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On Young Minds

Exploring brain and body impacts of adolescent

alcohol, nicotine/vaping, and THC use

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Substance Use & Mental Illness

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Common Risk Factors

Genetics
Chronic stress
Trauma
Adverse childhood experiences

Most mental illnesses begin in childhood and adolescence; initiating drug use at an early age is a strong risk factor for substance use disorder later in life.

Why is there comorbidity between substance use disorders and mental illnesses? | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (nih.gov)

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Alcohol

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Youth

Alcohol Use Trends

Alcohol Use by Youth | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics (aap.org)

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Alcohol effects on mental health

Alcohol use is linked to depression and anxiety

Development of alcohol dependence, alcohol use disorder/alcoholism

Drinking too much can harm your health. Learn the facts | CDC

Understanding Alcohol Use Disorder | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (nih.gov)

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Alcohol effects on cognition

Alcohol use is associated with learning and memory problems, dementia and balance, speech and judgement issues

Blackouts are gaps in memory due to drinking so much that it blocks the transfer of memories from short-term to long-term

Alcohol and the Brain: An Overview | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (nih.gov)

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Youth who drink are more likely to experience increased risk of suicide, memory, school and social problems and misuse of other substances

Alcohol on young minds

Alcohol and the Brain: An Overview | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (nih.gov)

Underage Drinking | CDC

Young brains are more susceptible to the negative effects of alcohol. Misuse of alcohol during youth can change brain development

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Alcoholism and Drug Abuse in Teenagers | Megan Hanley | TEDxBarringtonHighSchool

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Binge drinking

More than 90% of all alcohol drinks consumed by youth are consumed through binge drinking
Binge drinking: 5+ drinks for men and 4+ drinks for women within 2 hours. Comes with many risks

Binge Drinking | CDC

Get the Facts About Underage Drinking | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (nih.gov)

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Alcohol use in college culture

Nearly 50% of full-time college students ages 18-22 drank alcohol in the past month. Over 1 in 4 of those engaged in binge drinking.
Drinking in college is associated with numerous problems including death, assault and academic troubles.
Over 1 in 10 students met criteria for alcohol use disorder.

Harmful and Underage College Drinking | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (nih.gov)

Intro: drinking culture has been around for centuries in many different societies. Such culture is still prevalent today. Like in commercials of people drinking on the beach, or the commercial campaign for Dos Equis that featured "the most interesting man in the world." It would be a tough task to cover all of these cultural components of alcohol, so let's touch on one of the bigger ones: drinking in college.

Read first bullet

After second bullet: About 1 in 4 college students report experiencing academic difficulties from drinking, like being behind in work and missing class. Moreover, college students who binge drink at least 3 times per week were more likely to perform poorly on a test or project due to drinking compared to those who drank but never binged. Why is this important? Remember when I said that 90% of drinks consumed by youth are done so through binge drinking. This is a habit that could be maintained or promoted due to this sect of the college lifestyle. Lastly, over 1 in 10 college students met the criteria for past-year alcohol use disorder.

Read third bullet

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Alcohol use in the college culture:

Influences

Many factors can influence drinking more in college
Greek life
Athletic programs
Parental influence can decrease drinking

Harmful and Underage College Drinking | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (nih.gov)

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Parental influence

and modeling

Living in households with clear rules around drinking is associated with reduced youth drinking
80% of kids want their parents to guide them on alcohol use

Parenting To Prevent Childhood Alcohol Use | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (nih.gov)

Now we will cover parental influence on youth drinking.

Before first bullet: Some parents might believe that letting their teens drink in the home where they can be supervised will lead to better outcomes. I can definitely understand that. The research shows that this is not the case.

Read first bullet

After first bullet: Adolescents are less likely to drink a lot if they live in households with specific parental rules against drinking when young and where parents exhibit responsible drinking behaviors.

After second bullet: Those who don't think that parents have authority on this are more likely than other peers to drink. When it comes to the college transition, remember when I said that parental influence also has an effect on drinking. Long story short: your kid wants you to have a say, needs you to have a say, and will likely listen to you if you keep the information consistent and with warmth.

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What parents can do

Practice responsible drinking behaviors
Start conversations early with clear opinions and guidelines
Be involved with your kids’ lives and the community
This puts the power and influence back into your hands

Parenting To Prevent Childhood Alcohol Use | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (nih.gov)

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What is one drink?

What Is A Standard Drink? | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (nih.gov)

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3 drinks

2 drinks

Binge drinking: 5+ drinks for men | 4+ drinks for women in 2 hours

Let's see this with real visuals. We may be used to seeing big mugs of beer instead of cans or bottles, or a glass of wine half full instead of a quarter full. If we ignore the foam at the top, that amount of beer might look small as well as that glass of wine.

When it comes to mixed drinks, it can be even harder to know how much alcohol is in it. We might drink one tall glass of a long island iced tea and, while we can taste how strong it is, still think of it as one drink. The same might be said for a big glass of a margarita which might contain two or three standard drinks instead of one even though it all fits in one glass.

Remember, binge drinking is 5+ drinks for men and 4+ drinks for women within two hours. If you have a couple of these strong drinks, you might quickly hit that mark.

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“Moderate” drinking can vary based on many factors including age, gender, weight and overall health status.
CDC advises against starting to drink, less is better for health
Drinking can worsen your health despite previous health claims

Facts about moderate drinking | CDC

What is drinking responsibly?

2 drinks per day

for men

1 drink per day

for women

Intro: in all of the alcohol commercials, we see people drinking on the beach or having fun at a bar, and then in small letters at the end of the commercial, "drink responsibly." But again, what does this actually mean? Now that we know what one drink is, we can cover drinking responsibly.

Read first bullet

Click through graphics

Read second bullet

After second bullet: even though we have these guidelines, the CDC still recommends that people who don't already drink to not start drinking for any reason and drinking less is overall better for health compared to drinking more.

Click to third bullet: Additionally, some of us may have heard that a glass of wine is better for our heart, among other notions of alcohol improving health, but recent studies show that this may not be true compared to those older studies.

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Using alcohol with other drugs is not safe because the effects may be stronger and/or more unpredictable than using one drug
As binge drinking increases, so does use of other substances
Comorbid use of alcohol and marijuana is associated with worse impairment

Alcohol and other substance use

Current Marijuana Use and Alcohol Consumption Among Adults Following the Legalization of Nonmedical Retail Marijuana Sales — Colorado, 2015–2019 | MMWR (cdc.gov)

Alcohol and Other Substance Use | CDC

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Nicotine

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National high school e-cig use decreased from 14.1% to 10% from 2022-2023

Results from the Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey | FDA

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Youth nicotine use trends

Cigarettes

Vaping

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Tank/Mod

Pens

E-liquid

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Background information on vapes

Past regulation has outlawed pod-based devices like Juul, leading to an explosion of disposables. 60% of youth vapers use disposables
Popular brands include elf bar, esco bars, vuse, juul, and mr. fog

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Illegal vs legal vapes

There are only 23 FDA pre-authorized vapes from 3 brands: NJOY, Vuse and Logic. All tobacco flavored
Legal does not mean “cessation” or “good for you.” Legal means potential benefits outweigh potential risks
All other vapes are ILLEGAL

The FDA authorizes more e-cigarette products, but there's still no ruling on menthol and other kid-friendly nicotine products | CNN

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Nicotine effects on mental health

Nicotine use can worsen anxiety and depression symptoms

The misperception that nicotine alleviates these symptoms may be linked to the withdrawal cycle

Colliding Crises: Youth Mental Health and Nicotine Use (truthinitiative.org)

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Vaping is heavily associated with higher levels of ADHD symptoms
Using e-cigs as an adult had nearly twice the chances of association with cognitive complaints such as trouble concentrating, remembering and making decisions

Colliding Crises: Youth Mental Health and Nicotine Use (truthinitiative.org)

Nicotine effects on cognition

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Depression stick | Casting Call :30 | truth

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Former Vapers Explain Why Quitting Improved Their Mental Health

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Vaping aerosol may contain ultrafine particles, harmful flavoring, volatile compounds, cancer-causing chemicals and heavy metals
The metals from heated coils spill into the e-liquid that is then vaped

Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults | CDC

Study: Lead and Other Toxic Metals Found in E-Cigarette ‘Vapors’ | Johns Hopkins | Bloomberg School of Public Health (jhu.edu)

Vapes are not “safe”

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There are no current vaping products that are FDA approved to treat or prevent any health conditions or diseases.
Several risks from vapes still stand such as coughing and difficulty breathing
These products are being advertised to young people through social media

Beware of Vaping Products with Unproven Health Claims | FDA

“Wellness” vapes are not “safe”

Intro: With the previous claims that vaping could help you quit cigarettes, a new strain of vapes dubbed as wellness vapes emerged. This is the next installment of Big Tobacco trying to rebrand its products. But even if some of these vapes don't contain nicotine, they can still be harmful instead of improving your health, with the heated coils spilling metals into the aerosol. Here is what the FDA wants you to know about these vapes.

After first bullet: many of these so-called wellness vapes state they contain vitamins or essential oils that will improve your health, but these are unproven claims.

Read for second bullet: Inhaled products can trigger drastic coughing, tightening of the airways, and difficulty breathing. And there's no way to know if these vapes contain even more dangerous products as labeling is not regulated.

After third bullet: the FDA has received numerous complaints of these vapes advertising and being sold to minors, especially through social media posts that make false claims.

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Vaping has been associated with chronic cough, bronchitis, and asthma, and cardiovascular issues

Nicotine use is associated with higher blood pressure and heart rate and likelihood of having a heart attack

Over 2,800 EVALI hospitalization cases as of 2020 with 68 deaths

Harmful

body effects

E-cigarettes: Facts, stats and regulations (truthinitiative.org)

5 Vaping Facts You Need to Know | Johns Hopkins Medicine

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Wait? They’re not safe?

PAVe: Parents Against Vaping

e-cigarettes training

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THC

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Youth cannabis use trends

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What is THC?

The marijuana/cannabis plant has over 100 compounds in it. THC and CBD are two of the most commonly used

THC produces a high, which is mind-altering and/or impairing

CBD does not produce a high and is not impairing

Frequently Asked Questions (cdc.gov)

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THC effects on mental health

Marijuana use has been linked with anxiety, paranoia, temporary psychosis, developing schizophrenia, suicidality, and depression

Nearly 3 in 10 people who use marijuana have cannabis use disorder

Mental Health | Health Effects | Marijuana | CDC

Teens | Health Effects | Marijuana | CDC

Risk is stronger in those who start using during youth and more frequently

Higher potency can worsen health even though products advertise how potent they are

Marijuana Use Disorder/Cannabis Use Disorder (cdc.gov)

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Symptoms include anxiety, insomnia, anger, irritability, depression, headaches and vomiting
One study found withdrawal symptoms for nearly 50% of users with regular or dependent use

THC withdrawal

If cannabis becomes a problem: How to manage withdrawal - Harvard Health

Prevalence of Cannabis Withdrawal Symptoms Among People With Regular or Dependent Use of Cannabinoids: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis | Substance Use and Addiction Medicine | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network

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THC effects on cognition

Long-term and heavy cannabis use is associated with decreased learning and processing speed, memory and attention problems and brain fog
Those who used less than once a week did not experience these issues

Cognitive effects in midlife of long-term cannabis use - Harvard Health

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THC on developing brains

Using THC can impede the brain’s building of connections for important functions like memory, attention and learning

Brain Health | Health Effects | Marijuana | CDC

Child and teenage brains are more susceptible to the harmful effects of THC

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Dangers Of High Potency Cannabis For Teens

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The New Cannabis

Average potency has changed from 1-4% in the 70s to 15-30% today. Edibles and vapes may contain even more THC
Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome is a cannabis use disorder characterized by recurrent vomiting

Cognitive effects in midlife of long-term cannabis use - Harvard Health

Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome: Causes, Treatment, and More (healthline.com)

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Most prominent in the cannabis plant
Most well-known for making people high and intoxicated

Delta 8: ?Legal?

Delta-8

Delta-9

Delta-10

Small amount in the cannabis plant
Many products made synthetically
Some users claim the side effects are not as bad as regular cannabis

Little research on this type

Delta 8 vs. Delta 9 vs. Delta 10: Uses, Effects, More (healthline.com)

Delta 9: Illegal

Delta 10: ?Legal?

With all these new products out there, let's clarify some things.

Click through delta 8

Delta-9: although this is the most well-known for making people high, all of these strains can cause a high

Click through delta 10

Legalities: When it comes to federal legality, things get gray because of loopholes. Generally, Delta 8 and 10 are seen as legal because they contain a small amount of THC, while Delta 9 is illegal because it contains too much THC. However, a lack of regulations means users don't always know how much THC they're getting, and therefore it’s hard to know if it’s legal. Also, because the FDA made millions of vape products get pre-authorization approval like we discussed, and almost all of them were rejected, it’s possible the FDA will do that with cannabis products, and then most of these might end up to be illegal to be on the market.

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Many Delta-8 products have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA
There have been adverse event reports as a result of Delta-8 THC products
Delta-8 products often use potentially harmful chemicals to create higher concentrations of THC
These products should not be consumed by children or pets

Delta-8 is Not “Safe”

5 Things to Know about Delta-8 Tetrahydrocannabinol – Delta-8 THC | FDA

D8

gummies

Before bullets: Let’s cover more about Delta 8, which is a psychoactive part of the marijuana plant and is commonly sold. Here are 4 things the FDA wants you to know as these products become more popular

After first bullet: Many of these products purport therapeutic or medicinal uses but are not approved by the FDA. There is generally a strong lack of product formulation and labeling, so users don't always know what they're getting

After second bullet: National poison control centers have received over 2000 exposure cases of delta 8 THC products. One pediatric case was coded with an outcome of death. Reports included hallucinations, vomiting, anxiety, confusion, and loss of consciousness.

After third bullet: the natural amount of delta-8 in the plant is very low. This manufacturing process may use unsafe household chemicals to make more delta-8 thc, change the color, lead to harmful byproducts.

After fourth bullet: many of these products are packaged like candy, chocolate, gummies, etc. They can be bought at convenience stores and gas stations where there may not be age limits.

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BIG TOBACCO HAS ITS WALLET ON CANNABIS

How Tobacco Giant Altria Is Becoming A Cannabis Company (forbes.com)

Tobacco giant Altria spent $1.8 billion for a stake in a national cannabis company
Altria lobbied in congress for cannabis-friendly laws
Altria got patented marijuana vaporizers

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Conclusion

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There are many negative effects of these drugs

Fast Facts About Addiction - Partnership to End Addiction (drugfree.org)

Big Industries influence norms and narratives

Youth are especially vulnerable

Parents have an influence

First bullet: When it comes to making our own choices, especially when youth make their choices, we should be as informed as possible and know all the information, not just what the industry wants us to know.

Second bullet: speaking of industries, they have a huge influence on what we think is normal and acceptable. Through newspaper ads to magazines to social media to streaming platforms, they pump out their own narratives that may contrast people's real experiences with those substances as shown in the videos we watched. It's important to remember that companies may push out false health claims and get on the latest trends simply to make a profit. If we know more than they want us to, we take back the power to make informed choices.

Third bullet: because of underdeveloped brains, youth are very vulnerable to all of these substances. These companies know that they have to get customers young, because over 90% of people with a substance use issue began to smoke, drink, or use other drugs before they were 18.

Fourth bullet: we talked about parental influence having a positive effect on alcohol use, and I encourage everyone to have conversations about other drugs as well with their children, other youth, or anyone else they know. Start these conversations early, make sure the information is consistent, be firm on rules but also utilize warmth and caring, and KNOW THE FACTS!!!

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Questions?

Ryder From

Prevention Specialist

ryder.from@newvista.org

859.285.0764