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• Less interest in school, a drop in grades, and skipping classes or school altogether.
• New friends who have little interest in their families or school activities.
• Chemical-soaked rags or papers, which may mean that your teen is inhaling vapors. Another sign of using inhalants is paint or other stains on your teen’s clothing, hands, or face.

What should you do if you find out that your teen is using alcohol, tobacco, or drugs?

If your teen is using alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, take it seriously. One of the most important things you can do is to talk openly with your teen about the problem. Urge him or her to do the same. Try not to use harsh, judging words. Be as supportive as you can during this time. In most cases, a hostile, angry face-to-face meeting pushes your teen away from the family. If you do not know what to do or if you feel uncomfortable, ask for help from a pediatrician, psycologist, or a pyscatry

The type of treatment your teen needs depends on the level of substance abuse. For example, if a teen has tried drugs or alcohol only a few times, talking openly about the problem may be all that you need to do to help your teen stop his or her substance use. But if a teen has a substance abuse  problem, then he or she needs to be seen by a doctor and/or by a counselor. If your teen is addicted to a drug or alcohol, he or she may need to have detoxification treatment or a treatment that replaces the substance with medicine. Medicine works best if it is combined with one-on-one or family counseling, or both.

Returning to substance abuse, called relapse, is common after treatment. It is not a failure on the part of your teen or the treatment program. Recovery from addiction is hard and takes time. Know that there may be setbacks that your teen will need to overcome one step at a time.

Can teen substance use and abuse be prevented?

Talking openly and honestly with your teen and keeping a healthy home life may prevent your teen from trying alcohol and drugs.

You can help prevent substance use by using these tips:

• Talk to your child early about what you expect in his or her behavior toward alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. If your teen thinks that you will allow substance use, he or she is more likely to try drugs or alcohol.
• Keep your teen busy with meaningful activities, such as sports, church programs, or other groups.
• Expect your teen to follow the household rules. Set reasonable penalties for bad behavior, and consistently carry them out.
• Keep talking with your teen. Praise your teen for even the little things he or she does well.
• Know your child’s friends. Having friends who avoid cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs may be your teen’s best protection from substance abuse.

Why Some Teens Abuse Alcohol and Drugs

Personal, family, and community factors increase a teen's risk for using substances and possibly developing a substance abuse problem.

Personal risk factors

These include:

    * Genetics. People with alcohol and drug abuse problems often have a family history of substance abuse. Studies show that when this genetic predisposition for abuse is combined with environmental factors, the person is more likely to develop a substance abuse problem.

Temperament and personality. Rebelliousness, resistance to authority, feelings of failure, and failure to form close relationships are factors that may lead a teen to seek the effects of alcohol or drugs. Also, sensation-seeking and a tendency to take risks increase a teen's likelihood of developing an abuse problem.

Certain diseases or conditions. Teens who have untreated attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder, depression or long-term depressed feelings (dysthymia), post-traumatic stress disorder, or an anxiety disorder are more likely to use alcohol or drugs. Also, alcohol and drug abuse behaviors may make these conditions worse

Early age at first use. Using alcohol or other drugs at a young age greatly increases a teen's risk for developing an abuse problem. One study found that teens who had their first alcoholic drink at age 14 or younger were 4 to 5 times more likely to develop alcohol abuse problems

Family risk factors

These include:

    * Parent’s use of alcohol. Teens are more likely to start using alcohol if their parents use alcohol

A parent or teen with a mental illness, with depression, anxiety or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder  (ADHD)

Teen’s view of parent’s attitude. Teens are more likely to start using alcohol if they think their parents approve of drinking.

Parent's abuse of substances. Teens whose parents abuse alcohol or drugs are more likely to develop an abuse problem.

Parent's attitudes toward alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. Teens whose parents believe that alcohol and drug experimentation is expected and normal are more likely to use alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. In addition, teens may interpret their parents' ambivalent attitude toward substance use as approval of the behavior.