School presentation warns nicotine, marijuana and counterfeit pills raise overdose risk for teens

A presenter at a school-session for Indian Prairie CUSD 204 outlined how substance use, misuse and abuse affect adolescents and described prevention and treatment considerations for families and schools.

The presenter said substance use is an umbrella term for legal and illicit drugs and alcohol; misuse includes taking prescription medication in ways other than prescribed or diverting it, and abuse is use that causes negative impacts such as missed school, relationship problems or financial harm. "Misuse can lead to abuse," the presenter said.

Why it matters: the presenter cited national figures and clinical observations to argue that adolescent use is the major driver of adult substance-use disorders. The presenter said more than 90 percent of adults with a substance-use disorder began using regularly before age 18 and that about 3,000,000 adolescents in the United States have used a substance in the past month or meet criteria for a substance-use disorder.

Key risks and substances

Nicotine and vaping: The presenter said nicotine—not marijuana—is the most common "gateway" indicator for later substance use, telling the audience that adolescents who use nicotine are roughly 55 percent more likely to later use alcohol and about 80 percent more likely to try an illicit substance. The…