Information below is taken from KidsHealth
What You Need to Know About Drugs
Drugs are chemicals that change the way a person's body works. You've probably heard that drugs are bad for you, but what does that mean, and why are they bad?
Medicines Are 'Legal Drugs'
If you've ever been sick and had to take medicine, you already know about one kind of drug. Medicines are legal drugs, meaning doctors can prescribe them for patients, stores can sell them, and people are allowed to buy them. But it's not legal, or safe, for people to use these medicines any way they want or to buy them from people who are selling them illegally.
Cigarettes, Alcohol, and Marijuana
Cigarettes and alcohol are two other kinds of legal drugs. In the United States, adults 21 and older can buy cigarettes and alcohol. But smoking and excessive drinking are not healthy for adults, and they are both illegal and are extra harmful to kids and teens since their brains and bodies are still developing.
Although marijuana is an illegal drug in some states, a growing number of states have made it legal. Some states allow doctors to prescribe it to people for some conditions. Studies have shown that for kids and teens, usage can lead to irregular brain development, affecting the ability to remember, learn, and have impulse control.
Illegal Drugs
When people talk about a "drug problem," they usually mean abusing legal drugs or using illegal drugs in a way that is unhealthy and harmful to their bodies and interferes with their life.
Why Are Illegal Drugs Dangerous?
Illegal drugs aren't good for anyone, but they are particularly bad for a kid or teen whose body is still growing. Illegal drugs can damage the brain, heart, and other important organs. Cocaine, for instance, can cause a heart attack - even in a kid or teen.
While using drugs, people are also less able to do well in school, sports, and other activities. It's often harder to think clearly and make good decisions. People can do dangerous things that could hurt them - or other people - when they use drugs.
Why Do People Use Illegal Drugs?
Sometimes kids and teens try drugs to fit in with a group of friends. Or they might be curious or just bored. Someone may use illegal drugs for many reasons, but often because they help the person escape from reality for a while. A drug might - temporarily - make someone who is sad or upset feel better or forget about problems. But this escape lasts only until the drug wears off.
Drugs don't solve problems. And using drugs often causes other problems on top of the problems the person had in the first place. Somebody who uses drugs can become dependent on them, or addicted. This means that the person's body becomes so accustomed to having this drug that he or she can't function well without it.
Once someone is addicted, it's very hard to stop taking drugs. Stopping can cause withdrawal symptoms, such as vomiting (throwing up), sweating, and tremors (shaking). These sick feelings continue until the person's body gets adjusted to being drug-free again.
Can I Tell if Someone Is Using Drugs?
If someone is using drugs, you might notice changes in how the person looks or acts. Here are some of those signs, but it's important to remember that depression or another problem could be causing these changes. Somebody using drugs might:
lose interest in school
change friends (to hang out with kids who use drugs)
become moody, negative, cranky, or worried all the time
ask to be left alone a lot
have trouble concentrating
sleep a lot (maybe even in class)
get in fights
have red or puffy eyes
lose or gain weight
cough a lot
have a runny nose most of the time
What Can I Do to Help?
If you think someone is using drugs, the best thing to do is to tell an adult that you trust. This could be a parent, other relative, teacher, coach, or school counselor. The person might need professional help to stop using drugs. A grownup can help the person find the treatment needed to stop using drugs. Another way kids can help kids is by choosing not to try or use drugs. It's a good way for friends to stick together.