CLINICAL REPORT |
| ABSTRACT |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Key Words: tobacco alcohol drugs substance abuse
Abbreviations: AAP, American Academy of Pediatrics
| PERVASIVENESS OF DRUG USE |
|---|
|
|
|---|
The pattern of substance abuse among adolescents has changed significantly during the past 35 years. Before the late 1960s, it was predominantly adults who were abusing alcohol and other psychoactive drugs, including tobacco. Beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s, substance abuse became widespread among adolescents and, more recently, among preadolescents. Alcohol and tobacco as well as opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, barbiturates, marijuana, hallucinogens, anabolic steroids, and prescription and nonprescription medications and inhalants (volatile substances) are used and abused by many adolescents and a growing number of preadolescents. 2 Tobacco use in these groups represents a significant health threat and is associated with an increased likelihood of future use of marijuana and other illicit drugs. 3,4 In Healthy People 2010, 5 multiple national goals have been established to decrease child and adolescent substance use (Table 1).
|
Alcohol and tobacco use often begins in adolescence or earlier. Data analysis from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 9 demonstrates that adolescents who smoke or drink experience immediate negative health consequences and report poorer health during adolescence than those who do not. Alcohol is involved in more than one third of the deaths attributable to unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide, which together account for 76% of mortality in the 15- to 19-year age group. By the end of high school, 77% of students have tried alcohol, and 46% have done so by eighth grade. More than half (58%) of 12th-grade students and one fifth (20%) of 8th-grade students report having been drunk at least once in their life. 6 Tobacco is associated with the 5 leading causes of death in adult Americans, accounting for 435000 deaths annually. 10 By the 12th grade, 54% of American youth have tried cigarettes and 24% are current smokers. 6 Alcohol and tobacco are often referred to as licit (or lawful) drugs, but in the United States the legal age for use of alcohol remains 21 years or older, and the legal minimum age for purchase of tobacco remains 18 years.
Overall, more than half (51%) of American youth have tried an illicit (unlawful) drug by the time they complete high school. Data obtained in 2003 from the Monitoring the Future survey document a second year of decline in the use of ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA]) by adolescents and young adults, with lifetime prevalence of 8.3% by the 12th grade, reversing a sharp increase that began in 1998 and peaked at 11.7% in 2001. Lifetime use of marijuana (46%), amphetamines (14%), tranquilizers (10%), barbiturates (9%), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD [6%]), and inhalants (11%) showed gradual decreases among high-school seniors. Lifetime use held steady for cocaine (8%), anabolic steroids (4%), heroin (2%), and 3 of the "club drugs": Rohypnol, gammahydroxybutyrate (GHB), and ketamine (each less than 2%). Among 12th-graders, no drug showed increased use in 2003. Divergence in trends for substance use is attributable in part to perceived benefits and perceived risks of each drug. Perception of risks often lags behind perception of benefits; thus, newly introduced drugs experience a "grace period," as was seen with ecstasy. Older drugs may be rediscovered by youth, in a process termed "generational forgetting," as knowledge of adverse consequences fades. 6
Possible factors implicated in changing patterns of substance use include a decrease in perceived risk, fewer school-based substance-abuse prevention programs, pervasive messages in the electronic and print media as well as advertisements that glamorize tobacco and alcohol, and changing patterns of parenting in the 1990s. 2,11 The perception that casual use of recreational drugs is not a significant concern is held by many adults as well, including a sizable number of pediatricians surveyed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 1995. Although the prevalence of drug use may vary from community to community, there is general agreement that use of tobacco and alcohol at an early age is a predictive factor for use of other drugs, use of a greater variety of drugs, and use of more potent agents. 3,4 Furthermore, the onset of tobacco addiction occurs primarily among children. Most adults who smoke began to do so before 19 years of age, at an average age of 12 years; most were regular smokers by 14 years of age. Thus, it is critical for pediatricians to be knowledgeable about smoking prevention and treatment measures. Youth-oriented prevention and cessation interventions can be successful, as demonstrated by a recent decrease in tobacco use. 12 Cigarette smoking among adolescents continued to decrease significantly in 2003, extending a trend that began in 1997. Daily smoking by eighth-graders decreased by half (10.4% to 4.5%) since the recent peak in 1996. 6
| BARRIERS TO PHYSICIAN INVOLVEMENT |
|---|
|
|
|---|
| MAXIMIZING THE PEDIATRIC EVALUATION |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Adolescent substance abuse may be the most commonly missed pediatric diagnosis. Primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists, and pediatric surgical specialists need to maintain a high index of suspicion and be aware of both the medical and behavioral presentations of substance use as well as its association with psychiatric comorbidity. Newly published resources provide guidelines for pediatric office assessment of substance abuse. 2,15
Appropriate interviewing techniques are critical in obtaining a comprehensive substance-abuse history. Confidentiality is central in this issue, and the most useful information will be obtained in an atmosphere of mutual trust and comfort. Adolescents should be interviewed privately during each office visit with assurance of limited confidentiality. 16 This approach is appropriate for many preadolescents as well.
Although substance abuse commonly has behavioral manifestations, pediatricians should recognize medical manifestations as well. Even an apparently straightforward complaint such as headache or sore throat may be associated with underlying substance use. Trauma, chronic cough, chest pain, worsening asthma unresponsive to therapy, or abdominal complaints associated with gastritis, hepatitis, and even pancreatitis may be signs of substance abuse. Open-ended questions are usually the most nonthreatening to the patient, and an empathic, nonjudgmental style of interviewing facilitates the development of an honest doctor-patient relationship. It may be helpful to begin with questions about the patient's attitudes toward use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs within his or her environment (home, school, and friends) rather than probing personal beliefs or habits. This questioning may lead logically to inquiry about the patient's experiences with tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. Many clinicians use structured interviews and questionnaires to elicit a substance-abuse history. 2 The CRAFFT questionnaire was validated recently as 1 of the few brief screening tools specific to identifying adolescent alcohol and substance abuse (Table 2). 17
|
|
Inquiry regarding other risk behaviors is also important in dealing with the issue of substance abuse. Research suggests behaviors such as early sexual activity, membership in gangs, illegal use of firearms, use of drugs while riding in or driving a motor vehicle, and engaging in other illegal activities are clustered: those who engage in 1 risk behavior are more likely to engage in others. 4
Information should be obtained on the adolescent's use of specific drugs, including tobacco and alcohol; the extent of such use; settings in which the use occurs; and the degree of social, educational, and vocational disruption attributable to drug use. Continually updated Web sites (Table 4) may be useful in obtaining general information about substance abuse, following national trends, and identifying drugs of abuse by their "street names," which often vary by geographic region. Adolescents may display varying degrees of honesty when discussing their use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. Use may be exaggerated or minimized, and the pediatrician may need to rely on other contextual clues such as mood, appearance, and physical and behavioral symptoms (such as illegal activity or problems at home or school) to fully assess usage patterns.
|
| DRUG TESTING |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Initially, a clinical history of substance abuse may obviate the need for testing. In general, testing should be performed only with the patient's consent. Exceptions include situations in which the patient's mental status or judgment is impaired. Testing is often used as a routine component of treatment and maintenance of abstinence.
| OFFICE MANAGEMENT |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Intervention is required for any patient when substance use is having an effect on academic, social, or vocational functioning. Use of substances in association with other risk behaviors also warrants immediate intervention. Substance abuse in adolescence is often associated with psychiatric comorbidity, such as depression, bipolar disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, oppositional-defiant disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, bulimia nervosa, and social phobia. 25 Referral of adolescents with suspected "dual diagnosis" to a mental health professional for additional evaluation and management is indicated. 25 Clinicians may wish to refer to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Primary Care (DSM-PC) Child and Adolescent Version for assistance in classification of substance use behaviors. 26
Adolescents may be more able to accept that they need help if they are shown how their use has progressed from occasional use in safe situations to more regular use in more risky situations. Discussing reasons and motivations to quit using tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs may encourage the adolescent to consider changing such behaviors and to recognize the importance of seeking treatment. Pediatricians with an interest in substance-abuse treatment may also consider implementing brief, office-based interventions incorporating motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral therapy for their substance-abusing patients. 27,28 Help may consist of 1 or more of the following approaches: counseling (family or individual); behavioral therapy; inpatient or outpatient drug treatment; psychologic evaluation and/or testing; psychiatric assessment; and drug detoxification. Environmental changes such as living in a different community with a relative may be integrated with any of these options. Pediatricians can be most helpful if they are familiar with the referral resources within their communities, including private and public facilities, those offering inpatient and outpatient treatment, and the capability to treat adolescents from diverse backgrounds. Availability of the pediatrician for follow-up after successful treatment is essential for relapse prevention. 28
A far more common scenario is the use of drugs, particularly alcohol and marijuana, as an occasional activity without disruption of behavior or academic performance. Because many adolescents and their families do not regard such use as a health issue, the pediatrician will need to offer advice regarding the associated risks although no such advice has been solicited. At other times, the pediatrician may be asked to help resolve a conflict between parent and child over the use of these drugs. Thus, pediatricians need to be knowledgeable, objective, and able to give adolescents and their families accurate information on the health and safety hazards of using tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. Recently published AAP statements have addressed alcohol, 29 tobacco, 30 and marijuana 31 use as well as indications for management and referral of patients. 32
Even infrequent casual use poses increased risk of serious problems, including abuse, date rape, and intentional or unintentional injury. Of 1023 consecutive admissions at 1 trauma unit (two thirds from automobile crashes), approximately half of the patients tested positive for alcohol, marijuana, or both. Positive tests for both were found in one third of those affected, and marijuana and alcohol alone each accounted for one third. 33 Death and serious injury often result from risk-taking behavior while impaired.
Pediatricians hold valued, respected positions with their patients and their patients' families and within the community. Armed with the knowledge of normal adolescent development, the pediatrician has the unique ability to provide appropriate anticipatory guidance and counseling in substance-abuse prevention and to place tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use in the context of risk behavior in general, which may lead to the identification of other risk behaviors and provide the opportunity to intervene by encouraging protective behaviors.
| ADVICE FOR PEDIATRICIANS |
|---|
|
|
|---|
| Committee on Substance Abuse, 20032004 |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Marylou Behnke, MD
John R. Knight, MD
Patricia K. Kokotailo, MD, MPH
John W. Kulig, MD, MPH
Janet F. Williams, MD
| Past Committee Members |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Peter D. Rogers, MD, MPH
| Liaison |
|---|
|
|
|---|
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
| Staff |
|---|
|
|
|---|
| FOOTNOTES |
|---|
| REFERENCES |
|---|
|
|
|---|
The following policy statement has been revised:
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
K. P. Tercyak, M. T. Britto, K. M. Hanna, P. J. Hollen, and M. M. Hudson Prevention of Tobacco Use Among Medically At-risk Children and Adolescents: Clinical and Research Opportunities in the Interest of Public Health J. Pediatr. Psychol., March 1, 2008; 33(2): 119 - 132. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. R. Brookman Unintended Consequences of Drug and Alcohol Testing of Student Athletes AAP Grand Rounds, February 1, 2008; 19(2): 15 - 16. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. H. Swahn, R. M. Bossarte, and E. E. Sullivent III Age of Alcohol Use Initiation, Suicidal Behavior, and Peer and Dating Violence Victimization and Perpetration Among High-Risk, Seventh-Grade Adolescents Pediatrics, February 1, 2008; 121(2): 297 - 305. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. R. Knight, S. K. Harris, L. Sherritt, S. Van Hook, N. Lawrence, T. Brooks, P. Carey, R. Kossack, and J. Kulig Prevalence of Positive Substance Abuse Screen Results Among Adolescent Primary Care Patients Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, November 1, 2007; 161(11): 1035 - 1041. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N. J. Montalto and W. O. Wells Validation of Self-Reported Smoking Status Using Saliva Cotinine: A Rapid Semiquantitative Dipstick Method Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., September 1, 2007; 16(9): 1858 - 1862. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. Hollman, E. Alderman, and H. M. Adam Substance Abuse Counseling Pediatr. Rev., September 1, 2007; 28(9): 355 - 357. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. F. Williams, M. Storck, and the Committee on Substance Abuse, and and Committee on Native American Child Health Inhalant Abuse Pediatrics, May 1, 2007; 119(5): 1009 - 1017. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. Legano and H. M. Adam Alcohol Pediatr. Rev., April 1, 2007; 28(4): 153 - 155. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. R. Neuspiel and J. R. Serwint Marijuana Pediatr. Rev., April 1, 2007; 28(4): 156 - 157. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. W. Miller, T. S. Naimi, R. D. Brewer, and S. E. Jones Binge Drinking and Associated Health Risk Behaviors Among High School Students Pediatrics, January 1, 2007; 119(1): 76 - 85. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
Z. Samson Reaching for a new high: Some teens look no further than the medicine chest for drugs of abuse AAP News, June 1, 2006; 27(6): 1 - 16. [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
R. B. Heyman Academy among national groups focused on underage drinking AAP News, May 1, 2005; 26(5): 19 - 19. [Full Text] |
||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||