Early Substance Use is a Risk Factor for youth substance use. The younger a youth is when they begin using substances the more at risk they are from continuing to use or having issues with substance use as they grow older. It is important to note that while the use of legal drugs such as alcohol, tobacco, or even marijuana has become an accepted behavior from adults, these substances effect young people in a much different way and pose a whole different set of risks to them. Research shows that the human brain is not fully developed until a person is in their mid-twenties. Substances such as alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs have completely different and long lasting effects on brains that are not fully developed. Substance use among teenagers can cause difficulty with learning, impulse control, and decision making. Research also shows us that youth become addicted to substances more easily than adults.
Don’t believe me? Just ask a lifelong cigarette smoker how old they were when they started smoking. According to the CDC website 9 out of 10 adults who smoke cigarettes daily began smoking by the age of 18. A recent study found that people starting to smoke regularly at age 18 to 20 years have higher odds of nicotine dependence and lower odds of smoking cessation than people starting to smoke at age 21 years or older. Even those these statistics are related about tobacco use, the research shows the same patterns for other substances.
The following chart depicts data specifically from Butler County, Missouri.
Substance—Average Age of First Use
Alcohol—12.7935
Cigarettes—11.7498
Marijuana—13.7015
Prescription Drugs—11.6324
Over the Counter Drugs—11.5403
E-Cigarettes (Vapes)—13.1788
I’ll be honest, when I first read these statistics I was a little shocked. This data shows us that most youth who use substances begin using during or even BEFORE they are in Junior High School. I also began to wonder, what would happen if they didn’t? Would they be more likely to graduate high school or go to college? Would our legal system have less drug offenses?
In summary, it is important to remember that just because a substance is legal for an adult, does not mean that it is safe for youth to use. The earlier a youth begins using substances the more likely they are to have to deal with substance use issues in the future. Also, it is okay for you to be the parent who breaks community norms or family traditions involving youth substance use.
Sources
Ali FRM, Agaku IT, Sharapova SR, Reimels EA, Homa DM. Onset of regular smoking before age 21 and subsequent nicotine dependence and cessation behavior among US adult smokers. Prev Chronic Dis. 2020; 17:190176. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd17.190176.