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Drug addiction is a serious problem in the country, particularly among the youth of today. As of 2010, about 30% of 10th-graders had used marijuana, while more than two-thirds of them said that they could access it quite easily. Worse, that same year almost three percent of 12th-graders had used cocaine, eight percent had abused Vicodin, five percent used inhalants, and nearly five percent had taken Ecstasy.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, drug addiction is a negative patter of using a substance that leads to any number of problems, including withdrawal, an increase in tolerance to the substance, longer durations of usage, and other life problems that result from drug addiction. Teen drug abuse commonly takes the shape of the misuse and abuse of tobacco products, alcohol, cannabinoids (or more colloquially referred to as “weed” or “pot”), cold medications, inhalants, depression medication, stimulants such as speed, cocaine or meth, narcotics such as oxycontin or codeine, and many others.

Thankfully, there are teen treatment programs that can help youths shake off drug addiction and reclaim their lives. However, it can be difficult to spot when a teen is suffering. The key is to carefully look for any drug addiction symptoms. Here are some of the more common ones to watch for.

Behavioral Issues

Teens abusing drugs may tend to develop behavioral issues, such as: emotional instability, unusual clumsiness, exhaustion, depression, being uncommunicative, making endless excuses, lethargy, hyperactivity, and others. Essentially, if a teen isn’t quite themselves, the possibility of drug use is present.

Personal Habits.

A teen’s persona habits may change as well if they’re suffering from drug addiction. They may start having cash flow problems, chewing more and more gum or mints (to cover their breath), recklessly driving, clenching their teeth more, locking their bedroom doors, being more secretive, develop a voracious appetite, or begin to suddenly use more air fresheners, scented candles or incense.

School and/or Work Issues.

These issues may be some of the more tell-tale signs on this list. If your teen starts to lose interest in their schoolwork and.or extracurricular activities, become truant, experience a drop in their grades, or fail their responsibilities at home/school/work. You may also hear some complaints from teachers, or worse, hear reports of intoxication.

Teen drug addiction is a nightmare, but thankfully one can wake up from it. If your teen displays any of these problems, you should consider taking them to a treatment facilities. If you have any questions about teen drug addiction, feel free to ask in the comments. More on this.