SUBSTANCE ABUSE EMOJIS Substance abuse among adolescents is any use of substances by youth with a high risk of adverse outcomes (i.e., criminal involvement, injury, dropping out of school, overdose, loss of life, etc.). Youth with substance use disorders typically possess higher rates of both mental and physical illnesses. High risk substance abuse includes: • Misuse of prescription drugs. • Use of illicit drugs (i.e., cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, inhalants, hallucinogens, ecstasy, etc.). • Use of injection drugs that have a high risk of infection of blood-borne diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis . According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 15% of high school students report having used select illicit or injection drugs, and 14% of students reported the misuse of prescription opioids. 18 . Injection drug use places youth at direct risk for HIV, and substance use by youth places adolescents at a high risk for overdose. Students who reported using prescription drugs without a doctor’s prescription are more likely to have been the victim of physical or sexual dating violence as opposed to other students, and youth opioid usage overall has been directly linked to risky sexual behavior, mental health and suicide risks, as well as an increase in experiencing violence overall.
The CDC identifies risk factors for substance abuse, including:
• Family history of substance use. • Favorable attitudes towards the behavior of trusted adults. • Poor monitoring from trusted adult(s). • Substance use by trusted adults (visible or otherwise). • Family rejection of sexual orientation. • Association with delinquent or substance-using peers.
• Lack of school connectedness. • Low academic achievement. • Childhood sexual abuse or other Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). 19 • Mental health concerns. 18
Research has improved regarding understanding factors that can divert youth from risk-enhancing behaviors, including substance use; these are known as protective factors. 20 Examples of protective factors for substance abuse include: 21
• Family engagement. • Family support. • Parental/guardian/trusted adult disapproval of substance use and abuse. • Parental/guardian monitoring. • School connectedness.
When conducting digital and behavioral threat assessments regarding substance abuse, it is important for SS/TA Teams to note that emoji use can be utilized on social media for indication of substance abuse, buying and selling narcotics, as well as gang association/involvement/recruitment. Often, youth utilize emojis and slang language to avoid content moderation by platforms. A list of emojis that represent substance related topics, as well as emojis
18 Substance Use Among Youth: CDC (2024) 19 Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) (2024) 20 What are adverse childhood experiences? (2024) 21 Risk and Protective Factors (2024)
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