Drug Abuse in Adolescents: Prevention, Early Interventions, Harm Reduction, and Treatment of Drug Abuse in Adolescents

In this study, a systematic examination of evidences on the efficacy of preventive interventions, early interventions, harm reduction interventions, and treatment of tobacco and illegal drugs (cannabis, opioid, amphetamine, and cocaine) abuse in adolescents was carried out. Tax levies, general public prohibition, advertisement limitations, are useful tools to reduce tobacco use, but are of no avail for illegal drugs. Current evidence on school-based prevention is affected by methodological complications. Interventions that benefit from skills training, are more efficient with making individuals aware. Evidence indicating efficacy of social norms interventions and intensive interventions for reduction of drug use in adolescents is not considerable. Interventions used to reduce harms due to drug injection have an efficacy of average to high. However, more research must be done on adolescents. Insufficient access to information and data concerning the use of harmful drugs indicates a need for experimental interventions – already proved to be efficacious for adults. The current evidence is from countries with high GDP; this fact implies that using such evidence in countries and cultures with different age, sex, and risk vulnerability levels brings about uncertain results. More attempts have to be made to increase evidence on interventions aiming reduction of drug use in adolescents.