to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • Drug Info
    • Paraphernalia
  • Drugs & Your Family
    • Accidental Exposure: Drugs and Young Children
    • Medications in Your Home
    • Signs of Drug Use
    • Social Media: Understanding a Teen's World
    • Talking to Your Child When You Suspect Drug Use
    • True Stories
    • Using Over-the-Counter Medication Safely
    • What You Should Know About Marijuana Concentrates/ Honey Butane Oil
    • What’s Happening in Your Child’s School
    • Why do Teens Use Drugs?
  • News & Media
    • Latest News
    • Emerging Drug Trends
    • Tracking Drug Use and Other Drug-Related Statistics
  • Consequences
    • Drugged Driving—What You Should Know
    • How Do Drug Overdoses Happen?
    • How Drugs Alter Brain Development and Affect Teens
    • School Failure
    • State and Federal Drug Laws
    • Treatment and Recovery
    • True Stories
    • VIDEO: Taking Prescription Drugs to Get High—A Bad Idea
  • Get Involved
    • DEA Museum
    • DEA Red Ribbon Week Patch Program
    • Get Involved in a Community Anti-Drug Coalition
    • National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
    • National Recovery Month 2021
    • Operation Prevention
    • Red Ribbon Week is Oct. 23-31
    • Upcoming DEA 360 Events
  • Search
  • Menu
Home
  • English
  • Spanish
  • DEA Publications
  • Get Updates
  • Find Help
  • Menu

Main Menu

  • Drug Info
  • Drugs & Your Family
  • News & Media
  • Consequences
  • Get Involved
  • Search
  • Menu

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Consequences

Consequences

Irma Perez

Irma Perez, 14, Ecstasy

Irma was a 14-year-old girl from Belmont, California who took an ecstasy pill. She became sick immediately—vomiting and writhing in pain—yet her friends did not seek medical help for her. 

Heroin

David Pease, 23, Heroin

Dave spent most of his teen years looking for answers in a mixture of marijuana, cigarettes and alcohol.

inhalants

David Manlove, 16, Inhalants

When our son, David, was 13 and 14, we discovered he had tried drinking alcohol and smoking pot. We reiterated our rules that alcohol and drug use was unacceptable, and imposed what we felt were appropriate consequences. 

Ian Eaccarino

Ian Eaccarino, 20, Heroin

In his senior year of high school, his car was firebombed in the driveway of our home. In retrospect, we realized it was drug related, but at the time, the explanation he gave us made sense. It was all a lie. Drug activity is typically associated with violence and deception.

Mark Bauer, 18, Prescription Drugs

Jason Surks

Jason Surks, 19, Prescription Drugs

I worked for a community-based substance abuse prevention agency and so did my son, Jason. Jason knew the dangers. We believed that he was not using drugs—we talked about it often. I was so convinced that he was not using that it became a sort of joke between us—as he would leave home at the end of a weekend, I would frequently say, “Jason, don’t do drugs.” “I know, Mom,” he would say, “I won’t.” But he did.

Photo of Efrain Marrero

Efrain Marrero, 19, Steroids

We found our oldest son, Efrain, in our bedroom dead from a self–inflicted gunshot wound to the head. At age 19, Efrain had grown to be a fine, respectable and loving young man. Sure, he had his share of youthful stumbles along the way, but he responded well to our guidance. He had the highest respect for his parents and was very kind at heart. He adored his baby brother, Ethyn and younger sister, Erika. He was raised in a solidly Christian home, and had embraced his faith.

Recovery Sign on Road

Treatment and Recovery

The first step when you suspect your teen has a substance abuse problem is to have your child screened by a experienced medical doctor, certified substance abuse counselor, or an addiction specialist.

Silhouette of head with gears inside

How Drugs Alter Brain Development and Affect Teens

Long-term drug use causes brain changes that can set people up for addiction and other problems.

teen talking to doctor

Physical Health Consequences of Drug Use

Drug abuse can have a serious, life-changing impact on your child: their physical and mental health is at stake.  Here’s where you’ll learn more about the health consequences that drug abuse has on your teen.

Pagination

  • First page «
  • Previous page ‹
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Current page 5

Featured Articles
Marijuana and lungs
Lung Cancer Diagnosis Comes 2.8 Years Sooner for Smokers of Both Tobacco and Marijuana
Beware illicit fentanyl
Illicit Fentanyl PSA
Woman uses a phone
Suicide Prevention Lifeline Transitions to 988
Wyatt Williamson
Wyatt's Story
Related Articles
Blurred nighttime road from perspective of a drugged driver
Drugged Driving—What You Should Know

Footer

  • About this site
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
  • Useful links
    • DEA Publications
    • Drugs & Paraphernalia
    • Find Help
    • Just Think Twice
    • Campus Drug Prevention
  • About DEA
    • Accessibility
    • DEA: Who We Are
    • FOIA
    • U.S. Department of Justice
    • U.S. Department of Justice EEO Policy
    • Legal Policies and Disclaimers
    • USA.gov
Home
This is a United States Government, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) website. The inclusion of a link on this website does not constitute an official endorsement, guarantee, or approval by DEA.