{"id":20501,"date":"2024-01-21T13:33:24","date_gmt":"2024-01-21T13:33:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/?p=20501"},"modified":"2024-09-27T16:41:22","modified_gmt":"2024-09-27T15:41:22","slug":"teenage-drinking-and-drug-use-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/teenage-drinking-and-drug-use-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Teenage drinking and drug use during the COVID-19 pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_79_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #121c4e;color:#121c4e\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #121c4e;color:#121c4e\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/teenage-drinking-and-drug-use-covid-19\/#Key_takeaways_for_caregivers\" >Key takeaways for caregivers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/teenage-drinking-and-drug-use-covid-19\/#Teenagers_and_the_COVID-19_pandemic\" >Teenagers and the COVID-19 pandemic<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/teenage-drinking-and-drug-use-covid-19\/#How_did_teen_substance_use_shift_after_the_pandemic_started\" >How did teen substance use shift after the pandemic started?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/teenage-drinking-and-drug-use-covid-19\/#What_happened_as_the_pandemic_wore_on\" >What happened as the pandemic wore on?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/teenage-drinking-and-drug-use-covid-19\/#Larger_impacts_among_families_with_fewer_resources_and_youth_with_pre-existing_difficulties\" >Larger impacts among families with fewer resources and youth with pre-existing difficulties<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/teenage-drinking-and-drug-use-covid-19\/#Parents_can_help_by_being_a_role_model_and_connecting\" >Parents can help by being a role model and connecting<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/teenage-drinking-and-drug-use-covid-19\/#Next_steps\" >Next steps<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_takeaways_for_caregivers\"><\/span><strong>Key takeaways for caregivers<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Young teenagers were more likely to use some drugs (e-cigs, prescription drugs, inhalants) during the first year of the pandemic than before the pandemic.<\/li>\n<li>Teens with more pre-existing difficulties or in families with fewer resources used the most substances.<\/li>\n<li>Parents can support teens in avoiding drug use by modeling healthy coping behaviors and keeping connected to their children.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Teenagers_and_the_COVID-19_pandemic\"><\/span><strong>Teenagers and the COVID-19 pandemic<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Teens\u2019 lives changed a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many were attending school online, social distancing from friends and neighbors, and spending more time than they had before the pandemic with family. Many were dealing with stress, uncertainty, and depression. Did these changes result in different patterns of drinking and drug use?<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Compared to before the pandemic, fewer teens reported using alcohol after the pandemic started. More teens said they used nicotine products (e.g., vaping), misused prescription drugs, or used inhalants after the start of the pandemic.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>To find out, <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.31234\/osf.io\/jhma5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">my colleagues and I repeatedly surveyed 9,270 teenagers<\/a> from 11 to 13 years old across the United States who were participating in an ongoing study \u2013 the <a href=\"https:\/\/abcdstudy.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study<\/a>. Teens completed one survey before the pandemic and seven more surveys during the first year of the pandemic (between May 2020 and May 2021).<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_did_teen_substance_use_shift_after_the_pandemic_started\"><\/span><strong>How did teen substance use shift after the pandemic started?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Just like before the pandemic, the most common substances teens reported using were alcohol and nicotine (e.g., vaping). However, compared to before the pandemic, fewer teens reported using alcohol after the pandemic started. More teens said they used nicotine products (e.g., vaping), misused prescription drugs, or used inhalants after the start of the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>The pandemic appears to have <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016%2Fj.jadohealth.2021.06.015\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shifted which substances young teenagers were using<\/a>, away from alcohol and toward drugs. Since we surveyed only young teenagers (11- to 13-year-olds), our results do not address what changes the pandemic may have brought for older teens.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_20508\" style=\"width: 1510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20508\" class=\"wp-image-20508 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper.jpg\" alt=\"Teenager smoking.\" width=\"1500\" height=\"932\" srcset=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-1024x636.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-768x477.jpg 768w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-356x221.jpg 356w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-700x435.jpg 700w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/wallpaperflare.com_wallpaper-50x31.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-20508\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wallpaperflare.com\/smoke-person-bricks-headshot-young-adult-brick-wall-wall-building-feature-wallpaper-eddim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wallpaper Flare<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happened_as_the_pandemic_wore_on\"><\/span><strong>What happened as the pandemic wore on?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Surprisingly, the decreases in alcohol use grew even larger in 2021, with teens continuing to report even lower rates. We expected that as teens\u2019 lives began returning closer to their pre-pandemic routines, their alcohol use would also become closer to pre-pandemic levels \u2013 but instead we saw further decreases.<\/p>\n<p>As the pandemic wore on, the increases in teens\u2019 inhalant use and prescription drug misuse shrank but remained. In May 2021, young teenagers were still more likely to use these substances than they were before the pandemic. Furthermore, the increase in teens\u2019 nicotine use (e.g., vaping) early in the pandemic (May 2020) shrunk over time and disappeared by May 2021.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Teens were less likely to use substances during the first year of the pandemic when their parents made an effort to stay connected with them and to keep track of what their teens were doing.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Larger_impacts_among_families_with_fewer_resources_and_youth_with_pre-existing_difficulties\"><\/span><strong>Larger impacts among families with fewer resources and youth with pre-existing difficulties<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Was the early impact of the pandemic the same for all teenagers? No. Teens whose families had less income exhibited larger increases in substance use during the first year of the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>This probably occurred because families with lower incomes had fewer resources to buffer against stressful pandemic-related changes (e.g., a parent being laid off).<\/p>\n<p>Also, teens who reported more <a href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/harsh-parenting-impacts-a-childs-learning-and-behavior\/\">behavior problems<\/a>, depression, and anxiety <em>before<\/em> the pandemic tended to engage in more drinking and drug use during the first year of the pandemic. The additional stress brought by the pandemic likely increased the burden these teens were already feeling.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Parents_can_help_by_being_a_role_model_and_connecting\"><\/span><strong>Parents can help by being a role model and connecting<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Our surveys yielded some good news: There are ways parents might be able to protect teens from pandemic-related increases in drinking alcohol or using drugs.<\/p>\n<p>First, teens\u2019 substance use during the first year of the pandemic was correlated with parents\u2019 substance use during that time. Therefore, parents who modelled healthy coping behaviors in the face of pandemic-related stress could have helped protect their teens.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_20506\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20506\" class=\"wp-image-20506 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/teenager-5842706_1280.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"854\" srcset=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/teenager-5842706_1280.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/teenager-5842706_1280-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/teenager-5842706_1280-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/teenager-5842706_1280-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/teenager-5842706_1280-356x238.jpg 356w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/teenager-5842706_1280-700x467.jpg 700w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/teenager-5842706_1280-50x33.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-20506\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/photos\/teenager-hoodie-hand-no-gesture-5842706\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ottawagraphics<\/a>. Pixabay.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Second, teens were less likely to use substances during the first year of the pandemic when their <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/hea0001245\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">parents made an effort to stay connected<\/a> with them and to keep track of what their teens were doing (e.g., where they were, who their friends were, what was going on at school). When parents increased how much they were keeping track of their teens, youth\u2019s substance use decreased substantially.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Next_steps\"><\/span><strong>Next steps<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We are continuing to survey the same teenagers to see how their substance use changed as the pandemic continued in 2022 and 2023. For now, we recommend that parents support their teens by staying connected, keeping track of teens\u2019 activities, and being a role model for healthy coping with the stressful life changes brought by the pandemic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Young teens made big changes in their drinking and drug use during the pandemic, in both positive and negative directions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":288,"featured_media":20507,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5774,5769],"tags":[45,5669,272],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20501"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/288"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20501"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20501\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21372,"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20501\/revisions\/21372"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}