia, believed that the usage of community based substance abuse prevention programs are beneficial towards providing education, awareness and supportive environments to prevent adolescent substance use.

Encouraging the youth to fix their behavior 

Establishing a strong community based substance abuse preventive program

Which of the following strategies suggest being effective in reducing adolescent substance abuse in high-risk areas?

The study, Celebrating the legacy and work of John Schulenberg: Answering the question “Does adolescence matter?” Journal of Research on Adolescence, shows that adolescence is an important developmental period  as substance abuse will significantly impact their health and well being as they enter adulthood which will have risk behaviors. 

Adolescence period does not influence long term outcomes.

Adolescence only affects academics rather than health.

Adolescence only impacts physical development rather than social behavior

The behavior & experiences in adolescence impacts long term well-being. 

Which of the following is true about adolescence as a developmental period?

The article, Celebrating the legacy and work of John Schulenberg: Answering the question “Does adolescence matter?” Journal of Research on Adolescence, emphasizes how adolescents is the period to take a stand on  positive interventions will push healthier behaviors and prevention efforts.

 Adolescence is a period of opportunity, where positive interventions can significantly alter the trajectory of substance use behaviors.

 Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2022: Overview, Key Findings on Adolescent Drug Use study identified that there was a major decline in the use of prescription opioids as there has been more awareness to the risks that are associated with it and the health efforts as well. 

Which substance did the Monitoring the Future report identify as showing the greatest decline in use among high school seniors between 2000 and 2022?

The report found that adolescents that view substances as more available will have a higher chance of using them as they can be used whenever. 

Which factor was consistently associated with higher rates of substance use among adolescents in the 2023 Monitoring the Future report?

 Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2022: Overview, Key Findings on Adolescent Drug Use reported that targeting younger audience such as middle schoolers for prevention programs have a higher chance of reducing the likelihood of substance use in later years.

Focusing on prevention efforts on middle school students

Eliminating all advertising on legal substances