Should I worry if my teen is taking drugs?
October 27, 2025 Addictions
Parents
The growth of the market for illicit substances can cause concern for parents of teenagers. To help us understand the interest teens have in the search for daring, even dangerous, experiments using substances, it’s helpful to look at the facts around consumption.
In particular, it is the concept of effect that will influence young people's consumption experience. This concept is made up of four factors which, combined together, will bring about the experience. These are the social environment, the context of use, the substance, and the consumer’s profile.
The social environment
The social and family environment in which young people grow up greatly influences their consumption experience. In many societies, the production, sale, and use of psychoactive substances are considered illegal. This factor influences the level of accessibility of illicit products on the market.
Family members can also exert an influence on a young person's perception and feelings about drugs.
Parents, for example, can be very permissive, or conversely, strict and contemptuous. These kinds of reactions and cognitions to substance use provoke different feelings in young people, depending on their temperament, personality, and interests. They may be distrustful, frightened and disgusted, or conversely, very curious and keen.
Finally, the religion and culture in which the young person grew up also have an impact on his or her relationship with drugs. Flexibility and tolerance vary enormously from one society to another.
The context of use
Many factors determine the context in which a young person will use a substance. One of these is the reason for use. There are many different reasons for using a substance. They may be recreational, medical, spiritual, therapeutic, or performance-related (to excel in a sport or artistic creation, for example).
Among young people, use tends to be recreational, driven by curiosity, peer pressure, and/or the desire to experiment. This also plays a role in the mood of the context of use. If the person is tense, stressed, and under pressure, the experience will surely be less enjoyable than expected.
When the time comes, the atmosphere can be greatly influenced by the place of use. In fact, use can be more disappointing, even more dangerous, if it takes place in an inappropriate, unsanitary, or uncomfortable place.
The substance consumed
Certain categories of substance are better known and more widely used among young people, notably depressants (alcohol, GHB, etc.), stimulants (caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, etc.) and disruptors (cannabis, ecstasy, etc.). These categories of drugs produce distinctive effects that impact users differently. Some may be desired, others will be unpleasant.
Among the expected effects are euphoria, reduced anxiety, a sense of well-being that soothes physical or psychological pain, increased self-esteem, energy, human closeness, sociability, and more.
However, many side effects are bothersome and risky. These include vomiting, heartbeat instability, sweating, memory lapses, learning disabilities, impaired motor skills, impaired judgment, and more.
In addition to the consequences of side effects, it's important to consider the risks associated with dosage/concentration and mixing. Indeed, too high a concentration of a drug can accentuate undesirable effects and, in the worst case, cause an overdose. Mixing different substances (e.g. alcohol and other drugs) will also increase the danger and risks with consumption.
The consumer’s profile
The final factor influencing the consumption experience is the consumer's profile. Firstly, the age, height, and weight of the young person will determine the effects they experience. In fact, since the physiological profile varies from one person to another, the same dosage can have different repercussions on each individual.
The physical and mental condition of the user has a significant impact on substance intake, since a young person who has a genetic predisposition to developing a health disorder, or who has one, could worsen or even deteriorate their situation and/or increase their risk of psychosis.
The user's temperament and personality also influence drug taking.
If a young person is anxious, for example, they may be more inclined to have a negative experience, as their anxiety may increase tenfold. Conversely, a young person who is impulsive may use a substance in excessive quantities or under unfavorable conditions.
Finally, the user's previous experiences play a role in their current consumption. If they've had good experiences, they're likely to be less fearful and more cheerful about using again. If there are bad memories associated with the drug, there's a risk of reliving an unpleasant experience by using it again.
Being there with the right tools
Young people's interest in using illicit substances is considerable: they can be tempted or repelled by this type of experience. That's why it's so important to understand the principle of effect! This helps us to better understand their attraction and curiosity about consumption. Being aware of these contexts can help us to provide them with the right tools, and to maintain a trusting relationship with them.
Reference (in french)
