Talking To Teens About Pandemic Substance Abuse

Substance abuse, particularly marijuana use, among teens is a perennial problem. Teens are exploring the boundaries of their relationships, seeking new experiences, and generally lack the necessary decision-making capacity to consider the long-term effects of their actions. That being said, several factors may have increased the rate of substance use among teens today, including pandemic-related isolation. That means it’s more important than ever for parents to address the problem and to talk to their teens about the added risks of marijuana use during the COVID-19 crisis.

Reaching Teens In A Crisis

Even without an ongoing global pandemic, external sources of stress can make it more likely that teens will turn to drugs or alcohol. Such stresses may include mental health issues, conflict at home, or major life events such as the loss of a friend or relative. This is a well-known issue, which is why public health authorities have produced a PSA specifically highlighting the dangers of vaping during the pandemic, but the most important conversations on these topics begin at home. 

Setting Clear Limits

While most parents have at some point had the “Just Say No” conversation with their teens, and the message has been impressed upon them in schools, the push to legalize marijuana products and the use of CBD oil by adults, maybe even by their parents, may have compromised that messaging. How does that impact the conversation you need to have with your teens?

At the heart of the conversation parents need to have with their teens about drugs right now is that, even if they have a history of marijuana use, that’s a conversation for another day. Right now, parents need to express their concern about how marijuana could make their children more vulnerable to COVID-19. Despite what they may have heard, smoking or vaping can cause chronic bronchitis and cough and increase users’ vulnerability to respiratory infections. It’s dangerous at the best of times, but unreasonably risky during the current pandemic.

Don’t Forget Vaping

Even many parents underestimate the dangers of vaping, especially when their teens aren’t vaping marijuana products, but this issue shouldn’t be overlooked either. Our lungs are not meant to inhale heated, vaporized chemicals, and regardless of what those chemicals are, and can therefore cause serious damage. In fact, a Stanford study reported by the Austin American Statesman found that teens who had used any kind of inhaled products in the last 30 days – including cigarettes and vaping – are five times more likely to contract COVID-19. And, despite being part of a demographic that is more likely to avoid COVID-19 symptoms, this same group was also five times more likely to experience symptoms.

Parents don’t need to try to tackle the entire issue of drugs and smoking right now, but they do need to discuss the major risks these behaviors present right now. Additionally, they should make sure that their teens have access to someone they trust to talk to, whether that’s a more distant relative or adult friend, a therapist, or other adult figure. Parents are rarely the people teens want to go to with their problems, so while you may offer an open door, you’ll want to go a bit further in your efforts to keep them healthy and safe – even when that means letting go a little and offering other modes of support.