How the pandemic affected teen mental health and substance abuse

<p>"Two issues drive teen substance use: drug availability and perception of risk.</p> <p>Availability: Today’s teens know that obtaining substances is far too easy. For example, 70 percent of high school seniors say marijuana is either “fairly easy” or “very easy” to obtain. Seventy-seven percent say getting their hands on alcohol is very easy and twenty-one percent of seniors believe it is easy to find MDMA (ecstasy). Thirty percent say getting their hands on amphetamines is also very easy.</p> <p>Perhaps more alarming, 27 percent of eighth-graders said getting ahold of a drug like marijuana is either fairly easy or very easy to do. And nearly 50 percent said alcohol is easy to find."</p> <p><a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Richard-Capriola/e/B00J4B90A2%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richard Capriola</a> is a counselor and author of <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KJHJYBY/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=kevcom-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B08KJHJYBY&linkId=d63a80ce377d60fa53eb3fa5a0ff4247" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Addicted Child: A Parent’s Guide to Adolescent Substance Abuse</a>.</p> <p>He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "<a href= "https://www.kevinmd.com/2022/01/the-pandemic-drives-a-decline-in-teen-substance-abuse.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The pandemic drives a decline in teen substance abuse</a>."</p> <p><strong>Did you enjoy today’s episode?</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.kevinmdpodcast.com/rate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rate and review</a> the show so more audiences can find <strong>The Podcast by KevinMD</strong>.</p> <p><a href="https://www.kevinmdpodcast.com/follow/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Subscribe on your favorite podcast app</a> to get notified when a new episode comes out.</p> <p><strong>Reflect and <a href="https://earnc.me/SY6T2e" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CME</a> for this episode.</strong></p> <p>Also available in <a href= "https://www.k