Teen and Drugs – When Are They Most Likely to Start?

Statistically speaking, your teen son or daughter is more likely than not to use drugs or alcohol well before finishing high school. By knowing when your child is most exposed to drugs and alcohol and most likely to try experimenting you may be able to prevent or minimize the extent of that experimentation. Read on to find out more about the stages of adolescence that are associated with the greatest likelihood of drug and alcohol use.

By John Lee · Updated April 17, 2015

When Are the Risks of Drug Use Initiation Highest?

Drug abuse researchers say that adolescents are most likely to initiate substance use and abuse use during times of great transition in life, such as:

When transitioning from elementary school to middle school –At this stage in life, in the very early teen years, children are exposed to a much wider set of peers, and are likely to have some initial exposure to drugs during this transitional stage
When transitioning from middle school to high school – During this transitional stage, adolescents experience social and emotional challenges and are exposed to a much larger circle of drug and alcohol users, as well as to easier access to drugs and alcohol
When transitioning from the family home to more independent living in later adolescence – Older teens leaving home for the first time to live independently, at college or elsewhere, face a sudden dramatic increase in personal freedoms that can result in increased substance use and abuse. ¹