My teenager is using: when should I worry and what should I do as a parent?

Home » Portage Blog » My teenager is using: when should I worry and what should I do as a parent?

03-20-2026

Talking about substance use with your teen is never easy. Between normal adolescent experimentation, peer pressure, academic stress and social media influences, parents often wonder when they should be concerned about substance use.

Substance use among young people can’t be characterized simply in terms of what’s “normal” as opposed to what’s “problematic”. There are a range of substance use behaviours, from experimenting with a substance only once to engaging in regular use that becomes central to a person’s life: this is known as the substance use trajectory.

This article will help parents:

Understand why adolescents use drugs or alcohol
Determine where their teen is in the substance use trajectory
Recognize the warning signs
Intervene without harming their relationship with their teen
Know when to ask for help

Key Statistics on Substance Use Among Adolescents

Statistics show that experimenting with substances is relatively frequent among adolescents, but that only a minority engage in problematic substance use.

According to the Enquête québécoise sur le tabac, l’alcool, la drogue et le jeu chez les élèves du secondaire (ETADJES):

Approximately 80% of young Quebeckers had their first drink before they turned 17
Approximately 37% of them tried drugs while in secondary school

However, only a fraction of adolescents reported engaging in excessive or repeated substance use.

In Canada, hospital statistics indicate that nearly 70% of hospital stays for harm caused by substance use among youth involved care for a concurrent mental health condition.

These figures highlight an important fact: substance use among adolescents is often associated with broader mental health or well-being issues.

What the research shows

Addiction studies show that several factors can influence substance use among adolescents:

Personality traits such as impulsiveness or sensation-seeking
Emotional issues such as anxiety or depression
Social factors such as friends or social exclusion

Some studies have also shown that adolescents with behavioural or emotional disorders are at greater risk of early alcohol, tobacco or cannabis use.

Understanding the substance use trajectory

Not all adolescents who experiment with drugs or alcohol will go on to develop a substance use problem. Most will probably never go beyond the experimentation stage.

Nonetheless, substance use can evolve, as outlined below:

Experimentation: trying out a substance once, usually out of curiosity or in a social context.
Occasional use: intermittent use, usually among friends, with no significant impact on the adolescent’s daily life.
Emerging substance use problem: substance use that becomes more frequent and may impact the adolescent’s school life, mood and relationships.
Established substance use problem: substance use that becomes a focus of the adolescent’s life and may have significant impacts: social isolation, family conflicts, mental health problems and problems at school.

Signs of abusive substance use

One sign is not enough to conclude that your adolescent has a substance use problem, but you want to pay close attention to persistent changes in an adolescent’s behaviour or actions.

Changes in behaviour

Increased irritability
Social isolation
Loss of interest in usual activities
Falling grades
Excessive secretiveness

Physical signs

Red eyes
Persistent fatigue
Changes in appetite or sleep patterns

Material signs

Substance use paraphernalia
Money that goes missing
Objects that get lost or sold

What the research says

According to several studies, adolescents with substance use problems commonly exhibit:

Increased symptoms of anxiety or depression
Increased impulsiveness
Problems managing their emotions

Substance use can, therefore, be an attempt to regulate emotions rather than a recreational activity.

Risk factors and protective factors

Research shows certain factors can increase or reduce the risk of developing a substance use problem.

Risk factors

Early onset of substance use
Impulsiveness or sensation-seeking
Emotional difficulties or mental health disorders
Family conflict
Exposure to substance use in one’s social or family circle
Social isolation

Protective factors

Trusting relationships with parents
Clear, consistent guidance
Sports, community or cultural activities
Self-esteem and sense of belonging
Presence of significant adults in the adolescent’s life

Protective factors play a major role: sharing a strong bond with a parent is one of the best preventative factors.

How to intervene without harming your relationship

Fear or punishment-based approaches have shown limited success. Adolescents are usually more responsive to approaches that combine listening, guidance and information.

A simple 3-step intervention method for parents

Ensure your teen’s immediate safety

Priority: avoid risky situations (driving under the influence, mixing different substances, intoxication, using substances when alone).
In the event of immediate danger, contact: emergency services / Info-Santé 811 / poison center as applicable in Quebec.

Protect your relationship with your teen

Speak calmly, once everyone is ready to talk. Don’t start a conversation while the adolescent is still under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Describe what you’ve noticed, without going into attack mode: “I’ve noticed X…and I’m worried”.
Ask open questions: “What do you get out of using drugs or alcohol?” “When do you need it the most?”

Respond proportionately

One-time use: clarify your home values, discuss risks, reinforce protective factors.
Established use: enforce boundaries by reiterating that certain behaviours are not acceptable, ask for an outside assessment.
If your teen is not willing to stop taking drugs or alcohol: strive to reduce the risks until he is ready to accept help. Give your teen clear recommendations: reduce the frequency of your substance use, avoid using drugs or alcohol when you are alone, avoid mixing substances, make sure you’re in a safe environment if you do use.

See our document: Teens and drug use: talking to them about substance use for more information (see pages 17 to 21)

When should you ask for help?

You may want to consult a professional if:

The substance use is becoming more frequent or daily.
It is impacting your teen’s relationships or interfering with school.
Your teen is using substances to manage emotional distress.
The substance use is harming the family environment.

Asking for help early on can often prevent the situation from getting worse.

Portage’s place in the care trajectory

Addiction services are also part of the care trajectory.

The trajectory can include:

Information and prevention
Psychosocial support and assessments
Early intervention
Specialized treatment
Follow-up and reintegration

Specialized centres like those operated by Portage mainly intervene in situations where substance use has become a problem and requires structured, intensive support that is generally offered in a therapeutic setting.

Their approach is based on: