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Support Starts at Home

Parents and guardians play a powerful role in prevention. Explore tools, tips, and resources to help you guide, support, and empower the young people in your life.

Recognizing the Signs
of Substance Use

  • Withdrawal from family or friends

  • Increased anger, sadness, or fatigue

  • Sudden drop in grades or skipping school

  • Loss of interest in hobbies or activities

  • Change in friend group or isolation

  • ​Neglecting personal hygiene

  • Changes in eating or sleeping patterns

  • Legal trouble or school disciplinary actions

  • Growing tension at home or with peers

  • Increased secrecy or hiding behaviors 

Trust your instincts—if something feels off, it’s okay to ask questions and seek help.

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Need support?
Call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

for free, confidential assistance, available 24/7

​Worried about a teen or young adult in your life?

Changes in mood, behavior, or routines may be signs of substance use. While every young person is different, here are some common red flags to watch for:

Risk & Protective Factors: What Tips the Scale

Every young person navigates a unique mix of influences—some that help them thrive, and others that may increase their risk for substance use. Think of it like a scale: the more protective factors we can build, the more we can balance out or even outweigh the risk factors they may face.

risk and protective factors infographic

Protective
Factors

Strong caregiver involvement and guidance

Healthy self-esteem and coping skills

Physical and emotional safety at home, school, and in the community

Supportive peer relationships and friendships

Positive social norms and role models

Risk
Factors

Past trauma or ongoing stress

Mental health challenges like anxiety or depression

Experiences of child abuse or neglect

Economic hardship and poverty

Struggles at school or declining academic performance

Friends who use substances or easy access to drugs

WHY IT MATTERS

When risk factors begin to outweigh protective ones, a young person may shift from wellness to experimentation—and possibly toward long-term substance use or substance use disorder. But with the right support, we can help tip the scale back toward positive health, resilience, and thriving futures.

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A Better Tomorrow

How Drugs Impact
the Teen Brain

Teens are especially vulnerable to the effects of substances like cannabis. Their brains are still developing—and regular use can seriously interfere with that growth.

how drugs impact the teen brain infographic

What’s at Risk?

  • Teens who use cannabis regularly may score one grade lower in school than their peers.

  • Long-term use can cause a drop of up to 8 IQ points between childhood and adulthood.

  • These changes can be permanent, even if drug use stops later in life.

How the Brain is Affected

  • Planning & Decision-Making (Prefrontal Cortex)

  • Focus & Reaction Time

  • Memory & Learning

  • Judgment & Impulse Control

  • Dopamine & Serotonin Regulation (neurotransmitters tied to motivation, mood, and reward)

Long-Term Consequences

  • Difficulty in school or dropping out

  • Increased risk of car accidents or risky behavior

  • Co-occurring mental health disorders (anxiety, depression)

  • Addiction and dependency

  • Delayed emotional and social development

What You Can Do

As a parent or guardian, your involvement matters. Talk early. Talk often. Stay curious, not critical.

Together, we can protect growing minds and help our teens make healthy, informed choices.

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