#5 Act Quickly If You Suspect Use

Act Quickly if You Suspect Your Child is Using

Substance use puts teens at risk for many negative outcomes; help them make healthy choices and get support when you need it.

  • If you co-parent, talk to your partner and make a plan together

  • Brainstorm what you’ll say, how you’ll say it, and when

  • Evaluate and limit access to substances in your home

What is at risk?

Not every young person who uses alcohol and other drugs will experience serious problems. However, every young person who does use substances increases their risk of adverse consequences, including but not limited to:

* future substance use problems, including addiction * mental health challenges * impaired driving * being either a victim or perpetrator of sexual assault/violence * decline in academic achievement and/or dropout * criminal justice/legal consequences

What Comes Next?

  • Work with your teen to identify problems that may be related to their substance use (mental health challenges, social anxiety, etc.)

  • Enact and deliver the clear consequences your family has established (if you haven’t created those expectations, do it now)

  • Increase monitoring: know who your child is with, where they are, and what they're doing

  • Create an exit plan with your child in case they find themselves in a risky situation

  • Connect with other caregivers about your concerns for additional support

Not all young people who have used alcohol or other drugs need professional treatment. Some may not have experienced serious problems related to their use (yet), which is why early intervention is an important step. Consider reaching out to your child’s primary care provider and school resources (guidance counselors, social workers, psychologists, etc.) for support.

Screening tools are available to help determine the level of support needed.

Provided by the Partnership to End Addiction to help parents and caregivers understand the risks facing their children and identify the actions they can take to reduce the chances their children will use substances or experience problems with them based on responses.

Another tool is the Brief Screener for Tobacco, Alcohol, and Other Drugs (BSTAD) which consists of frequency of use questions to identify risky substance use by adolescents.

Treatment For Teens With Substance Use Disorder Is Available

And recovery is possible!

23 million Americans are in recovery from addiction.

Start your search with the organizations below.

Need Support for a Loved One's Marijuana Use?

Connect with Every Brain Matters which provides support meetings for family members.

FIND A PREVENTION COALITION CLOSE TO YOU

Consider reaching out to prevention coalitions or agencies that are familiar with local resources across the continuum of care from initiation to substance use disorder (addiction).

Helpful Online Links

1

Know that Youth Substance Use is Not Inevitable

2

Be Brain Development Savvy

3

Be Substance Savvy

4

Talk Early and Talk Often

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Act Quickly If You Suspect Use

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