At a glance
- High-risk drug use increases the likelihood that youth will engage in risk behaviors.
- These risk behaviors can have dramatic, lasting effects on young people's health and academic performance.
Overview
High-risk drug use refers to any use, by adolescents, of drugs with a high risk of adverse outcomes. Adverse outcomes could range from injury, criminal justice involvement, school dropout, to loss of life. Such drug use includes:
- Misuse of prescription drugs.
- Use of illegal drugs like cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, inhalants, hallucinogens, or ecstasy.
- Use of injection drugs, which have a high risk of transmitting HIV and hepatitis.
Prevention
We can take steps to prevent adolescent drug use that will help young people:
- Perform better in school.
- Stay healthier for decades to come.
A majority of adults with substance abuse disorders and addictions started during adolescent and young adult years.
Did you know?
What schools can do
Schools can use strategies shown to prevent high-risk drug use and other risk behaviors:
- Create safe and supportive school environments. These environments successfully connect students to a network of caring peers and adults in school and the surrounding community.
- Provide training for staff, programs for positive youth development, and policies supporting all youth.
- Provide activities such as student-led clubs that support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) youth.
- Deliver quality health education and sexual health education that offer students the knowledge and skills to make informed health decisions.
- Connect students to mental and sexual health services at school or in the community.
See Also
Schools can also foster school connectedness and parent engagement in schools. These two key factors can protect students from using high-risk drugs and from other health risk behaviors and experiences. These factors:
- Make students feel connected by showing them that adults and peers in their school care about them as individuals. To foster that, use strategies to strengthen school connectedness among your students.
- Find ways for students to work together with parents and families to improve students' learning, development, and health.
Did you know?
What parents and families can do
Schools, families, and communities should work together to build a safe environment for youth at school and at home.
- Talking to youth about high-risk drug use and sexual risk behaviors tells them someone cares about them.
- Getting involved at schools can make a big difference in students' lives. And it doesn't have to take a lot of time.
Did you know?
Parents and families can:
- Talk honestly and openly with adolescents about the risks of using drugs and engaging in sexual risk behaviors. This helps students make healthy decisions—protecting their health now and in the future.
- Learn more about what is going on at school. Read information that's sent home, get involved in ways that fit your schedule, and relay what you think would be helpful.
- Help adolescents feel more connected to school. This can protect them from engaging in risky behaviors like drug use. It can also promote connectedness among youth.