Social media has become a platform for substance sales among youth. This discreet yet widespread phenomenon affects more and more adolescents—often without their families even realizing it.
At Portage, we support young people every year who have been exposed to this type of trafficking. This page brings together our informational content and practical tools to help parents better understand this reality and start the conversation with their teens.
What you’ll find on this page
- Video capsules featuring personal stories
- Webinars and presentations
- Reference articles
- Practical tools for awareness and prevention
- Content designed to speak directly to young people
Understanding the reality
Social media make it easier to access substances
Discover a series of video clips featuring young people in therapy and counsellors sharing their experiences and insights on drug sales through social media. These videos explore topics such as:
- How youth are approached online
- The normalization of the phenomenon
- Marketing strategies used by dealers
- How to talk about substance use with an adolescent
“They sent me pictures like a menu, showing everything they had. You choose, you reply, and they come deliver it.”
“It’s like Uber Eats, but for drugs.”
Webinar
A Moment for Dialogue and Reflection
Portage hosted a webinar titled Social Media and Drug Sales – Fast Access, Real Consequences, designed for parents, counsellors, and professionals in the field. This webinar offers:
- Testimonials from youth and counsellors
- Recent data on the phenomenon
- Concrete intervention strategies
Want to open the discussion with your teenager?
Here is some special content to help him make a decision.
