Why youth substance use is an urgent issue

Youth substance use is a public health crisis. The prevalence of substance use disorders is increasing, and adult substance use disorders often originate in youth. The COVID-19 pandemic has also worsened youth substance use and mental health concerns.

• 20.1 million people aged 12 or older meet the criteria for a substance use disorder.¹
• 21 million people needed substance use treatment in 2021, including 3.3 million adolescents.²
• Almost 40% of individuals with a behavioral health disorder never receive treatment.³
• 9 in 10 adults with a substance use disorder began substance use at the age of 17 or younger.⁴
• 57.8% of adolescents have used substances in the past 12 months.⁵
• 16.4% of adolescents who use drink or use drugs meet the DSM-IV criteria for a substance use disorder.⁶

Early onset of substance use has been tied to a number of negative outcomes, including:⁷

• Increased risk for a substance use disorder later in life
• Motor vehicle accidents and fatalities
• Adolescent pregnancy
• Violence and criminal behavior
• Trouble with family
• Mental health issues
• Decline in school performance
• Involvement in the juvenile justice system

1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (July 17, 2014). The TEDS Report: Age of Substance Use Initiation among Treatment Admissions Aged 18 to 30. Rockville, MD.
2. SAMHSA. (2022). 2021 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Releases. SAMHSA. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/release/2021-national-survey-drug-use-and-health-nsduh-releases
3. Rosenberg L. (2012). Behavioral disorders: the new public health crisis. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 39(1), 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414...
4. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. 2015. Guide for policymakers: Prevention, early intervention and treatment of risky substance use and addiction. https://drugfree.org/article/guide-for-policymakers-prevention-early-intervention-and-treatment-of-risky-substance-use-and-addiction/
5. SAMHSA. (2022). Highlights for the 2021 national survey on drug use and mental health. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/2022-12/2021NSDUHFFRHighlights092722.pdf
6. Swendsen, J., Burstein, M., Case, B., Conway, K. P., Dierker, L., He, J., & Merikangas, K. R. (2012). Use and abuse of alcohol and illicit drugs in US adolescents: Results of the national comorbidity survey-adolescent supplement. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 69(4): 390-398. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.1503
7. Odgers, C. L., Caspi, A., Nagin, D. S., Piquero, A. R., Slutske, W. S., Milne, B. J., ... & Moffitt, T. E. (2008). Is it important to prevent early exposure to drugs and alcohol among adolescents? Psychological Science, 19(10), 1037-1044. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02196.x.