“That’s why, from 2026, all treatment and recovery funding will be channelled through the Public Health Grant, with over £13 billion allocated across three years, including £3.4 billion ringfenced for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. According to the government’s independent drugs adviser, Dame Carol Black, there are significant disparities in treatment across the UK, and a lack of residential facilities for under-18s means some are not receiving the quality of care they need. Hundreds of teenage Scots are seeking treatment for issues relating to alcohol or drugs.
1 Background to the data
Even young adolescents may try illicit drugs, with some reporting illicit drug use as early as age 12. Many adolescents who experiment with OTC, prescription, and other substances go on to develop substance use disorders. Most children and young people in treatment for drug and alcohol problems received a psychosocial intervention (14,263 of 14,352, 99%). Psychosocial interventions include talking therapies that use psychological, psychotherapeutic and counselling skills to encourage behaviour change. Smaller numbers received mental health treatment from a GP (263 girls and 301 boys) or within drug and alcohol services (141 girls and 139 boys).
- The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is likely to have contributed significantly to the reduced number of young people starting substance misuse treatment in 2020 to 2021, compared with the previous year.
- Use of substances other than alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis during adolescence is less common.
- Some teens do better in an inpatient program where they stay at the treatment facility for some time.
- In turn, they may resort to a substance to distract themselves from their emotions.
Alcohol and nicotine or tobacco may be some of the first, easier-to-get substances for teens. Because alcohol and nicotine or tobacco are legal for adults, these can seem safer to try even though they aren’t safe for teens. Dr Wendy Taylor, of the LGA, called on the government to increase the public health grant to ensure quality support was available and accessible to all. “No matter the issue, children and young people must be able to access the treatment they need close to home, to help them recovery quickly and rebuild stability with support from loved ones,” she said. Alexander Frodsham’s report, published following Olly’s 2024 hearing, said the absence of such facilities placed “children at greater risk of relapse and death https://baotranglass.com/why-self-care-in-addiction-recovery-is-essential-2/ by overdose” as he highlighted disparities between child and adult treatment.
Drugs, Alcohol, and Teenagers: The Basics
The total number in treatment increased from 17,105 in 2005 to 2006 to a high of 24,494 in 2008 to 2009. Since then, the number of children and young people in treatment fell steadily up to 2020 to 2021, which saw a steeper fall to 11,013. Over the last 3 years, there has been a rise to 14,352 children and young people in treatment in 2023 to 2024.
Tween and teen health
When https://ecosober.com/blog/substance-abuse-in-older-adults-addiction-in-the-elderly/ teenagers are struggling with emotional problems, they often turn to alcohol or drug use to help them manage painful or difficult feelings. But because adolescent brains are still developing, the results of teenage “self-medication” can be more immediately problematic. The majority of young people (58%) were already engaged with community or other mental health services at the start of treatment. Figure 6 shows that 1,109 girls and 1,059 boys were already engaging with community or other mental health services while in treatment in 2021 to 2022.
- Indicated educational programs are geared toward teens showing problematic behavior.
- Kids who are depressed may use alcohol or marijuana to cheer themselves up, Dr. Taskiran notes, and blunt the irritability that is a symptom of adolescent depression.
- Of the range of problems or vulnerabilities reported by children and young people starting treatment, the most common was early onset of substance use.
- The proportion who reported having alcohol problems had fallen steadily from a peak of 68% in 2008 to 2009 to 41% in 2020 to 2021, to a slight rise this year (46%).
Separate data shows hundreds more were accessing treatment across Scotland. Substance use often begins in adolescence, when peer pressure, academic stress, emotional challenges, and curiosity can all play a role. Catching it early can prevent experimentation from turning into dependency, and provide a young person the support they need before more serious consequences occur. E-cigarettes are increasingly the initial form of exposure for adolescents to nicotine, but their effect on the rate of adult smoking is unclear.
CDC data
However, the proportion has increased from 1.3 % in 2016 to 2017, to 8.4% in 2023 to 2024, an increase of 7 percentage points over 7 years, with the largest increase of 2.6 percentage points in the last year. The proportion of children and young people in treatment who said they had problems with cannabis has been between 85% and 90% since 2013 to 2014. The proportion who reported having alcohol problems has been largely declining from a peak of 68% in 2008 to 2009 to 39% in 2023 to 2024. However, 627 girls and 814 boys (25% of girls and 32% of boys) reported an identified mental health treatment need, but either were not receiving treatment or refused treatment.
The proportion of young people seeking help for heroin was the same as last year, at 0.4%. However, the proportion of those with codeine problems has doubled from 2018 to 2019 (0.6% compared to 1.2% this year). When parents are angry or when teens are frustrated, it’s best to delay the talk. If you aren’t prepared to answer questions, parents might let teens know that you’ll talk about the topic at a later time. Or teens may order substances online that promise to help in sports competition, or promote weight loss.
Take control of your life
The number of children and young people in treatment for solvent and inhalant misuse, which includes using nitrous oxide, continued to increase. This has risen from 329 (2.9%) children and young people reporting a problem in 2021 to 2022, to 881 (6.1%) in 2023 to 2024. There was also a rise in the number reporting problems with ketamine, from 512 (4.5%) in 2021 to 2022 to 1,201 (8.4%) this year, which means more children and young people reported problems with ketamine than with cocaine for the first time. First, the population represents alcoholism a convenience sample of adolescents being assessed for SUD treatment and is not generalizable to all adolescents in the United States. Second, the assessment is self-reported and subject to potential reporting and recall biases as well as social desirability bias.
Combustible tobacco products are products that need to be burned so they can be consumed, for example, conventional cigarettes, cigars, and hookahs. Rates of combustible tobacco use among adolescents fell dramatically in the 1990s and 2000s and continue to decline. Some of these signs may overlap with normal teenage behavior, but if they appear in combination or persist over time, it’s worth taking seriously. At this stage of life, many young people are figuring out who they are, navigating intense emotions, and responding to social pressure—all of which can make substance use more likely.