No parent wants to believe their teenager may be doing drugs. It is the fear that we all want to ignore and not have to face. However, it’s important to recognise that teen drug use is more common than most parents would like to acknowledge, and identifying it at an early stage could potentially save your child’s life.
As a parent, you already face numerous challenges. As a parent juggling work, chores, and a limited social life, you can easily overlook the sometimes-elusive red flags that indicate your teenager may be experimenting with drugs or alcohol.
And this is precisely why I was excited about creating this comprehensive guide – to help you catch the warning signs that your teen might be on drugs before it’s too late.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Teen Drug Use
Let’s start with a few unexpected findings. Around 10% of Australian teenagers aged 14-17 reported having tried an illicit drug in the past 12 months, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s National Drug Strategy Household Survey from 2022-2023.
Furthermore, in the last 12 months 31% of individuals at age 14–17 had drunk alcohol. The three most commonly abused substances by teenagers are synthetics, prescription drugs (such as family medicine cabinets), and marijuana.
In reality, the indications of teen drug use often differ from what you may see in movies or television shows. Just because of your couch’s smoke odour doesn’t mean you’ll find your teenager at home nightly with a pair of bloodshot eyes.
Most of the time, the signs are subtle shifts and gradual changes that unfold over the course of weeks or months. It is critical to recognise these trends, especially given that marijuana tends to be the first drug teens try.
Physical Signs to Watch For
When parents want to know how to tell if their teenager is on drugs, I usually begin with the physical effects because they tend to be readily apparent. But remember, many of these cues can also be signals for other problems—illness, stress, or normal teenage changes.
1. Changes in Appearance and Hygiene
Appearance and hygiene changes are often among the first. You may notice that your teenager, who used to spend an hour on grooming, now seems unconcerned about their appearance. They may also appear to neglect their hair more often or stop putting on clothes they once enjoyed.
On the other hand, some young people become compulsively focused on trying to hide physical signs—using eye drops all day long or chewing gum 24/7 or sporting sunglasses indoors.
2. Disrupted Sleep Patterns
Sleep-wake patterns also change drastically. All teenagers experience a delayed sleep/wake schedule compared to adults, but drug use can intensify this phenomenon. Your teenager might sleep for 12–14 hours on weekends, but they can also be up at all hours of the night. They may even be worn out during the day, despite what seems like normal sleep.
3. Significant Appetite Changes
Another red flag: changes in your appetite. Some compounds make you famished (you’ll find yourself suddenly missing an entire bag of chips), while others more or less shut down hunger. “If your teen’s appetite changes or if he starts eating all the time or leans away from a meal, investigate,” she said.
4. Physical Coordination Issues
Problems with physical coordination can start off mild. Perhaps they’re more ungainly than before, or their penmanship is different. They may struggle with tasks requiring fine motor skills or occasionally appear unsteady.
Behavioural Red Flags That You Can’t Ignore
Teen drug abuse signs often begin to surface in script much sooner than physical indications do. These transformations can be especially tough because they may resemble typical adolescent rebellions or developmental changes.
Parents need to be aware of behavioural symptoms, just as drug users may develop an addiction to gaming, which is sometimes accompanied by experimentation with substances.
1. Extreme Mood Swings
Mood swings that feel outsized, even for a teenager, are worrying. We’re not referring to the typical moodiness of teenagers – we’re referring to sudden mood swings, instances where they become irrationally unbalanced and uncontrollable, or a day marked by constant activity, followed by an evening marked by inexplicably poor decision-making.
2. Sudden Changes in Friend Groups
Except for anticipated shifts as teens mature, these changes should naturally occur over time; abrupt, drastic changes can raise concerns. If your teenager leaves long-time friends high and dry overnight to be with people they’ll never bring home for an introduction, you might want to look into it.
3. Increased Lying and Secretiveness
Lying and secretive behaviour escalate far beyond general teens’ desire for privacy. We all know teens are going to get more secretive, but if a child becomes elusive about basic questions such as where he or she is headed and with whom they’re going to be, consider it a red flag.
4. Declining Academic Performance
Academic performance is frequently impacted by the onset of substance use. It could alert you when your once-focused child appears distracted or takes naps in class. Your grades may decline overnight, or teachers may contact you regarding missing assignments and truancy.
5. Unexplained Money Issues
Money issues frequently arise. Your teen may start asking for money more often, or you might notice some cash missing from your wallet or around the house. Or they could suddenly come up with money they can’t account for—particularly scary if they’re unemployed.
Social and Environmental Changes
The social clues of a teenager’s drug use are typically the surest, but they are also usually most difficult to discuss without coming across as either nosy or accusatory.
Changes in Vocabulary and Language
They might adopt new vocabulary in their talks. While, of course, slang changes over time, certain terms or coded language could indicate involvement in a culture that uses substances. That said, don’t panic if your teen knows certain definitions — many teens are aware of drug slang without using substances themselves.
Suspicious Items and Paraphernalia
Their belongings could contain paraphernalia. And this doesn’t just refer to the obvious things, such as pipes or rolling papers. Another sign to watch for: household items that could be used to ingest drugs, including pens, waterbottles or fruits.
Significant Lifestyle Changes
A great deal of behaviour change occurs when people experiment with substances. Your adolescent may now disregard activities they once enjoyed and abandon sports or clubs to which they were heavily dedicated. They may also have new things in common, related to times and places where using substances really does become more likely.
Communication Breakdown
One of the most heartbreaking teen drug abuse symptoms for parents is when communication with their child becomes increasingly difficult. Your teen might become defensive about innocent questions, or conversations that used to flow easily might become strained and uncomfortable.
Defensive Responses to Simple Questions
Defensive responses to normal parental questions can indicate something is wrong. If asking “How was school today?” results in an aggressive response or shutdown, consider what might be causing such sensitivity.
Excessive Avoidance of Family Time
Avoidance of family time beyond typical teenage independence-seeking might signal problems. While it’s normal for teens to prefer friends over family, complete avoidance of family meals, activities, or conversations could indicate they’re hiding something.
When to Seek Professional Help
Identifying these signposts is just the beginning. Understanding this concept can be challenging, especially for parents who may become apprehensive when they suspect their teenager is experimenting with drugs, unsure of how to manage the situation without alienating their child.
The point is to deal with problems sooner rather than later, as some casual experimentation escalates into more problematic substance use. If you notice a few of these signs frequently in weeks or even months, and nothing seems to help, it’s time to seek professional intervention.
Addiction treatment facilities like Sivana Bali specialise in helping families who are struggling with substance use to keep it from turning into a fatal addiction. Their dual diagnosis treatment and evaluation and admissions process help determine the required intervention level.
The Importance of Professional Assessment
Occasionally what people suspect is drug use is actually symptoms of mental health disorders, medical-related conditions or extraordinary stress. That’s why a professional evaluation is so important when you’re worried about possible substance use.
The evaluation and admission process for Sivana Bali enables individuals and family members to determine if concerns about drug use are justified, how deep the problem runs, and what level of response is required. Their team is focused on young adults, and they get the distinction between typical teenage behaviour and real red flag territory.
The centre’s dual diagnosis treatment philosophy acknowledges that many adolescent kids who use drugs are self-medicating in order to escape from emotional issues, including depression, anxiety, or past trauma. If you treat these causes and related substance use, treatment tends to be more successful and enduring.
Creating a Supportive Environment
As you’re watching for signs and perhaps even considering whether to seek professional help, the key is to hold on to an environment where your teen feels safe being honest with you about what has been happening.
For in-depth advice on helping a family member with substance issues, also read our guide to how to help an alcoholic family member (many of the lessons there apply to any kind of substance use).
That’s not a plea for all-drugs-are-fine but a call for responses that, when we discover certain dangerous uses or admissions related to our kid, we should place his safety and health above punishment. Teens who fear severe consequences are more likely to hide dangerous situations rather than seek help when they need it.
Looking Forward
Discovering your teenager is using drugs can make you feel as though the world is ending, but try to remind yourself that there’s still time for help, and early intervention tends to be very effective. Children who receive treatment and assistance for drug experimentation can still lead normal lives.
Organisations like Sivana Bali are already aware that teenage use of drugs is not the root of the problem as such, but all that in a way is an effect, or effectively roads, and when treated leads to closer family ties and better abilities to handle life’s challenges.
Their comprehensive treatment programs and family-focused approach to the patient’s family make for a much more effective, long-term positive change than just quitting some bad behaviours.
Trust Your Instincts
You are your children’s parents. The human mind is, after all, the most accurate detector; pay attention to your gut when something feels off. The signs that your teenager is using drugs don’t have to be so obvious—they could just be little changes, and only a parent’s nose would pick them up.
Also, if you do go for help and find out that it wasn’t quite so serious after all, remember: seeking early intervention does not mean you were simply being melodramatic. It shows that you were a caring parent. If you think an adolescent is in the throes of substance abuse, don’t delay seeking help until the situation becomes critical. Early treatment usually saves problems for later.
The efforts you are making today will result in a future that your teenager can look forward to. Phone or get in touch with Sivana Bali now for advice and to speak with professionals who understand. Help is at hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common signs my teen might be experimenting with drugs?
Look for a combination of physical, behavioral, and social changes — like disrupted sleep patterns, dramatic mood swings, secretive behavior, sudden changes in friends, declining school performance, or unexplained money issues.
How do I know if these changes are drug-related or just normal teenage behavior?
Some mood swings and privacy-seeking are normal, but persistent changes across multiple areas (appearance, academics, attitude, friends) that last weeks or months often signal something more serious. When in doubt, get a professional assessment.
What should I do if I suspect my teen is using drugs?
Start with a calm, non-judgmental conversation. Express concern rather than anger. If the signs persist or your teen refuses to talk, seek help from a professional counselor or treatment center for guidance and assessment.
Can early intervention really make a difference?
Yes — catching substance use early is key. Early intervention prevents occasional experimentation from turning into addiction and helps teens address any underlying emotional struggles that might be driving the behavior.