This Red Ribbon Week, let’s encourage healthy choices, open conversations, and a future free from substance misuse.
Red Ribbon Week, observed annually from October 23–31, encourages families, schools, and communities to promote healthy choices and prevent substance use. The 2026 theme, Make A Difference. Be A Hero. Stay Drug Free., reminds us that prevention starts with everyday decisions, open communication, and supportive relationships.
Recognizing the signs of drug use in teens is an important part of prevention. Adolescence is a time of significant physical, emotional, and social development, and early substance use can affect a young person’s health, relationships, and future opportunities. Parents and caregivers can play an important role by staying involved, recognizing potential warning signs, and creating an environment where teens feel comfortable asking for help.
Teen Substance Use: What the Statistics Tell Us
Understanding substance use trends among adolescents helps highlight why prevention and early education matter.
According to the CDC’s published Youth Risk Behavior Survey summary, 15% of high school students reported ever using select illicit or injection drugs, while 14% reported misusing prescription opioids.
The 2025 Monitoring the Future survey, which tracks substance use among students in eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades, reported the following past-year use:
- Alcohol: 11% of eighth graders, 24% of tenth graders, and 41% of twelfth graders.
- Cannabis: 8% of eighth graders, 16% of tenth graders, and 26% of twelfth graders.
- Nicotine vaping: 9% of eighth graders, 14% of tenth graders, and 20% of twelfth graders.
These findings reinforce the importance of age-appropriate education, honest conversations, and ongoing support for young people.
Why Substance Use Prevention Matters During Adolescence
Adolescence is a critical stage of development involving significant changes in the brain, body, and emotional well-being. The brain’s reward systems mature faster than the areas responsible for judgment, planning, and impulse control. This developmental difference can contribute to increased risk-taking and experimentation.
Research suggests that more than 90% of adults in the United States with substance use disorders began using substances during adolescence. Early substance use can have lasting consequences, potentially affecting:
- Academic performance and educational opportunities
- Physical and mental health
- Family relationships and friendships
- Decision-making and cognitive development
- Employment and future opportunities
- Overall emotional and social well-being
Early prevention, supportive relationships, and appropriate intervention can help young people make informed decisions and seek help when they need it.
Risk Factors for Teen Substance Abuse
Not every teenager who encounters these risk factors will develop a substance use problem. However, certain circumstances may increase vulnerability to experimentation and substance misuse.
Common risk factors include:
- Family history of substance use: A family history of addiction may increase vulnerability.
- Early exposure: Exposure to alcohol or drugs at a young age can increase the risk of later substance use.
- Peer pressure: Friends and social groups can influence attitudes and decisions about substance use.
- Environmental influences: Environments where substance use is normalized may make experimentation seem less risky.
- Cravings and tolerance: Repeated substance use can lead to changes in the brain, including increased tolerance and cravings.
- Media and social influences: Content that portrays substance use as harmless or glamorous may influence perceptions and behavior.
Open conversations and supportive guidance can help teens understand these risks and make healthier choices.
Common Signs of Drug Use in Teens
Recognizing potential signs of drug use in teens can help parents and caregivers identify concerns early. Changes in mood, behavior, appearance, or physical health may indicate that a teenager is struggling.
However, these signs do not automatically mean a teen is using drugs. Stress, mental health concerns, fatigue, medication, and other challenges can cause similar changes. Look for patterns and consider the full picture rather than drawing conclusions from one symptom.
1. Changes in Mood and Personality
Substance use may coincide with noticeable changes in a teenager’s mood, personality, or communication habits.
Potential warning signs include:
- Becoming withdrawn, unusually quiet, or depressed
- Losing interest in hobbies and activities
- Communicating less with family members
- Showing increased irritability, anger, or hostility
- Becoming unusually secretive or dishonest
- Having difficulty concentrating or staying focused
- Displaying sudden changes in energy, excitement, or inhibitions
2. Changes in Behavior and Daily Routines
Changes in relationships, responsibilities, and everyday habits may also signal a potential concern.
Parents and caregivers may notice:
- Increasing conflict with family members or sudden changes in friendships
- Missing school or losing interest in extracurricular activities
- Avoiding conversations or eye contact
- Spending more time alone or behind locked doors
- Frequently going out without explanation or breaking curfew
- Becoming unusually protective of phone use or online activity
- Giving inconsistent explanations about whereabouts or behavior
- Using gum or mints to mask unusual breath odors
- Frequently using eye drops to address redness or irritation
- Experiencing unexplained financial difficulties or missing money
- Showing unusual clumsiness or coordination problems
- Experiencing disrupted sleep or excessive tiredness
3. Changes in Hygiene and Appearance
Substance use can sometimes affect personal hygiene, grooming, and physical appearance.
Possible signs include:
- Unusual odors on the breath, hair, or clothing
- A noticeable decline in personal hygiene
- Frequently red or flushed skin
- Burns or soot marks on the fingers or lips
- Unexplained marks on the arms or legs
- Wearing clothing that may conceal unexplained marks
Persistent or unexplained changes may warrant a calm, supportive conversation.
4. Physical Health Symptoms
Changes in physical health can also be cause for concern, particularly when several symptoms appear together.
Potential indicators include:
- Frequent illness or unusual fatigue
- Slurred, unusually rapid, or difficult-to-understand speech
- Recurrent nosebleeds or a runny nose without an apparent explanation
- Sores or unusual spots around the mouth
- Sudden, unexplained weight loss or gain
- Unexplained bruises or skin abrasions
- Excessive sweating
- Episodes of vomiting or seizures
Important: Seizures, difficulty breathing, unconsciousness, or severe confusion require immediate medical attention. Call 911 if you suspect a medical emergency.
How Parents Can Recognize Potential Signs of Substance Use
Noticing changes in your teenager’s routine and well-being can help you determine whether additional support may be needed. Approach your concerns calmly, avoid assumptions, and focus on your teen’s safety.
Pay Attention to Unusual Odors
After your teen returns from spending time with friends, you may notice unfamiliar odors on their breath, clothing, or hair. The smell of alcohol or smoke may be a reason to ask questions, but odors alone cannot confirm substance use.
Choose a calm moment to talk privately rather than confronting your teen in front of others.
Notice Changes in Eye Appearance
Red eyes, unusually dilated or constricted pupils, heavy eyelids, or difficulty focusing can sometimes accompany substance use. These symptoms can also result from allergies, fatigue, medication, or other health conditions.
Consider whether other changes in behavior or physical well-being are present.
Observe Behavior and Coordination
Think about how your teen behaves after social outings or at different times of the day. Unusual loudness, inappropriate laughter, increased irritability, withdrawal, stumbling, poor coordination, nausea, or extreme tiredness may indicate that something is wrong.
Rather than assuming substance use is the cause, ask open-ended questions and give your teen an opportunity to explain what they are experiencing.
Address Concerns About Personal Spaces and Digital Activity
If you have specific reasons to worry about your teen’s safety, consider an age-appropriate and transparent approach to checking their belongings or personal spaces. Explain your concerns and the boundaries you believe are necessary to protect their health and well-being.
Unfamiliar vaping devices, alcohol containers, drug-related paraphernalia, or medications that cannot be accounted for may warrant further attention.
Digital activity may also raise concerns if messages or posts suggest substance use or contradict information your teen has shared. Keep communication open and focus on safety rather than relying on assumptions.
The Role of Family Connection in Substance Use Prevention
There is something incredibly full circle about working in substance use treatment as a person in long-term recovery whose own substance use began during adolescence, especially now that I’m raising teenagers of my own.
As a clinician, I understand the developmental significance of those years in a way I couldn’t have understood as a teenager myself. Prevention is personal to me.
I’ve always been open with my own children about my addiction and recovery because I never want them to be afraid to come to me, even when they’ve made a mistake or are struggling with something difficult. I want them to understand that honesty and asking for help are signs of strength, not weakness.
Prevention isn’t just about educating teenagers on the risks of substance use. It’s about building trust, having honest conversations, setting healthy boundaries, and making sure our children know that no matter what they’re facing, they don’t have to face it alone.
Red Ribbon Week offers an opportunity for parents and caregivers to discuss:
- The risks of drugs, alcohol, and prescription medication misuse
- Peer pressure and how to respond to uncomfortable situations
- The importance of making informed decisions
- Healthy ways to manage stress and difficult emotions
- Where to find help when they or someone they know is struggling
The most important message is that young people do not have to navigate difficult situations alone.
How to Talk to Your Teen About Substance Use
Talking about drugs and alcohol can be challenging, but approaching the conversation with empathy, patience, and an open mind can make a difference.
Here are a few ways to start:
- Express concern with care: Try saying, “I’ve noticed some changes lately, and I’m concerned about you. Can we talk about what’s going on?”
- Listen without interrupting: Give your teen time to share their thoughts and feelings.
- Avoid blame or criticism: Focus on understanding the situation rather than lecturing or making accusations.
- Communicate expectations calmly: Explain your values and concerns while keeping the conversation respectful.
- Keep the conversation ongoing: Revisit the topic as your teen grows and encounters new situations.
If you are concerned about your teen’s substance use, consider speaking with a qualified healthcare professional who can help assess the situation and recommend appropriate support.
How Greenbranch Recovery Supports Adults and Families Affected by Addiction
Red Ribbon Week ends October 31, but substance use prevention and awareness remain important throughout the year. Families, schools, and communities all have a role in encouraging healthy decisions and helping people access support.
When substance use affects a family, it can be difficult to know where to turn. We provide personalized outpatient treatment for adults experiencing substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health concerns.
Our programs include individual and group therapy, structured outpatient treatment, psychiatric services, and medication-assisted treatment when clinically appropriate. Our trauma-informed approach recognizes that every person’s recovery journey is different.
If you or an adult loved one needs help, you do not have to face the challenges of recovery alone.
Call us at 609-622-5101 to learn more about our outpatient treatment programs in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey.
