When a Teenager Is Using

If your teenager is using, get a clinician involved and do not detox them at home. A national survey figure is not a diagnosis of your child.

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Key takeaway

You are up because a teenager you love is using, or you think they are. In 2024, about 2 million adolescents had a substance use disorder. That number is not a diagnosis of your child. If they will not wake or are seizing, call 911. Do not detox them at home.

Last updated: Mon Oct 05 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

You are awake because a teenager you love is using, or because you are afraid they are. You do not need a survey to justify the call. If they are seizing, will not wake, or cannot breathe, call 911 now. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988.

Do not detox them at home to keep a school from finding out. Stopping alcohol suddenly after heavy use can cause seizures. Stopping a benzodiazepine abruptly can be life-threatening. Privacy rules still matter. They do not outrank breathing.

Call and say the age

Call a clinician or a program that treats adolescents and say how old they are, what you found, and what else is going on, including mood. SAMHSA's 2024 national survey estimated that 7.8 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 17, about 2 million people, had a substance use disorder in the past year. That figure is a reason you are not inventing a rare problem. It is not a diagnosis of your child. You can ask for an assessment before anyone meets a definition.

Past-month drinking in that survey was much more common among people 18 to 25 than among adolescents. Do not borrow the campus numbers and decide a 15-year-old can wait. If the person is already in college, this guide on college recovery walks through that age. Vomiting, blackouts, and injuries are enough to call.

Marijuana and nicotine vaping show up often in this age group. A smell in a bedroom is not a severity label you assign yourself. If opioids are involved, read what to know about opioids, including naloxone. NIDA's treatment page says buprenorphine is approved for adolescents 16 and older with opioid use disorder. That is not a dose, and it is not a way around consent. Who may agree to care, and what a parent may be told, is in teen treatment.

Ask for care built for a teenager

Adolescent drug problems often travel with depression, anxiety, or behavior problems. NIDA's principles guide says those should be treated in tandem with the substance use, and that the approaches which help parents stay involved are among the most effective. A shrunk adult schedule can miss the family and the school. Ask who assesses mental health. Ask whether family sessions are offered. Ask what happens if withdrawal is more than the program can watch.

Hours in intensive outpatient care are a separate question. This guide on adolescent IOP walks through that schedule. If childhood harm is part of the story, this guide on adverse childhood experiences explains the measure. Do not total a score tonight.

FindTreatment.gov lets you filter for programs that serve adolescents. A filter is not a measure of quality. Call and ask. Call or text (800) 653-9376 if you need help finding care for a teenager, and say their age when you call.

Additional Resources

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Common Questions

Does a national percentage mean my child has a disorder?

No. SAMHSA's 2024 survey estimated that 7.8 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 17, about 2 million people, had a substance use disorder in the past year. That is a national figure. It does not diagnose the person in your kitchen. You can ask for an assessment before anyone meets a survey definition.

Should I wait because teenagers use less than college students?

No. In that same survey, past-month drinking was far more common at ages 18 to 25 than at 12 to 17. The gap is a reason not to treat the two ages as the same search. It is not a reason to ignore vomiting, blackouts, or injuries at 15.

Can we detox at home so the school does not find out?

No. Stopping alcohol suddenly after heavy use can cause seizures. Stopping a benzodiazepine abruptly can be life-threatening. Privacy is real, and it does not outrank breathing. Call 911 for a seizure, collapse, or trouble breathing.

What kind of program fits this age?

Ask for care that includes a parent or caregiver and that looks at mental health in the same plan. Adolescent drug problems often show up with depression, anxiety, or behavior problems. A smaller copy of an adult schedule can miss that. Say the age on the first call.

Is there a medicine if opioids are involved?

Buprenorphine is approved for adolescents 16 and older who have opioid use disorder. That is an approval fact, not a dose and not a way around consent. A clinician has to match the medicine to the person. Who may agree to care is a separate question.