Substance Use
What is Substance Use?
Substances are defined by the National Library of Medicine as illegal drugs, prescription or over-the-counter drugs, and alcohol. Caffeine, nicotine, anabolic steroids, and synthetic drugs are also considered substances. While not all substances are harmful when consumed in moderation—caffeine or prescription medications, for instance—problems can occur when they are abused.
Substance use is using any of these substances. When substances are consumed without adhering to their prescribed and/or recommended levels, this is substance misuse.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, substance use disorder (SUD) is a treatable mental disorder that affects a person’s brain and behavior, leading to their inability to control their use of substances like legal or illegal drugs, alcohol, or medications. Symptoms can be moderate to severe, with addiction being the most severe form of SUD. The National Library of Medicine details the criteria for substance use disorder in more detail, as seen in the DSM-IV, the manual used by doctors and mental health professionals.
Most importantly, substance use disorder is a chronic illness not a moral failing. Hart District Wellness Centers are equipped to treat all students, including those struggling with substance use disorder with the dignity and respect they deserve.
Specific Risks
All substances have associated risks. However, here we want to highlight two important impacts of specific forms of drug use.
Injection drug use increases your risk of contracting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). According to the CDC, sharing needles, syringes, or other equipment (works) to inject drugs puts people at high risk for getting or transmitting HIV and other infections. People who inject drugs account for about 1 in 10 HIV diagnoses in the United States. Never share needles, syringes, or other injection equipment.
Using alcohol and other substances simultaneously within a short time frame, either intentionally or unintentionally, is polysubstance use and is incredibly unsafe. The CDC warns, the effects may be stronger and more unpredictable than one drug alone, and even deadly.
Learn more about different substances here or join your school's DFYinSCV club.
Overdose Information
It may be hard to tell whether a person is high or experiencing an overdose. If you aren’t sure, treat it like an overdose—you could save their life. If someone is not responsive, do not assume they are asleep.
Friends help friends who overdose.
Signs of an Overdose:
Respiratory depression: slow and shallow breathing or cessation of breathing
Making snoring or gurgling sounds
Blue or gray skin color
Dark lips and fingernails
Unable to talk
Disorientation
Pinpoint pupils
Decreased level of consciousness, can’t be woken up
No response to stimuli
What To Do:
Call 911 immediately. California’s 911 Good Samaritan Law provides limited protection from arrest, charge and prosecution for people who seek emergency medical assistance at the scene of a suspected drug overdose.
Administer Naloxone if available. (Learn more about Naloxone here.)
Try to keep the person breathing and awake, do not give them coffee, put them in a cold bath, induce vomiting, or inject them with saltwater or stimulant drugs like methamphetamine.
Lay the person on their side to prevent choking. See an example of the recovery position here.
Stay with the person until emergency assistance arrives.
Good Samaritan Law
California’s 911 Good Samaritan Law provides limited protection from arrest, charge and prosecution for people who seek emergency medical assistance at the scene of a suspected drug overdose. This means, if you call 911 and stay with someone who is overdosing, you will not get in trouble with law enforcement. Learn more about this law here.
Statistics
The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) reported substance use statistics for United State's adolescents in 2022:
Nicotine vaping was reported by 12% of eighth graders, 20.5% of 10th graders, and 27.3% of 12th graders.
Cannabis use was reported by 8.3% of eighth graders, 19.5% of 10th graders, and 30.7% of 12th graders.
Alcohol use was reported by 15.2% of eighth graders, 31.3% of 10th graders, and 51.9% of 12th graders .
Use of any illicit drug other than marijuana (including cocaine, heroin, amphetamines, and nonmedical use of prescription drugs) was reported by 4.9% of eighth graders, 5.7% of 10th graders, and 8.0% of 12th graders
Use of narcotics other than heroin (including Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, etc.) was reported by 1.7% of 12th graders.
Warning Signs
Youth.gov lists some warning signs of substance use in teens.
Mood changes (temper flare-ups, irritability, defensiveness)
Academic problems (poor attendance, low grades, disciplinary action)
Changing friends and a reluctance to have parents/family get to know the new friends
A "nothing matters" attitude (lack of involvement in former interests, general low energy)
Finding substances (drug or alcohol) in youth’s room or personal effects
Physical or mental changes (memory lapses, poor concentration, lack of coordination, slurred speech, etc.)1
Symptoms of Substance Use Disorder
The Cleveland Clinic lists symptoms of substance use disorder (SUD):
Taking the substance in larger amounts and for a longer amount of time than you’re meant to if it’s a prescription.
Having a strong desire or urge to use the substance.
Having unsuccessful efforts to cut down on or control substance use.
Spending a lot of time obtaining or using the substance or recovering from its effects.
Having issues fulfilling responsibilities at work, school or home due to substance use.
Developing tolerance (need for increased amounts to get the same effect).
Experiencing withdrawal symptoms, which can be relieved by taking more of the substance.
Withdrawal from friends and family members.
Using the substance even when alone.
Risk Factors
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these factors increase the likelihood of substance use.
Family history of substance use.
Favorable parental attitudes towards substance use behaviors.
Poor parental monitoring.
Parental substance use.
Family rejection of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Association with substance using peers.
Lack of school connectedness.
Low academic achievement.
Childhood sexual abuse.
Mental health issues. According to the American Federation of Teachers, mental illness and substance use are closely linked. Adolescents with mental health disorders are more likely to self-medicate, using alcohol and other drugs in an effort to cope. And teens using substances are more likely to develop a mental health issue, creating a complicated cycle.
Protective Factors
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these factors minimize the likelihood of substance misuse.
Parent or family engagement. Engagement is doing things with your student. Try eating dinner together at least once a week, starting a board game night, or taking a walk together one morning a week. Ask your teen what they like doing with you, maybe watching a movie or volunteering at the local animal shelter. Creating consistent opportunities to do something together is a powerful protective factor for teens.
Family support. Support is doing things for your student. This might look like attending your student's basketball game or theater production, sticking a handwritten note of encouragement in their backpack, or
Communication between parent and child about substance use. Talk about substance use early and often. Though it is never too late to start! Little conversations are more effective than big, awkward conversations. Talk to your student in a relaxed setting and be sure that you are comfortable with what you plan to say before you begin.
School connectedness. This includes participating in physical activities in school (like recess, sports, or physical education classes), eating meals with peers, and taking advantage of resources provided by schools (like our Wellness Centers!).
Let's Break the Stigma
In the last 30 years, rigorous research has produced a consensus that addiction is not a moral failure, but rather a chronic, treatable medical condition involving changes to neural circuits involved in rewards, stress, and self-control. We also know that individuals may be more likely to develop substance use disorder when they possess certain genetic or social traits. Public opinion is shifting support away from punishment and toward treatment solutions for individuals struggling with substance use disorder.
How can you help break the stigma?
Learn more about substance use disorders. Listening to experts and those who directly experienced substance use disorder contributes to your understanding of this disease. Humanizing this issue is key to reducing the stigma around substance use. The Substance Use Resource Library at the bottom of this webpage is a great place to start!
Change your language. Words matter. Our words either support stigmatization or welcome compassion into our conversations. Try replacing "substance abuse" with "substance use disorder". Instead of calling someone an "addict", a "drunk", or a "junkie" refer to them as "someone with a substance use disorder".
Treatment
There are many different treatment options for individuals dealing with substance use disorder. The National Library of Medicine lists them as:
Early intervention services, which includes education and short-term interventions.
Outpatient treatment, which involves attending treatment for 6 h/wk or less for a set amount of time.
Intensive outpatient, which involves attending treatment during the day for up to 20 h/wk while living at home.
Residential/inpatient treatment are programs providing treatment services in a residential setting for as long as 1 month to a 1 year.
Medically managed intensive inpatient, which is meant for more severe cases that require 24-hour primary medical care for some amount of time.
HealthCare.gov explains how insurance policies cover mental health and substance use treatments due to required parity protections. These protections ensure that limits on coverage for mental health and substance use care are not more strict than limits on medical and surgical care. The limits covered by parity protections include:
Financial — like deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket limits
Treatment — like limits to the number of days or visits covered
Care management — like being required to get authorization of treatment before getting it
The American Addiction Center Organization offers insights on different insurance plans and provides a directory where you can search for in-network care near you or your loved one.
Recovery.org explains what you should look out for when choosing treatment:
A structured treatment approach. Make sure the treatment center can provide a list of the treatment approaches they use. If they can't do this, of it they are vague and unclear, find a different treatment center.
Use of evidence-based treatment modalities. A treatment modality is a "type" of treatment. The modalities used by the center should be clearly stated and explained to clients. Here is a list of treatment modalities.
Clarity on the amount of professional counseling you will receive. Ask for a copy of the daily schedule to be sure it includes plenty of time with a professional counselor, one-on-one and in group therapy. Check to see that the counselors are properly credentialed.
Admittance criteria and a chaos-free, safe environment. Make sure that the treatment center you will attend is calm, safe, and that the employees treat clients with dignity and respect.
Humanizing and empathetic care. Stay away from overly strict facilities. You needs should be respected by the organization and the counselors.
Look at our Community Directory for places to begin looking for support.
Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers
How can you support your student or child?
Recognize the physical, behavioral, and psychological signs of substance use.
Know what substances look like, how they are consumed, and how they are stored.
Be empathic and ready to listen. Really listen to what your student is saying when they talk to you, don't think about your response. Avoiding frowning or other expressions that could be misconstrued as disapproval. Make sure that your student know you care about what they have to say and that you are a safe space.
Be involved. Know your teen's friends and where they are going to hang out.
Communication between teachers and parents and caregivers is key to supporting students.
Share what you know about the risks of substances and your family's or school's rules. Invite discussion and compromise when appropriate (for example, maybe curfew could be 30 minutes later than you originally intended), but don't waver.
Have a plan. Talk with your teen about how you can support them if they find themselves in a difficult situation. For example, you can have a code word, if they text you that word you call them immediately and tell them you need to pick them up because of a family emergency. This creates an "out" for your teen and may minimize the social risk of avoiding substances.
Make sure that your teen knows that they can call you for help without getting in trouble. Talk to them about the importance of calling 911 in an emergency and letting you know immediately if someone they are with overdoses.
Substance Use Resource Library
Scroll through our substance use resource library for videos and infographics featuring helpful information. Check out our Community Directory for more resources.