A new report has highlighted the concerning trends in drug use among America’s youth, with opioids and stimulants now emerging as some of the most common substances used by teens.
The study, conducted by Wellbrook Recovery, an addiction treatment center, sheds light on the alarming rise of substance use among kids around the country, revealing that nearly 3.7 million teens have reported some form of drug use in the past two years alone.
Based on data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 2023 National Survey, the study reveals that an estimated 2.9 million Americans under the age of 18 have used marijuana in recent years, marking the drug as the most popular choice among teenagers.
More teen girls than boys have used marijuana, with 1.6 million teen girls users compared to 1.3 million teen boys.
Societal changes toward marijuana legalization and the overall perception that it is less harmful than other drugs may explain why it is the most popular choice among youths, according to Wellbrook Recovery CEO Meir Kasnett.
However, the second and third-most abused drugs have caused the most concern for parents nationwide.
Opioids, including heroin and prescription painkillers, rank second in popularity, with an average of 1.09 million U.S. users aged 12-17, according to the report.
Girls, in particular, are more prone to opioid abuse. An average of 650,000 teen girls used opioids, including 294,000 who abused prescription pain pills. Approximately 508,500 teen boys used opioids.
Stimulants, which include drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as prescription stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin, were the third most-used drugs overall among teens in the past few years, with over 1.07 million users across the country. Somewhat more boys than girls abused stimulants, with an average of 571,500 teen boy users and 499,000 teen girl users.
Inhalants, such as glue, aerosol sprays, and cleaning fluids, ranked as the fourth-most popular choice among teens, with an average of 599,000 abusers. Kasnett noted that such everyday household items are relatively inexpensive and readily available; however, their abuse can pose severe health risks, including brain damage and sudden death.
Hallucinogens, including drugs like LSD and ecstasy, were the fifth-most commonly abused category of drugs, with 372,500 teen users.
Kasnett acknowledged that some teens may experiment with drugs as part of the maturing process. Still, he warned that even legal drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco, can have lifelong impacts when used by teens who are still growing and developing.
“One thing we need to consider, nonetheless, is that even if experimentation is part of the process of growing up, we are still talking about teenagers, and even late tweens. Our research shows that an average of over 3.7 million people between the ages of 12 and 17 years old have used any type of drug in recent years — that’s 1.1% of America’s population.”
“It may not seem high, but considering their ages, it’s incredibly alarming,” Kasnett said. “These statistics highlight a critical need for early intervention and education regarding substance use among our youth. Even more important, it’s essential to understand and address the underlying factors contributing to this usage.”