Educating youth about drugs and drug abuse

When I first started freshman year of high school, I was excited about going to a new school. Our high school brought together students from the three middle schools in our town, so I was suddenly surrounded by hundreds of new faces. I was excited to meet new classmates, but I also had my own group of friends from middle school who made the transition easier.

Things started to change when I joined sports. Most of my original friends weren't really into sports. They were more of the "Robotics and AP JavaScript" type: smart, focused, and passionate about academics. When I tried out for soccer, I got cut, but ironically, that experience introduced me to a completely different group of people.

I started making friends with what you might call the "popular kids." They seemed confident, social, and effortlessly cool. I admired them so much that I started wanting the same clothes, the same expensive shoes, and even the same lifestyle. At the time, I thought fitting in meant becoming more like them. But there was another side to this group that I began to notice. Some of them would sneak into the bathroom during class to vape or use nicotine pouches. After weekends, conversations often revolved around who had been drinking, whose house had hosted a party, or where the police had shown up in the middle of the night. These were high school students, yet risky behavior had somehow become a normal part of their social lives.

Looking back, I began to realize that being "cool" and fitting in could come with pressures I hadn't expected. I was surrounded by people who seemed to have everything figured out, but some of the things they were doing were putting their health, safety, and future at risk.

When you first start high school, you might not notice these things right away. As students become more comfortable with each other, you may start seeing people vape, use nicotine pouches, or talk casually about drinking. Eventually, you might find yourself wondering, Should I be doing this too? That feeling is temptation, and it can be surprisingly powerful.

I experienced this personally. There were times when people offered me a vape. It can be difficult to say no when the person offering it seems confident, popular, or like someone you want to fit in with. You might even tell yourself that trying it once won't matter. But that is exactly when you need to remember why you are saying no.

Nicotine can be addictive, and teenagers are especially vulnerable because the brain is still developing. What begins as curiosity or an attempt to fit in can become something much harder to walk away from. You shouldn't have to risk your health just to prove that you belong in a certain group. And remember: you are allowed to say no.

You don't need to give a long explanation. You don't need to impress anyone. You can simply walk away, change the subject, or spend time with people who respect your decisions. The people who are actually worth having in your life won't require you to put yourself at risk just to be accepted. Starting high school means meeting new people, trying new things, and figuring out who you want to become. It is completely normal to want to fit in. But fitting in shouldn't require you to give up your values or make choices that could hurt your future. Being "cool" isn't about doing whatever everyone else is doing. Sometimes, the strongest choice you can make is being comfortable enough with yourself to say no.

You don't have to become someone else to belong.

You're scrolling through your feed. A video pops up of someone vaping. Then another. Maybe a joke comes up about drinking. Maybe a post about substance use looks funny, harmless, or even cool.

You keep scrolling.

But what happens when you keep seeing the same messages again and again?

Think about how your feed works.

You watch one video. Then another similar video appears. You pause on it, maybe like it, and suddenly your feed starts showing all kinds of similar videos, as you watch more of the same type of content. This can be almost anything, including substance use.

Research has found an association between social-media exposure and substance-use behaviors among adolescents. A large systematic review and meta-analysis involving more than 1.4 million adolescents found that social-media use was associated with several health-risk behaviors, including alcohol, tobacco, and drug use. The researchers also found that exposure to content portraying health-risk behaviors was associated with higher odds of some of those behaviors.

We use social media all the time, to get away from our schoolwork and academics, to take a break, and to spend time. Sometimes, it's ok to use social media. I use it too, but there's a limit to everything.

One important distinction… Whatever you see on social media doesn't automatically make you want to do it too. Researchers are still studying exactly how social media influences behavior, and what other factors are involved.

One other factor is perceived social influence and norms. What you see every day, and what you see your peers doing, is often seen as the "New Normal." If someone often sees posts that make substance use look funny, popular, and harmless, they may begin to see a distorted image of how common and popular the substance really is. In fact, a systematic review of more than 15 million substance-related social-media posts found that about 76% of the analyzed content portrayed substance use positively, while about 20% portrayed it negatively.

Social media can influence what we see and how we think, but it doesn't have to control our decisions. Just because something appears popular online doesn't mean it's safe, healthy, or right for you.

Take a moment to question what you see, look for reliable information, and don't let online trends or pressure make your choices for you.

Think critically. Know the facts. Make your own choices.

Sources

• Purba, A. K., et al. (2023). Social media use and health risk behaviours in young people: systematic review and meta-analysis. The BMJ.
• Rutherford, B. N., et al. (2023). #TurntTrending: A systematic review of substance use portrayals on social media platforms. Addiction.
• U.S. Surgeon General (2023). Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• Pechmann et al. / related research on adolescent social-media and risky behaviors: systematic review and meta-analysis of 67,407 adolescents.