National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week 2023
Start A Conversation: 10 Questions Teens Ask About Drugs and Health
At the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), our goal is to help people get accurate, science-based information about drugs and health. To help you start a conversation about drugs and health, we’ve compiled teens’ 10 most frequently asked questions from more than 118,000 queries we’ve received from young people during National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week®. It’s okay if some of this information is news to you—lots of other people are asking, too!
10. Why do people use drugs when they know they might cause problems?
9. What are the effects of drugs like Xanax® and Percocet®?
8. What are bath salts?
7. Can you get addicted to ADHD meds?
6. Is vaping bad for you even if it’s just flavoring?
5. How can I help someone with a problem stop taking drugs? How can I help if they don’t want help?
4. If a pregnant woman takes drugs/smokes/drinks alcohol, what happens to her baby?
3. Can marijuana be used as medicine?
2. Which is more habit-forming – smoking cigarettes or vaping nicotine?
1. What is the worst drug?
Talking to Your Kids
Starting the Discussion About Drug and Alcohol Use with Your Kids
Parents face a tough dilemma about substance use: we may want our children to abstain from alcohol and drug use but what do we do if they are not? Besides the effects of substance use on the developing brain, teens using substances may face very serious consequences.